Diabetic 1200 calorie diets are very strict and rather hard to hold to. How do I know? I’m a diabetic AND my doctor put me on a 1200 calorie diet.

I will show you what a 1200 calorie diet consists of, then show you what a 1800 calorie diet consists of. You choose which is right for you.

If you believe you can stick with 1200 calories and be successful, then this is what you must do. I however found it was too limited, which made me prone to cheat.

What I did instead was plan around a diabetic 1800 calorie diet and increase my exercise/activity. If you feel you can not maintain a good amount of exercise/activity, the 1200 calorie diet would be best for you.

With either diet you need to aim for 3 small meals and 2-3 small snacks a day consisting of 50% calories from carbohydrates, 20% from protein and 30% from fat.

- Diabetic 1200 Calorie Diet Example -

Breakfast
½ cup oatmeal
1 small piece of fruit
8oz glass of skim milk

Lunch
Turkey/cheese sandwich on whole wheat bread
(2oz turkey breast, 1oz cheese, 2 slices whole wheat bread, lettuce, tomato, 1Tbs mustard or mayo)
1 small piece of fruit

Supper
3oz piece of lean meat
1 cup veggies
small dry potato or 2/3 cup brown rice

Snack 1
½ banana
20 Almonds

Snack 2
8oz low-fat yogurt

diabetic safe breads

Bread is an accompaniment of many meals. It is almost impossible to live without bread. A bread free diet is very restrictive and difficult to follow for a long period of time. Since diabetes is a lifelong condition that has no cure, it becomes difficult for a person with diabetes to follow a diet that has no bread for a lifetime. This has resulted in a lot research and experiment to produce a type of bread that is acceptable to people with diabetics.

Grain & Sugar Free Bread

Some bread manufacturers have substituted the ingredients in breads that have sugar and refined grains, with ingredients that are sugar and grain free making them diabetic safe breads. Wheat is substituted with almond flour or whole grain unrefined flour, sugar is substituted with sweeteners and cooking fat replaced with Soya oil.

The bread is given flavor by adding onions and garlic. Plain bread with no additional flavor is also available. So this is a good solution for people with diabetes, they can have bread just like any other person. Diabetic safe breads are also now available in most shops and some online stores that deliver right to your doorstep.

Weight Control

Another thing emphasized by the doctors for diabetic patients is the need to control one’s weight. The pressure is always on the patients to maintain their weights at an ideal body mass index. It is therefore necessary for people with diabetes to watch what they eat. There is always the need to monitor the quantity and contents of their meals. Diabetic bread therefore has low fat contents, and low carbohydrates.

Diabetic safe breads need to have a recipe that combines the health benefit of no sugar and carbs together with having no fat. The ingredients are selected with this in mind. There are now thousands of recipes that aim to create diabetic bread that covers most of the requirements a doctor will have given their diabetic patients. Therefore finding one that suits your taste and needs will not be an impossible task.

Diabetic safe breads have the same look and texture of normal bread. The difference might come in the taste of the bread. Owing to the complex ingredients in the bread, it will cost a little more than normal bread. It will also have the same shelf life and will be used by many people who are following a healthy diet for various reasons.

Many health issues are controlled by what we eat. We have found that a healthy diet will keep many illnesses away. The use of fruit and vegetables in making diabetic safe breads make it a natural choice for people who have diabetes. Life without bread is unimaginable for many. If you have diabetes you no longer have to give up on bread, it just means that you need to substitute the normal bread to a healthy and a more suitable one.

Altering a recipe for diabetic

Foods such as potatoes, refined wheat products like pasta, noodles, cakes and pastries are not good for diabetics. However, they can be altered for diabetics. Instead of white potatoes; yams and arrowroots can be used. Wholegrain wheat or almond flour is used for baking. You can make cakes, bread, pasta and even pastry with it. Brown rice is a good substitute for white rice and is recommended for people with diabetes.

Fish, low fat meats and dairy products are also good for altering recipes for diabetics. Fish is renowned for fighting many other diseases including cancer. Salmon and sardines are best, especially when caught in the wild. There are many tasty dishes that can be made using this type of fish which makes it possible to create meals that are safe for diabetic people.

Another way to alter a recipe is to use beans and lentils, this provides the needed nutrients in the meal and it has great taste. Tofu is also added to a bean based meal to give additional proteins. Low fat cheese can also be added in small servings.

Other vegetables that are good for diabetics are spinach, kale, lettuce and celery. These are used in preparing salads which are healthy meal alternatives. When serving salads you can add olive oil dressings or herbs and spices that add a variety tastes.

It is all a matter of making the right choice when you are out shopping. If you want to make a pasta meal you may not have the option of purchasing ready made pasta from the shop, but you can buy almond flour or whole grain flour, make the pastry and cut out the pasta strips yourself at home. It takes more effort but it is possible.

Same with bread, you might find the brown bread at the shops a bit dull for your taste, so you can buy the wholegrain flour, olive oil, dried fruits or garlic and bake the bread at home. So altering a recipe for diabetic isn’t all that difficult. For those who hate cooking, there are specialized online stores that do all the hard work for you and deliver a lot of healthy food to your doorstep. The price goes up, but sometimes it is well worth it.

Controlling ones diet is no longer a hard task. There are many meals readily available which are cooked, frozen and sold as ready made meals. You can identify stores or hotels that cater to your taste and preference of food, then just shop or eat there all the time.

Diabetes is now common and most families will have someone who has diabetes, from young children to an older adult. This has created a whole healthy food making industry and through many experiments and feedback, they have created a variety of foods that suit people with diabetes. So Altering a recipe for diabetic has become popular and much easier to do then years ago.

The major change to food to make them a Recipe for Diabetics is to remove any fat except olive oil, remove all sugar and use sugar substitutes, add fiber, and use lots of fresh fruits and vegetables.

Keep in mind that while many healthy recipes for Diabetics are fairly simple and fast to make, some may be more complex and take a little longer.

Because of the high sugar content of most desserts, many diabetics feel they would have to give them up. However, there are many Diabetic Dessert Recipes that are safe to eat, such as a diabetic cake recipe or a diabetic cookie recipe.

There are also many diabetic safe breads, salads, sandwiches, appetizers, and any other food category you can think of.

Some of these recipes may incorporate small amounts of refined sugar per serving, while some may be Sugar free Recipes. Recipes with refined sugar may not be suitable for all people with diabetes.

Some recipes may also be high in fiber (i.e. more than 5 grams). For some diabetics, carbohydrates from fiber sources may have a more blunted effect on their blood glucose levels. Your Healthcare Provider will be the best person to tell you whether or not you need to adjust your insulin to carbohydrate ratio if much of the carbohydrate you’re eating is fiber.

Changing What You Eat

For those who are living with diabetes or watching their weight, there are some fairly simple things that you can alter in many of your current recipes to make them safe and healthy.

You can remove foods that have a high glycemic index or that might contribute to heart disease, from your daily diet.

In particular, foods such as potatoes, corn, refined white flour products (pasta, noodles, pastries, cakes) should be reduced or avoided completely in Diabetic Recipes.

In addition, certain types of fat are particularly unhealthy for the diabetic, including hydrogenated oils or fats (trans fats) which have actually been associated with the development of diabetes.

Animal fats such as butter, full fat cheeses and other dairy products should be reduced and low fat or non-fat products used instead.

Now of course you’ve heard all of this before and maybe it’s boring but if you want to keep yourself or your diabetic relative/partner healthy, then these are the basics.

Excellent Foods to Enclude In Recipes

In a healthy recipe for Diabetics, you want to use low glycemic foods such as most vegetables, fish, low fat meats and dairy products. Fish, in particular, is a very healthy food for the diabetic because of the high percentage of DHA fatty acids found in them.

Wild caught salmon and sardines are best. These fish, when eaten a couple of times per week, help to prevent heart disease and prostate cancer. A recent study done in Japan showed that people whose main protein food is fish, have a very low rate of heart disease.

Beans and other legumes, such as lentils are excellent foods for diabetics.

For protein, you can add tofu when cooking or a bit of low fat cheese when you serve it.

Vegetables to include in Recipes for Diabetics are chard, kale, spinach, lettuce (especially romaine), celery, cucumber and most vegetables. Salads are very healthful; use olive oil in the dressing with lemon or vinegar and any herbs or spices that you like.

To be absolutely sure about what to eat and what not to eat, you and your dietitian should work together to design a meal plan that’s right for you AND includes foods that you enjoy.

Diet is the key to good health for everyone. Eating healthy is choosing a wide variety of foods containing a balance of proteins, fat and carbohydrates. You do not need to eat only certain foods or follow a strict meal plan.

Your diet should consist of fruits, whole grains and vegetables as well as small portions low-fat dairy and lean meat. This type of meal is not only healthy for Diabetics, but also for those wanting to maintain a low-fat, low-calorie diet.

Why is eating Carbohydrates good for you?

Your main source of energy comes from carbohydrates. In order to supply your organs with enough energy to function, you must consume at least 130 grams of carbohydrates each day.

If you think all carbohydrates are the same, your wrong. There are two types of carbohydrates, complex and simple. What are simple carbohydrates? They are natural sugars found in milk products, fruits and some vegetables. Make sure when choosing dairy products, you choose ones that are low-fat or fat-free.

So then what are complex carbohydrates? Complex carbohydrates are found in grains, starches and legumes.

Why is eating the right amount of protein important?

If you eat too little protein it can cause you to feel tired and unable to function properly. If this goes on for too long, it can have serious effects on your body such as muscle loss, malnutrition and a poor immune system.

Eating too much protein is not healthy either. Too much protein can increase your risk for gout. It also puts un-needed stress on your liver and kidneys when trying to process the excess protein.

Always choose healthy proteins that do not contain a lot of unhealthy fats. For healthy woman the RDA (recommended daily allowence) for protein is at least fourty-six grams a day, for men it is at least fifity-eight grams per day.

What about fat?

There is healthy and unhealthy fat. Healthy fats (monounsaturated) can be found in olive, canola and peanut oils. Unhealthy fats (polyunsaturated) can be found in whole grains, fatty fish, corn and soybean oil. A small amount of each fat is needed in the diet each day to help fuel the body’s cells.

When choosing a healthy diabetic foods list, the most important things to remember would be:

Include foods you like.
Watch your portion size.
Have a balanced amount of carbohydrate, protein, and fat each meal.
Keep a fair amount of activities and exercise.

This will help you keep your blood sugar under control and maintain a healthy weight.

Improved glycemic control benefits people with either type 1 or type 2 diabetes. Every percent of a reduction will reduce the risk of microvascular diabetic complications such as eye blindness, kidney failure and nerve diseases.

Points to remember in maintaining a Diet For Diabetes:

* Eat the same amount of food everyday
* Eat about the same time each day
* Taking medication at same time each day
* Exercise at same time everyday
* Choose foods from food groups of: starches, vegetables, fruit, meat, milk and yogurt
* Limit the amount of fats you eat
* Maintain amount of water to drink.

Here is a sample daily calorie diet for diabetes if you have 2,000 to 2,400 calories a day. This diet is suitable for a medium woman/large man who does a lot of exercise or has a physically active job, a large man at a healthy weight and a large woman who exercises a lot or has a physically active job.

– 11 starches
– milk and yogurt
– 4 vegetables
– meat
– fruits
– Fats 5 max.

Talk to your dietitian to make a meal plan that fits the way you should eat, daily routine and your medications. Once you are use to what you can and can not eat, you then can decide to make your own plan, but make sure that you are aware of the calorie count of the foods you eat, especially fresh foods.

Persons with type 2 diabetes symptoms usually don’t know they have diabetes unless certain test are conducted, like:

* Food fasting blood glucose level diagnosed. If higher than 126 mg/dL on two occasions, diabetes is assumed.
* Oral glucose tolerance test diagnosed. If glucose level is higher than 200 mg/dL after 2 hours, diabetes is assumed.

In order to be aware of type 2 diabetes symptoms I have listed some below:

* Excessive passing of urine
* Constant thirst
* Tiredness
* Blurred vision
* Itchy skin around your genitals or regular infections like thrush
* Dry skin
* Slow healing of infections
* Weight gain or weight loss
* Erectile dysfunction
* Increase in appetite

If you have a family history of diabetes, it is recommended that you undergo glucose tests every 3 months. Expect the doctor to check on you the following:

- Blood pressure
- Skin and bones on your feet
- Sensation on your feet
- Examine the back part of your eye with a special lighted instrument called Ophthalmoscope

The following tests will help you and your doctor to prevent and/or treat diabetes from further complications:

* Blood pressure goal should be 130/80 mm/Hg or lower to be checked annually.
* Hemoglobin count every 6 months if your diabetes is well controlled or every 3 months if not.
* Cholesterol and triglyceride levels checked annually and maintain LDL level below 100 mg/dL.
* Annual kidney test to make sure kidney is working properly.
* Eye check-up at least once a year, or more if you have signs of diabetic retinopathy.
* Dental check-ups every 6 months, for dental cleaning and exam.

If your type 2 diabetes symptoms are proven to be true, you will learn basic diabetes management skills, like:

- To test and record your blood glucose
- To know the proper diet best suitable for you.
- To take medication if needed
- To recognize and treat low and high blood sugar level
- To handle sick days
- Where to buy diabetes supplies when needed
- Self- monitoring of blood glucose (SMBG)

When your family has a history of diabetes, it is best to know the risk factors that can trigger the development of pre-diabetes symptoms, such as the following:

* Family history of diabetes
* Impaired glucose level or metabolic syndrome (a combination of different types of medical disorder that can increase the risk of cardiovascular diseases and diabetes)
* Increased triglycerides levels
* Low levels of good cholesterol
* Overweight or obesity
* Women who had gestational diabetes or had high birth weight babies.
* Cardiovascular diseases like the following:

Angina – a pain felt in the chest due to insufficient blood supply to the heart.
Arrhythmia – an irregular rhythmic beating of the heart that may indicate a serious problem and lead to heart disease, stroke or sudden cardiac death.
Atherosclerosis – the blood vessels narrow and harden through build-up of plaque in the walls of arteries. Plaques are made up of deposited fats and cholesterol.
Cardiomyopathy – a disease in which inflamed the heart muscles and doesn’t work well.
Congestive heart failure – heart’s pumping ability diminishes due to blockage or restriction of blood flow.
Coronary artery disease – refers to atherosclerosis in the coronary arteries.
Carotid artery disease – atherosclerosis is in the arteries that supply blood to the brain
Endocarditis – infection of the heart’s inner lining (endocardium) and valves.
Coronary thrombosis myocardial infarction known as heart attack – the heart muscles stop functioning due to loss of blood flow.
High blood pressure – the heart pumps blood in a loop through the body, out through the arteries, back through the veins.
Hypercholesterolemia – chronic high level of cholesterol in the blood.
Mitral valve prolapse – one or both valve flaps are enlarges and some of their supporting “string” may be too long.
Peripheral artery disease – occurs when arteries outside the heart and brain are blocked.
Stroke – occur when blood vessel that carry oxygen and nutrients to the brain are either blocked by a blood clot (thrombosis or embolism)or blood burst.

Determining the risk factors of pre-diabetes symptoms and avoiding them is the best method in the prevention of diabetes. Maintaining a good healthy diet plus exercise is the best way to avoid any kind of diseases to develop.

Type 1 Diabetes – developed due to the body becoming insulin dependent and/or unable to produce any insulin accompanied with the following possible causes:

* Infection with specific bacteria
* Exposure to food-borne chemical toxins
* Cow’s milk for infants as there are unidentified components that trigger an autoimmune reaction.

Type 2 Diabetes – caused by insufficient production of insulin. And when cells do not react to the insulin or become insulin resistant. Some other factors that cause the development of diabetes are:

* Increasing age
* Obesity
* Physical Inactivity
* Certain medicines
* Underlying illness that damages the pancreas and effects its ability to produce insulin. (like pancreatitis)

Gestational Diabetes – said to be caused by pregnancy. The placenta supplies a growing fetus with nutrients and water, as well as produces a variety of hormones to maintain the pregnancy. Some of the hormones can have a blocking effect on the insulin, which usually begins about 20 to 24 weeks of pregnancy.

Furthermore, gestational diabetes is a condition in which the glucose level is elevated and other diabetic symptoms appear during pregnancy. (commonly to a woman who is not already diagnosed with diabetes) In most cases symptoms disappear following delivery, but women with gestational diabetes have an increased risk of developing diabetes later in life, especially if they were overweight before pregnancy.

The major cause of diabetes is wrong diet. Improper consumption of food nutrients, either too much or insufficient. And if you are diagnosed with diabetes, the doctor will recommend a diet that is best suitable for you. This will include what foods to eat and not to eat. It is very important to watch what we eat. It should be healthy food that nourish our body.

Taking precautions is a very wise move as diabetes is know to be an adult-onset disease. It is better to be safe than sorry later on.

Effects of Type 1 Diabetes

* Excessive thirst
* Increased urination
* Weight loss despite increase in appetite
* Nausea
* Vomiting
* Abdominal pain
* Tiredness
* Absence of menstruation

Tests conducted to determine of the patient is diabetic;

* Urinalysis it shows glucose and ketone bodies, blood test is required to confirmed the diagnosis
* Fasting blood glucose is 126 mg/dL
* Random blood glucose (non-fasting) exceeds 200 mg/dL
* Insulin test
* C-peptide test

Since type 1 diabetes has no known cure yet, the objective of treatment is to prevent diabetes-related illness like blindness, kidney failure and amputation of limbs. The goal of the treatment can be accomplished through educating diagnosed patients with meal planning, weight control, exercise, foot care, insulin use and self-testing of blood glucose level.

Insulin – injected into the body to deliver insulin to the cells. It is used to lower blood sugar by leaving the blood stream and penetrating into the cells. Must be taken everyday.

Diet – requires consistency to allow food and insulin to work together to regulate blood glucose level. It is best to seek proper advice by a certified dietitian for the specific foods to eat and the amount of “dietary control for diabetics.”

Exercise – regular exercise is very important to the type 1 diabetes patient because it helps to control the amount of sugar in the blood. It also helps burn excess calories and fats to achieve their required weight.

Self-testing – monitoring of blood glucose by checking glucose content from a small amount of blood. Must be done on a regular basis. The results will help the patient and doctor to decide the proper medication, adjust in calorie count diet, and exercise to work together for better control.

Foot care – necessary as most patients are prone to foot problems due to complication related-illness. Diabetes causes damage of blood vessels and nerves which result in a decreasing ability to sense trauma or pressure on the foot. A small infection can rapidly progress because diabetes alters the bodies immune system resulting in decreasing the body’s ability to fight infection. Possible amputation of the affected limb may occur.