There’s no need to count calories or carbs. Simply choose healthier options.
Eating healthy is critical for taming diabetes. There’s a lot of confusion about what exactly this means. Do we need to become vegetarian or vegan? Should we eat low fat? The answer is no. All we need to do is be sensible, eat our veggies, keep an eye on the carbs, and we’ll be fine.
Cook at home
Home cooking is almost always better than going out, getting takeout, or reheating prepared foods you buy at a store. When you cook something yourself you know exactly what’s in it. You don’t have to worry about extra sugar that a sneaky cook added for flavor. You know how to flavor foods without sugar. You can also avoid unhealthy options that many commercial foods are famous for. Plus cooking at home is usually much less expensive.
Cooking doesn’t have to take a lot of time. The way I cook will never win any gourmet awards. My recipes are simple and I’m perfectly fine with that. We eat healthy and tasty food, and I don’t spend a huge amount of time in the kitchen. That’s a major win for someone who doesn’t like to cook.
Eat more fiber
Most people don’t eat enough fiber. Yet fiber is hugely important to our health. Think of it as a broom that sweeps our intestines clean. It keeps us regular so we feel happier. And here’s the best part: fiber helps keep blood sugar stable. It also keeps us feeling full longer.
Veggies are a great source of fiber, particularly non-starchy ones. The best examples are leafy greens, peppers, tomatoes, cucumbers, and the like. I don’t even bother counting their impact carbs because the numbers are so low. I eat them when I’m hungry and it’s not mealtime yet. The starchy veggies have fiber too, but they also contain simple carbohydrates, and these carbs will raise blood sugar. These are generally plant roots and include potatoes, corn, carrots, beets, and many more. We should count impact carbs of these foods in our monitoring.
Beans, peas, and lentils are excellent sources of fiber and also contain some starch. They’re great to eat in moderation.
Finally, fruit contains fiber. Most fruit contains fructose, which is a kind of sugar. Fruit is healthier than candy but I try not to go crazy with it.