Diabetics Encouraged to Go Green

Everybody else seems to be doing it, and now a new report has indicated the benefits of a greener diet for diabetes sufferers, according to one expert.

Amy Campbell, an Education Program Manager specializing in diabetes control claims that going green can have a real positive effect on controlling blood glucose levels. Of course, every diabetic knows the importance of fresh fruit and vegetables in reducing glucose absorption and the value of foods containing fiber in controlling blood sugar levels, but the positive effects of a vegetarian diet are less well known.

As well as ditching meat, sufferers are being encouraged to shop local and buy produce which is allowed to ripen naturally in the field, meaning less artificial additives and sweeteners have been added.

Living life as a vegetarian, or even cutting down on your meat consumption is by no means restrictive and the American Diabetes Association has recently revised its meal exchange list thanks to a growing interest in the subject.

If you’re considering going green, or cutting out meat, it’s important to make the change gradually, allowing your body to slowly realign itself to your new diet and allowing you to closely monitor how the changes affect your body and your condition. You may find eliminating some foods has a positive effect while other changes may not suit you. Give yourself time to adjust.

Every newly diagnosed diabetes sufferer should seek the opinion of a professional dietician and develop a meal plan suitable for their own lifestyle, in order to minimize complications without taking the fun out of food. Remember, nutrition plays a major part in diabetes control, and while you have the same nutritional requirements as anybody else, special attention to what’s in your food is advisable.