Fruits, vegetable, fish, chicken are probably the best bets.

For meat portions no more than you can hold in one hand about the size of a fist. Read the below link also; Choosing carbs that are packed with fiber (and dont spike your blood sugar) Instead of Try these high-fiber options White rice Brown rice or wild rice White potatoes (including fries Sweet potatoes, yams, winter and mashed potatoes) squash, cauliflower mash Regular pasta Whole-wheat pasta White bread Whole-wheat or whole-grain bread Sugary breakfast cereal High-fiber breakfast cereal (Raisin Bran, etc.) Instant oatmeal Steel-cut oats or rolled oats Croissant or pastry Bran muffin Making the glycemic index easy What foods are slow-release? Several tools have been designed to help answer this question. The glycemic index (GI) tells you how quickly a food turns into sugar in your system. Glycemic load, a newer term, looks at both the glycemic index and the amount of carbohydrate in a food, giving you a more accurate idea of how a food may affect your blood sugar level. High GI foods spike your blood sugar rapidly, while low GI foods have the least effect. You can find glycemic index and glycemic load tables online, but you dont have to rely on food charts in order to make smart choices. Australian chef Michael Moore has come up with an easier way to regulate the carbs you eat. He classifies foods into three broad categories: fire, water, and coal. The harder your body needs to work to break food down, the better. Fire foods have a high GI, and are low in fiber and protein. They include white foods (white rice, white pasta, white bread, potatoes, most baked goods), sweets, chips, and many processed foods. They should be limited in your diet. Water foods are free foodsmeaning you can eat as many as you like. They include all vegetables and most types of fruit (fruit juice, dried fruit, and canned fruit packed in syrup spike blood sugar quickly and are not considered water foods). Coal foods have a low GI and are high in fiber and protein. They include nuts and seeds, lean meats, seafood, whole grains, and beans. They also include white food replacements such as brown rice, whole-wheat bread, and whole-wheat pasta. 8 principles of low-glycemic eating Eat a lot of non-starchy vegetables, beans, and fruits such as apples, pears, peaches, and berries. Even tropical fruits like bananas, mangoes, and papayas tend to have a lower glycemic index than typical desserts. Eat grains in the least-processed state possible: unbroken, such as whole-kernel bread, brown rice, and whole barley, millet, and wheat berries; or traditionally processed, such as stone-ground bread, steel-cut oats, and natural granola or muesli breakfast cereals. Limit white potatoes and refined grain products such as white breads and white pasta to small side dishes. Limit concentrated sweetsincluding high-calorie foods with a low glycemic index, such as ice cream to occasional treats. Reduce fruit juice to no more than one cup a day. Completely eliminate sugar-sweetened drinks.

Eat a healthful type of protein at most meals, such as beans, fish, or skinless chicken. Choose foods with healthful fats, such as olive oil, nuts (almonds, walnuts, pecans), and avocados. Limit saturated fats from dairy and other animal products. Completely eliminate partially hydrogenated fats (trans fats), which are in fast food and many packaged foods. Have three meals and one or two snacks each day, and dont skip breakfast. Eat slowly and stop when full. Adapted from Ending the Food Fight, by David Ludwig with Suzanne Rostler (Houghton Mifflin, 2008). Diabetes and diet tip 2: Be smart about sweets Eating for diabetes doesnt mean eliminating sugar. If you have diabetes, you can still enjoy a small serving of your favorite dessert now and then. The key is moderation. But maybe you have a sweet tooth and the thought of cutting back on sweets sounds almost as bad as cutting them out altogether. The good news is that cravings do go away and preferences change. As your eating habits become healthier, foods that you used to love may seem too rich or too sweet, and you may find yourself craving healthier options. How to include sweets in a diabetes-friendly diet Hold the bread (or rice or pasta) if you want dessert. Eating sweets at a meal adds extra carbohydrates. Because of this it is best to cut back on the other carb-containing foods at the same meal. Add some healthy fat to your dessert. It may seem counterintuitive to pass over the low-fat or fat-free desserts in favor of their higher-fat counterparts. But fat slows down the digestive process, meaning blood sugar levels dont spike as quickly. That doesnt mean, however, that you should reach for the donuts. Think healthy fats, such as peanut butter, ricotta cheese, yogurt, or some nuts. Eat sweets with a meal, rather than as a stand-alone snack. When eaten on their own, sweets and desserts cause your blood sugar to spike. But if you eat them along with other healthy foods as part of your meal, your blood sugar wont rise as rapidly. When you eat dessert, truly savor each bite. How many times have you mindlessly eaten your way through a bag of cookies or a huge piece of cake. Can you really say that you enjoyed each bite? Make your indulgence count by eating slowly and paying attention to the flavors and textures. Youll enjoy it more, plus youre less likely to overeat. Tricks for cutting down on sugar Reduce how much soda and juice you drink. If you miss your carbonation kick, try sparkling water either plain or with a little juice mixed in. Reduce the amount of sugar in recipes by to . If a recipe calls for 1 cup of sugar, for example, use or cup instead. You can also boost sweetness with cinnamon, nutmeg, or vanilla extract. Find healthy ways to satisfy your sweet tooth. Instead of ice cream, blend up frozen bananas for a creamy, frozen treat. Or enjoy a small chunk of dark chocolate, rather than your usual milk chocolate bar. Start with half of the dessert you normally eat, and replace the other half with fruit. Proceed with caution when it comes to alcohol

Its easy to underestimate the amount of calories and carbs in alcoholic drinks, including beer and wine. And cocktails mixed with soda and juice can be loaded with sugar. If youre going to drink, do so in moderation (no more than 1 drink per day for women; 2 for men), choose calorie-free drink mixers, and drink only with food. If youre diabetic, always monitor your blood glucose, as alcohol can interfere with diabetes medication and insulin. Diabetes and your diet tip 3: Choose fats wisely Fats can be either helpful or harmful in your diet. People with diabetes are at higher risk for heart disease, so it is even more important to be smart about fats. Some fats are unhealthy and others have enormous health benefits. But all fats are high in calories, so you should always watch your portion sizes. Unhealthy fats The two most damaging fats are saturated fats and trans fats. Saturated fats are found mainly in animal products such as red meat, whole milk dairy products, and eggs. Trans fats, also called partially hydrogenated oils, are created by adding hydrogen to liquid vegetable oils to make them more solid and less likely to spoilwhich is very good for food manufacturers, and very bad for you. Healthy fats The best fats are unsaturated fats, which come from plant and fish sources and are liquid at room temperature. Primary sources include olive oil, canola oil, nuts, and avocados. Also focus on omega-3 fatty acids, which fight inflammation and support brain and heart health. Good sources include salmon, tuna, and flaxseeds. Ways to reduce unhealthy fats and add healthy fats: Cook with olive oil instead of butter or vegetable oil. Trim any visible fat off of meat before cooking and remove the skin before cooking chicken and turkey. Instead of chips or crackers, try snacking on nuts or seeds. Add them to your morning cereal or have a little handful for a filling snack. Nut butters are also very satisfying and full of healthy fats. Instead of frying, choose to grill, broil, bake, or stir-fry. Serve fish 2 or 3 times week instead of red meat. Add avocado to your sandwiches instead of cheese. This will keep the creamy texture, but improve the health factor. When baking, use canola oil or applesauce instead of shortening or butter. Rather than using heavy cream, make your soups creamy by adding low-fat milk thickened with flour, pureed potatoes, or reduced-fat sour cream. Diabetes and diet tip 4: Eat regularly and keep a food diary If youre overweight, you may be encouraged to note that you only have to lose 7% of your body weight to cut your risk of diabetes in half. And you dont have to obsessively count calories or starve yourself to do it. When it comes to successful weight loss, research shows that the two most helpful strategies involve following a regular eating schedule and recording what you eat. Eat at regularly set times Your body is better able to regulate blood sugar levelsand your weightwhen you maintain a regular meal schedule. Aim for moderate and consistent portion sizes for each meal or snack. Dont skip breakfast. Start your day off with a good breakfast. Eating breakfast every day will help you have energy as well as steady blood sugar levels.

Eat regular small mealsup to 6 per day. People tend to eat larger portions when they are overly hungry, so eating regularly will help you keep your portions in check. Keep calorie intake the same. Regulating the amount of calories you eat on a day-to-day basis has an impact on the regularity of your blood sugar levels. Try to eat roughly the same amount of calories every day, rather than overeating one day or at one meal, and then skimping on the next. Keep a food diary Research shows that people who keep a food diary are more likely to lose weight and keep it off. In fact, a recent study found that people who kept a food diary lost twice as much weight as those who didnt. Why does writing down what you eat and drink help you drop pounds? For one, it helps you identify problem areassuch as your afternoon snack or your morning lattewhere youre getting a lot more calories than you realized. It also increases your awareness of what, why, and how much youre eating, which helps you cut back on mindless snacking and emotional eating. What about exercise? When it comes to preventing, controlling, or reversing diabetes, you cant afford to overlook exercise. Exercise can help your weight loss efforts, and is especially important in maintaining weight loss. There is also evidence that regular exercise can improve your insulin sensitivity even if you dont lose weight. You dont have to become a gym rat or adopt a grueling fitness regimen. One of the easiest ways is to start walking for 30 minutes five or more times a week. You can also try swimming, biking, or any other moderate-intensity activitiesmeaning you work up a light sweat and start to breathe harder. Even house and yard work counts. Breakfast Choose from: One cup of high fibre breakfast cereal with low fat milk and one piece of fruit; or Two slices of bread or toast preferably wholegrain, wholemeal or high fibre white with thinly spread margarine, peanut butter, jam, Vegemite, baked beans, grilled tomato or sardines Water, tea, coffee or 100ml of fruit juice. Light meal One sandwich made with bread, one roll or six dry biscuits preferably wholegrain or wholemeal with thinly spread margarine or avocado Lots of salad vegetables 90g to 120g of lean meat, skinless poultry or seafood; or two eggs; or 40g of fat reduced cheese; or a half a cup of legumes (such as beans or lentils) One piece of fruit Water, tea or coffee. Main meal One cup of cooked rice or pasta or one medium potato Lots of other vegetables 90g to 120g of lean meat, skinless poultry or seafood; or half a cup of legumes (such as beans or lentils) One piece of fruit or one small tub of yoghurt Water, tea or coffee.

Between meal snacks Not everyone needs to include snacks between meals. Talk to your diabetes educator or dietitian if you are unsure. If you do include snacks, select healthy choices such as fruit (fresh or canned in natural juice), low fat yoghurt, a glass of low fat milk, wholegrain bread, fruit bread or high fibre crackers. Talk to a dietitian People with diabetes should discuss their food habits with a dietitian, so that appropriate dietary recommendations can be tailored to each individual. Body weight in pounds Height Normal Overweight Class I Class II Class III (BMI 19 (BMI 25 obesity obesity obesity 24) 29) (BMI 30 (BMI 35 (BMI 34) 39) 40+) 411 94119 124143 148168 173193 198+ 50 97123 128148 153174 179199 204+ 51 100127 132153 158180 185206 211+ 52 104131 136158 164186 191213 218+ 53 107135 141163 169191 197220 225+ 54 110140 145169 174197 204227 232+ 55 114144 150174 180204 210234 240+ 56 118148 155179 186210 216241 247+ 57 121153 159185 191217 223249 255+ 58 125158 164190 197223 230256 262+ 59 128162 169196 203230 236263 270+ 510 132167 174202 209236 243271 278+ 511 136172 179208 215243 250279 286+ 60 140177 184213 221250 258287 294+ 61 144182 189219 227257 265295 302+ 62 148186 194225 233264 272303 311+ 63 152192 200232 240272 279311 319+ 64 156197 205238 246279 287320 328+ Measure Foods It is important to eat the right serving sizes of food. You will need to learn how to estimate the amount of food you are served. You can do this by measuring all the food you eat for a week or so. Measure liquids with a measuring cup. Some solid foods (such as tuna, cottage cheese, and canned fruits) can also be measured with a measuring cup. Measuring spoons are used for measuring smaller amounts of other foods (such as oil, salad dressing, and peanut butter). A scale can be very useful for measuring almost anything, especially meat, poultry, and fish. All food should be measured or weighed after cooking. Some food you buy uncooked will weigh less after you cook it. This is true of most meats. Starches often swell in cooking, so a small amount of uncooked starch will become a much larger amount of cooked food. The following table shows some of the changes: Starch Group Uncooked Cooked Oatmeal 3 level tbsp 1/2 cup Cream of wheat2 level tbsp 1/2 cup Grits 3 level tbsp 1/2 cup

Rice Spaghetti Noodles Macaroni Dried beans Dried peas Lentils Meat Group Hamburger Chicken

2 level tbsp 1/4 cup 1/3 cup 1/4 cup 3 tbsp 3 tbsp 2 tbsp

1/2 cup 1/2 cup 1/2 cup 1/2 cup 1/3 cup 1/3 cup 1/3 cup

4 oz 3 oz 1 small drumstick 1 oz 1/2 of a whole chicken breast3 oz

Free Foods A free food is any food or drink that contains fewer than twenty calories per serving. You can eat as much as you want of items that have no serving size specified. You may eat two or three servings per day of those items that have a specific serving size. Be sure to spread them out through the day. Drinks #Bouillon or broth without fat Bouillon, low-sodium Carbonated drinks, sugar-free Carbonated water Club soda Cocoa powder, unsweetened (1 tbsp) Coffee/tea Drink mixes, sugar-free Tonic water, sugar-free Fruit Cranberries, unsweetened Rhubarb, unsweetened Vegetables (raw, 1 cup) Cabbage Celery #Chinese cabbage Cucumber Green onion Hot peppers Mushrooms Radishes #Zucchini Salad Greens Endive Escarole Lettuce (1/2 cup) (1/2 cup)

Romaine Spinach Sweets Candy, hard, sugar-free Gelatin, sugar-free Gum, sugar-free Jam/jelly, sugar-free Pancake syrup, sugar-free Sugar substitutes (saccharin, aspartame) Whipped topping Condiments Catsup Horseradish Mustard #Pickles, dill, unsweetened Salad dressing, low-calorie Taco sauce Vinegar Nonstick pan spray

(2 tsp) (1-2 tbsp)

(2 tbsp)

(1 tbsp)

(2 tbsp) (1 tbsp)