With the breathless pace and skewed nutritional habits of today’s world, the incidence of Diabetes is increasing at an alarming rate. This condition, which can be fatal if not treated in time, occurs when your body is starved of the energy it requires as it is incapable of using the insulin that it produces to break down the sugar in your blood. However, there is a brighter side to this threatening cloud. By simply adhering to the Golden Rules of regular exercise, timely medication and keeping a close watch on your glucose levels, this disease can easily be restricted to its most rudimentary stages, thus enabling you to lead a long and healthy life. Your meal patterns are also a vital part of your treatment, because in order to ensure that your medication is as effective as possible, it is important that you pay heed to not only what you eat, but also when you eat.

To ensure that your meals are perfectly suited to your medication and also meet your nutritional requirements, it is essential that you base them on the Diabetic Food Pyramid. Not to be confused with the Food Guide Pyramid which classifies your diet as per foods, the Diabetic Food Pyramid distinguishes between foods on the amounts of protein and carbohydrates they contain. Also, the focus here lies in maintaining the ideal intake of carbohydrates in every meal that you consume and hence, portion sizes as per the Diabetic Food Pyramid may also vary. Hence, even though your cup of juice may seem like nothing more than a refreshing thirst quencher, it may cause your glucose levels to fluctuate dramatically if you don’t equate this increase in sugar by cutting down the carbohydrate content of your meal.

The primary food group in the Diabetic Pyramid is Carbohydrates. It is recommended that you consume 6 to 11 servings a day, and try to stay at the lower end of the range. One serving would constitute a slice of bread, half an English muffin, a third of a cup of rice or pasta, or half a cup of potatoes, peas or cooked beans. Unlike the regular food pyramid, potatoes are included in the category of carbohydrates on account of the high levels of starch they contain.

Vegetables add the nutritional boost to your meals on account of the vitamins, minerals and fiber they provide while also going easy on the calories. To make the most of this food group, aim for at least 3 to 5 servings a day and keep each portion at half a cup of cooked vegetables or a single cup of raw vegetables. You must also try to steer away from the greasy and calorie laden varieties and opt for lighter steamed or stir-fried greens if you don’t want your cholesterol levels to skyrocket.

Fruits are quite alike vegetables in terms of their nutritional content but are also laden with more carbohydrates. And this is what you need to pay attention to when pouring yourself that extra cup of juice or snacking on an extra banana. Limit your serving size to half a cup of canned fruit, one whole small fruit or two tablespoons of dried fruit and aim for 2 to 4 such servings a day. You can also benefit from the calcium and vitamins that milk and milk products have to offer, if you pay attention to concentrating on the low fat or fat free alternatives. You must also remember that cheese is not included in this section, but rather in the category of meat because of the high fat content it has. When it comes to the Meats category, stick to the leanest options you can find and do not exceed four to six ounces a day.

Contrary to popular notion, sugar is not the guiding force behind an individual’s Diabetes, nor does it in any way imply that a Diabetic is restricted from sweets in all their varieties on account of his Diabetes. You can consume the occasional cookie or ice-cream, but remember to keep your portions tiny and limited to special occasions and immediately balance the extra sugar you’re consuming by cutting down on your carbohydrates for that specific meal. You can even experiment by using reduced calorie or low calorie sweeteners in your desserts to satiate your sweet tooth, while also keeping maintaining the glucose targets you’ve set for yourself.

As with any other meal plan, remember that the key to the success of your diabetic nutritional regime lies in incorporating as much variety as you can. Keep your dietician informed of your preferences and dislikes so that alternatives can be incorporated to allow you more room to experiment. Low-carb options aren’t necessarily healthier, as they may contain high levels of sodium which may be adverse to your blood pressure while many of them are also high in saturated fats. With a little bit of care and plenty of determination, you’ll soon find that your diabetic meals are miles away from the tedious and insipid options you’ve always dreaded with time, you’ll soon learn that there’s hardly a meal plan that is as healthy and delicious as your personalized diabetes menu!

Julia Hanf author of the book How To Play the Diabetes Diet Game and Win Through a real life crisis Julia figured out how to live diabetes free. Visit http://www.yourdiabetescure.com and learn more about your solution for diabetes.