Natural Health Alternatives

The important thing is to follow an alternative health meal plan that works for you. You and your health care provider will establish goals for your blood glucose, cholesterol and triglycerides levels, blood pressure, and weight.

You can start by including more non-starchy vegetables and smaller portions of starchy foods and meats.

If you don’t know where to begin, the Plate Method is an excellent way to get started managing your blood glucose levels.The Plate Method is effective for both managing diabetes naturally and losing weight!

1.To start draw a line down the middle of your dinner plate.

2. Now divide one half of the plate in half again. You will have 3 sections on your plate.

3. Now fill the largest section (one-half of your plate) with non-starchy vegetables such as:

Spinach, carrots, lettuce, greens, cabbage, bok choy, green beans, broccoli, cauliflower, tomatoes, vegetable juice, salsa, onion, cucumber, beets, okra, mushrooms, peppers, turnips.

4.Then in one of the small sections, put starchy foods such as:

Whole grain breads, whole grain, high-fiber cereal, cooked cereal, rice, pasta, tortillas, beans, peas, potatoes, corn, lima beans, sweet potatoes, winter squash, low-fat crackers and snack chips, pretzels, and fat-free popcorn.

5. And then on the other small section, put your meat or meat substitutes such as:

Chicken or turkey without the skin, fish, lean cuts of beef or pork, tofu, eggs, low-fat cheese.

6. You can add an 8 oz glass of non-fat or low-fat milk, or another small serving of a carbohydrate.

7. Also dd a piece of fruit or a 1/2 cup fruit salad and you have very simple diabetes meal planning!

By counting carbohydrates  it helps people who use insulin adjust their mealtime dose of insulin to cover the amount of carbohydrates eaten. More and more diabetics who don’t use insulin are also starting to count carbohydrates because it helps control blood glucose levels.

Heres a good place to start , about 45-60 grams of carbohydrate per meal.Now you can adjust, depending on your blood sugar levels when tested. Some people need more others less ,not everyone is the same. Once you know how many carbs to eat at a meal, you will be able to choose your food and the portion size to match.

You can substitute one carbohydrate-containing food for another. This will allow you to enjoy a favorite dessert or sweet snack -  be careful not to do this too often. Sweets are not nutritious, and a healthy diet includes a variety of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, low-fat dairy products and fish.

You must understand that you have to keep very accurate records of the foods you eat, the medications you take, and your activity and blood glucose levels while you are planning your meals .

After you have determined how many carbohydrates you should eat at each meal and snack, you will be able to develop your own personalized diabetes meal plan.