Today, I want to talk to you about something near and dear to me. A few years back, I found out that my dad has Type II Diabetes (as do members of Corelyn’s family, and probably yours, too.) Since then, we’ve become very aware of the sugars and carbs we’re putting in our bodies, and what that does to us.
Enter a crash-course in what you can eat, and what you can’t, and something called the Glycemic Index. It’s slightly complicated, but basically if you’re diabetic you have a higher blood sugar and need to (among other things) modify your diet to lower the amount of sugar you’re intaking.
Thanks to Pieces in Progress for making such a helpful chart!
This means eating more whole foods (like vegetables) and avoiding sugary things and processed foods which can have hidden sweeteners (such as white bread.) Your body, diabetes or not, functions more effectively when you digest your foods and carbohydrates over time, rather than immediately (we can all relate to a crash after a sugar high, can’t we?)
Starting now, we’ll try to be educating our readers more on diabetic-friendly foods, which can be a challenge in a home with people who already have restrictions (my mom is eating GF and my sister attempts this too, whereas many GF foods are higher on the GI…so confusing!) The good news is that everyone can, and should, eat veggies – whether raw or cooked – and they’ll be getting great doses of nutrition. Here’s an in-depth guide to what to eat when you have diabetes to help you get started! Now, does anyone have a good diabetic-friendly cookie recipe?
Do you have dietary restrictions? Tell us about them and we’ll incorporate them into GMS and come up with recipes for you!
[addtoany] Yum