How to choose good food?

Remember that dietary control is only one leg of a beast that has at least four legs. They are, in no particular order of importance, AFAIK:
a) cutting out refined sugar, high fructose corn syrup and white flour, and srsly cooling your jets about the quality and quantity of other carbs, even the complex ones. All excuses for overeating are g-o-n-e, so portion control is as important as *what* you're eating.

b) regular daily exercise, probably the most neglected of the four legs.

c) weight loss. Achieving and maintaining a normal BMI is of the utmost importance for long-term glucose control. Naturally, someone who's even moderately overweight isn't going to lose the extra pounds in a few weeks or a few months, so this can take time, sometimes years.

d) meds. Sorry, but diabetics oftentimes need meds if after 3-6 months or so of trying lifestyle changes (diet, exercise) and losing a few pounds, they still can't get their A1c down close to 6.0 or so (some doctors are happy with anything under 7.0, but IMO the lower the better).

You don't have to be hungry all the time, but you do have to decide on a calorie level and then carefully *eat up to that calorie level*. No starving. No skipping meals. No skipping snacks. Don't go to bed hungry every night. If you KNOW you're going to be hungry in the late PM, don't go to bed starving and miserable every night-- plan a PM snack, something made up of 150 calories or so, some carb and some protein. You'll sleep better, and your liver will be less likely to release glucose during the night.

Plan some real carbs for every meal-- three times a day, have a slice of whole grain bread, a small serving of whole grain cereal, or make your protein choice a meatloaf with loads of shredded veggies and oatmeal baked into it (yum, filling and satisfying). Have a small piece of whole fruit mid-afternoon, maybe with a string cheese or a couple of ounces of low fat ham rolled into lettuce leaves and garnished with a bit of mustard or mayo. Eat veggies at *every* meal-- broccoli, onions, shredded carrots in an AM omelet, a couple different veggies and a salad at both lunch and dinner. If you eat 1200 calories a day, you should be able to have 3 meals @ 300 calories each and 2 snacks @ 150 each, or whatever divvying up makes sense to you.

Either you'll be able to get your glucose into a good range with just diet and exercise, or you won't. But I'll tell ya, I'm convinced that walking around starving all the time is for the birds, both psychologically and physically. Choose a calorie level, don't eat (roughly) less or more than that, make your food choices as whole and unprocessed as possible, drink loads of good spring water if you can, remember to b-r-e-a-t-h-e as you take a walk or do other exercise every day, and just enjoy the good health you have. You might not have *perfect* health, you probably never will, but things can always be worse!

Meanwhile, this goal of good glucose control IS attainable; it'll just take some time and planning and effort. But no starving!

By Judy D.