The importance of healthy eating
You may think that changing how you eat will be one of the hardest things you’ll need to do to manage your diabetes.
You may be surprised to learn that you can make healthy food choices without giving up the things you love about food. Many of the foods you grew up with, and the foods you love most, can be prepared in a healthy way. But even if changing your eating habits is not as hard as you thought, you probably won’t do it unless you know how you will benefit from the change.
- You’ll have more energy and a greater sense of well-being. If you eat too many carbohydrates or too much rich food, your blood glucose levels can go up quickly. This rapid rise in blood glucose can make you feel tired and generally unwell. But, when you follow a healthy eating plan, you can avoid the rise in blood glucose and feel much better.
- You may lower your risk for hypoglycemia. If you miss meals or don’t eat healthy, nutritious foods, your blood glucose levels may get too low (hypoglycemia). When your blood glucose gets low, it can make you feel dizzy, weak, and irritable. You may also become shaky and sweaty. If blood glucose goes too low, you can even go into a diabetic coma.
- Healthy eating can help you manage your weight. Healthy eating means eating the proper amounts of nutritious foods. When you follow a healthy eating plan, it is much easier to keep from gaining weight, and even lose some weight. Keeping your weight in a healthy range will help you manage your blood glucose and your risk for heart disease.
- You have more control of your diabetes. Part of eating healthy is starting to notice the relationship between your blood glucose levels and your eating habits. When you start to see the patterns, you can make choices that give you more control over your blood glucose levels.
