1. Reduce your snacking and then switch up your snacking.
Certainly my biggest downfall, although it wasn’t really apparent to me. When I first started at university, I had little or no routine, which meant that filling my day was difficult and popping into the kitchen for a snack, no matter how healthy it felt, was a regular occurence. This is one of the hardest things to do for some people, but establishing a great routine is essential to great diabetes care. The types of snacks to be eating are unsalted nuts, dried unsweetened fruit, fresh fruit, fresh vegetables (I love fresh red pepper and cucumber), and dark chocolate (richer and nicer and you only want 2 squares usually).
2. Reduce your intake of white flour and increase your intake of whole grain carbohydrates.
This is the most essential part of your diet, and the thing that can show the biggest increase in weight loss. Some diets actually just focus on this point, and are very successful. Wholemeal (especially stoneground wholemeal) is so good for you and has so much more flavour in it that switching is much easier than you think. Most people are really surprised at the range of products you can get in your supermarket. Again, remember that the bread that is best for you is the one that is freshest with the least perservatives or added ingredients. Also, brown or basmati rice is great, with a lovely nutty texture. Wholemeal pasta is great, and for your potatoes, I would totally recommend the smaller new potatoes.
3. Give up the cocktails and switch to wine.
Cocktails are full of sugar, colorants, and preservatives. As a student, I have had loads of practice at going out and not drinking cocktails, so my drink of choice is Malibu and Diet Coke if I feel I have to drink something and I make it last all night. I can then top up with Diet Coke (which has almost no sugar in it) and it looks as though I am drinking Malibu. Who is to know? If you are out at a restaurant, red wine is much better than anything else you can order (except water, of course) And it has been proven that the antioxidants in red wine are great for keeping a healthy heart. The recommended amount is one glass a day with your evening meal.
4. Increase your fruit and veggie cooking.
Fresh fruit and vegetables are a great way to get all the vitamins and minerals you need. And there are so many different ways in which to cook vegetables, but I find that raw is the best, followed closely by steamed. Both of these ways preserve all their natural goodness as well. I will follow this post with another diabetes recipe post.
5. Up your water intake.
I know you have heard people say this many times before, but the benefits of drinking more water are endless. A few tips on how to get more water into your day are, firstly, to put bottles of water at all the places you go in the house or work. So keep one on your desk, one in the kitchen, one in the bedroom, one in the living room, and so on. Try and drink all these glasses up and you will be well on your way to 8 glasses a day. The trick is to add a glass every few days or so. If you try to drink all that water in one go, you won’t be so inclined to drink 8 glasses again. Trust me! Have a go; it’s amazing how great you will feel.