Cooking for Newly Found Diabetic

For a man with diabetes I would recommend a diet with no refined foods and no sugar. Instead a diet rich in high fiber whole grains, fresh fruits, and vegetables. Half of the vege intake should be raw vegetables. He could go vegetarian, eating nuts and beans for protein. If eating meat make it low fat chicken. Most important too is exercise. Mild daily exercise like walking keeps the blood sugar lower. AF

I am a stay at home mom of 2 boys who majored in human nutrition in college 10 yrs ago. Basically diabetics have to follow the diet we all should be following for a super healthy lifestyle - carbs aren't off limits and whole grain pastas/breads are an important part of the diet. Its not quite that simple but a good nutritionist can point out how many diabetic exchanges he will need daily. My grandfather was recently diagnosed with diabetes and he lives 1600 miles away but Kraft Food and Family has a special magazine just for diabetics chock full of recipes (easy - using Kraft family of products) and its FREE. Here's the link - you may have to click the tab in the top margin menu that says Diabetes Center
http://www.kraftfoods.com/diabetic/main.aspx?s=diabetic&a...
You may also want to do a google search of diabetic recipes - I bet a whole lot will turn up.
There you can register to receive the magazine (with pretty pics) 4 times a yr for FREE + go to their website and use the other recipes anytime you want. I'm sure other readers will have personal favorites for their loved ones with diabetes - just thought this was a good place to get lots of recipes freely and quickly.

Hi K.,

Are you familiar with the nutritional product line that Arbonne offers? They have both protein and fiber shakes that are in the Figure 8 weight loss plan that are ideal for diabetic people. Not only do they taste great but they are simple to make and help with complete nutrition even for those that do not need to loose weight. They are safe, no artificial sweeteners, no dairy & low carb/calories. The protein is also easy to break down as it is from the pea plant and of course we all need more fiber. I have a testimonial from a woman in California and her doctor that I would be happy to share with you. Using the Arbonne system she was able to control her diabetes and it no longer shows in her system. If you are not familiar with Arbonne, you may shop for it online but first you need a referral code generated for you. I would be happy to do that for you if you are interested. You will find it has almost 400 products from nutrition, anti aging skin care to make up.

Hi,

My husband was also recently diagnosed. We eat no white flour/rice/noodles. Instead we eat whole grain rice; whole wheat bread/noodles, etc. Also, the majority of the meal is fruit and vegetables; my husband is supposed to have maybe 4-6 ounces of meat and 4 ounces (1/2 cup) of starch (rice or noodles or potatoes, etc) and 3 cups of salad and 1 1/2 cups of fruit/veggies. Your husband should have been referred to a nutritionist. If he hasn't been, have him ask for a referral.

Good luck--it's actually not a bad diet--healthier for you and your family and opens you to a lot of new recipes.

Good luck.

Yes, cook with everything brown, Rice, Pasta, Wheat bread, Use Splenda Sugar in everything, coffee, tea, bake with it. If He likes soda the only one to drink is Diet Rite It has no sodium, no sugar no caffeine so try that it should help.

Cooking for a diabetic can be a real challenge.Took care of my diabetic mother for 12 years and found that she did best on whole grains (breads, brown rice, Kasha). The whole grains stay in your system a lot longer and keep the blood sugar stabilized. Processed foods were not good and she would be weak and listless. Getting her to eat protein was a challenge and I made lots of chunky soups loaded with vegetables, wild rice, etc. Sugar Busters book had lots of ideas and recipes that worked well for diabetic regime. Good luck.

Hi,
I'm a diabetic myself. The question is, is your husband a Type 1 or 2 diabetic? That makes a huge difference when it comes to ones diet.

K.,

My father has had Type 2 diabetes for 10 years and I currently work closely with the American Diabetes Association. As mentioned, it is important to know if your husband has Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes. You also need to contact a nutritionist to set up a specific meal plan for your husband since everyone is different and certain foods may react differently with your husband's body and glucose levels. Although cook books are very helpfull, you will find that sometimes, your husband may be able to eat a lot of the same things you do as long as it is in moderation. It is also very important that he excercises regularly. If he has Type 2 diabetes, it could be possible to control it by nutrition and excercise alone which would be the ideal!! For more information, cook books or just general support, you may want to visit www.diabetes.org Good Luck!!

I was diabetic with both of my pregnancies and my father gave me the cookbook "The Sugar Solution". I highly recommend it. We still use tons of the recipies today, even though I'm no longer diabetic. Also, if he has a sweet tooth, Splenda will become his best friend.
Hope this helps!
H.

Hi, K.. Try your local hospital. They usually offer classes for diabetics and their families and show you everything you need to know. I come from family of diabetics (I do not have it myself, but did get gestational diabetes during my pregnancy). Both of my sisters went to the class offered at our local hospital (at the suggestion of their docs) and have been able to control their diabetes totally by diet. You can also check the website for the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) at the National Institutes of Health. I think the link is www.niddk.gov (if not, just do a google and it will take you to the site). Good luck.

K.,

After my husband was diagnosed, one of the first things I did was go to the bookstore -- there are many great cookbooks for diabetics out there! The diabetic diet is healthy for everyone in the family. Hopefully your husband's health plan can hook him up with a nutrition counselor (take advantage of those benefits you pay for!). That has been very helpful as well. Good luck! P.

My husband was diagnosed with diabetes almost 2 years ago. His doctor referred him to a a program in our town specifically for monitoring diabetic patients. We took a class together through the program and received all kinds of great information, recipes, meal plans, etc. He also received a glucose monitor during the class and they taught him how to use it. Also, here a few websites that I use http://www.diabetes.org/home.jsp, http://kraftfoods.com/DIABETIC/main.aspx?s=diabetic&m..., http://vgs.diabetes.org/recipe/index.jsp. I've also found some pretty good pamphlet size cookbooks at the grocery store and various places.

I wish you & your husband good luck and good health! I struggle with keeping my husband on track and I have to admit it's not working! I think because he is young he thinks he's invincible...I hope that you find good support and that your husband takes ownership of his diagnosis and really makes a life change.