Got diabetes? This diet plan can help you lose weight

According to the University of Maryland Medical Centre, “people with diabetes that lose a small amount of weight improve their blood sugar and risk of heart disease.”

Make no mistake, if you're trying to lose weight you're on the right path. "No matter how heavy you are, you will significantly lower your blood sugar if you lose some weight," says Cathy Nonas, professor at Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York. "We know it's true - that if someone with diabetes loses 5% to 10% of their weight, they will significantly reduce their blood sugar."

But how do you lose weight if you have diabetes?

The best way is through a “calorie reduction diet”, which helps people with diabetes make good food choices and control their portions.

To lose weight, women need about 1,200 calories a day and men about 1,600 calories a day.

But is starch allowed on this diet? And what about fats?

Keep reading to find out the secrets to successfully losing weight on a calorie reduction diet…

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Unknown sugar-buster hiding in a most unlikely place

Traditional Japanese cooks sometimes use a very special kind of flour. It's made from a rare fibrous plant and it's been used in Japanese cooking for a 1,000 years.

The Health Science Institute recently discovered a startling fact: This Asian wonder plant naturally lowers blood sugar. In fact, a clinical test confirmed this plant's extracts are as effective in lowering glucose as drugs are.

An HSI researcher took it one step further, combining the Japanese herb with a second natural fibre that actually blocks sugar absorption. The "diabetes duo" controls blood sugar better than any prescription drug he's seen.

Read more about this and more in 7 Ways to Defeat Diabetes without a Single Drug

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Here’s how you need to eat to lose weight if you’re a diabetic:

Starches provide carbs, fibre, vitamin and minerals and you should eat them with each meal. But you need to choose whole grain starches because they help with weight loss by controlling your hunger. To lose weight, women should limit their intake to six servings and men to eight servings a day. A serving size is equal to one slice of bread, one small potato, 3/4 cup of unsweetened cold cereal, six crackers, 1/3 cup of pasta or rice and 1/2 cup of corn or peas.

Vegetables are low in calories and high in vitamins, minerals and fibre. To limit your calorie intake, eat raw and cooked vegetables without any high fat sauces. Women need three servings of vegetables a day and men four servings. A serving size is equal to 1/2 cup cooked or 1 cup of raw veggies. Good low-calorie vegetable choices include carrots, leafy greens, broccoli, cucumbers, mushrooms, broccoli and green beans.

Fruits contain vitamins, minerals, fibre and carbs. The carbohydrate content in fruit effect blood sugar, making it important to control portions and intake. Women with diabetes who want to lose weight need two servings of fruit a day and men four servings a day. A serving size is equal to 1 small piece of fresh fruit, 1 cup of fresh melon and two tablespoons of dried fruit.

Milk and Dairy foods are a good source of protein, calcium and carbs. Men and women following a diabetes diet should limit their intake to two servings a day. That’s equal to 1 cup of milk or 1 cup of yoghurt. To limit calorie intake for weight loss, choose low-fat and non-fat milk products.

Meats and Meat Substitutes provide protein, vitamins and minerals. But you must “keep portion sizes small,” says the American Diabetes Association. So limit your intake to 113g for women and 170g a day for men. To further reduce your calorie intake, choose lean cuts of meat and poultry and trim all visible fat. For the vegetarians, tofu, eggs, dried beans, nuts and beans also fall into this group.

Fats and Sweets have very little nutritional value and your overall intake of them should be limited, advises the American Diabetes Association. Women trying to lose weight can have up to three servings of fats and sweets a day and men up to four servings. That’s equal to 1 tsp. of oil, margarine or butter, two small cookies, 1/2 cup of ice cream and one plain doughnut.
 
Eat away your diabetes…

Now you know what a calorie reduction diet is and how much of each food group you should eat throughout your day.

But before you start a diabetes weight loss plan, it's important to work closely with your doctor because when you're dieting, your blood sugar, insulin and medication all need special attention.

Tags: diabetes and metabolism, how to lose weight with diabetes, foods for diabetics, weight loss tips for diabetics, diabetes food groups