If you are looking for a diet to follow because you have diabetes and do not really know where to begin, maybe a look at a sample diabetes diet would help you get started. Eating regularly, at the same times everyday is essential to controlling your diabetes effectively.

You should never skip meals and always have healthy snacks ready to go so all you have to do is go to the kitchen to get them without having to prepare something first. Choose a day or two during the week when you will do enough preparation to get you through to the next prep day.

some things will not last a week so if you split up the days then you can be sure that everything you eat is fresh and no more than three days old. Fresh food just tastes better.

The following is a few suggestions of a sample diabetes diet plan:

Breakfast: 1c healthy cold cereal or cooked oatmeal
1c fat-free milk
1/2 orange or grapefruit
tea or coffee

or

1c low-fat cottage cheese or low-fat vanilla yogurt
1/2 c fresh or canned fruit, chunked and mixed into cottage cheese or yogurt
tea or coffee

Lunch: 3 oz. lean turkey breast sandwich with lettuce on whole grain bread or pita
1 tsp mayo or salad dressing
1 small apple
water with lemon or iced green tea

or

small tossed salad with tomato, onion, radish, cucumber and 1 oz. feta cheese
3 oz. canned tuna
2 tablespoons Greek vinaigrette
water with lemon or iced green tea

Dinner: 3 oz. boneless, skinless chicken breast
1 medium potato
1c fresh green beans
tea or fat-free milk

or

3 oz. fish (salmon, tilapia, cod, perch, etc)
1 c rice pilaf
cooked sliced carrots
tea or fat-free milk

Snacks: 3 cups no butter popcorn
or
1/2 c low-fat cottage cheese or yogurt with cut up fruit
or
low-fat cheese and about 6 crackers

Get used to drinking water because you need to keep yourself hydrated. Staying hydrated will help you control your blood sugars easier by keeping the sugar from becoming too concentrated in your blood stream.

Keeping your carb intake evenly disbursed throughout your day will also help keep your blood sugar from spiking and help you stay at the same insulin dosage your doctor recommends for you.

By following this type of diet you may also lose some of the excess weight you have, especially belly fat. Not to mention the other risk factors you will be decreasing like those for heart disease and stroke that can put you at an increased risk when you have diabetes.

Eating right is just a smart thing to do whether you have diabetes or not and add in some regular exercise and you have the ideal plan for losing weight and controlling your diabetes.

Use this sample diabetes diet to jump start your efforts and be the best you can be and be as healthy as you can be while stabilizing your diabetes and losing the extra poundage around your middle.

If you have been diagnosed with onset diabetes diet changes are one of the things you will need to consider to help you control your blood sugars. Do not panic, this is not going to be that hard. Talk to your doctor first and see if she wants you to consult with a dietitian, especially if you are unsure of where to begin.

Learning what foods to eat, how much of them to eat and at what times to eat them should all be taken into consideration when talking about an onset diabetes diet. Your biggest challenge now is to learn to keep your blood sugar levels consistent throughout your day.

Making good food choices and eating at the same times everyday will help you start to feel better, maybe lose some excess weight, and decrease your risk of developing complications of diabetes like heart disease, stroke, blindness and other problems caused by diabetes that you should discuss at length with your doctor when she gives you your diagnosis.

Choosing to eat a more healthy diet does not mean you have to give up your favorites. You can still enjoy some of the things you like the best without having to worry about your blood sugar spiking on you. It may just be a matter of eating smaller portions of the things you like the best.

Here are ten ideas to make your choices seem a little easier:

1. Eat a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables. They add color to your meals and can make them more appealing to the eye.
2. Eat more whole grain foods like brown rice and whole wheat pastas and breads. Whole grain will keep you fuller longer and will not make your blood sugars spike.
3. Once or twice a week, throw in some dried beans or lentils into the mix. Chili or soup is a great way to fill up without consuming a lot of calories.
4. Fish is a great source of protein and essential fatty acids. Work some into your meal plan two or three times a week.
5. If you have to have red meat, choose a lean cut and if there is any visible fat present, trim it off before you cook it.
6. Chicken and turkey are loaded with protein, just make sure the skin is removed first.
7. Make your dairy foods non-fat or low-fat.
8. Drink lots of water. Stay away from sweetened drinks like soda.
9. Use olive oil or canola oil to cook with instead of margarine or butter, you do n ot need the calories or saturated fats.
10. You can still have dessert, just watch your portion sizes. Try cutting back to a half portion or maybe even smaller if you can.

See, not so hard, you can do this onset diabetes diet. It may take a little practice at first but you will soon be able to incorporate these guidelines into your day and make it seem like you have been doing it all your life. So much better to control your blood sugars every day. So, talk to your doctor about everything and ask for help if you need it.

For people trying to lose weight, a high protein, low fat, low carb diet is normally something that will work very well to help you slim down and get to a healthier weight. People with diabetes can also lose weight with a diabetes protein diet but because of the nature of their illness must pay close attention to everything they eat.

A diet high in protein, followed for an extended period can put undo stress on the kidneys of the person with diabetes. You should always speak with your doctor and/or dietitian before starting any diet plan.

If your doctor does give you the OK to start a diabetes protein diet then stick with the lean cuts of meat for your protein and include some fish and shrimp in your weekly menu preparation. Shrimp are packed with protein and are very good for you. You can have some red meat but limit it to once or twice a week.

Red meat is loaded with protein as well but also has quite a bit of saturated fat which will increase your cholesterol and increase your risk for heart disease. Just being diabetic puts you at risk for so many complications of the disease you do not need to willingly put yourself at a higher risk for other problems. So, remember to limit the red meat you eat and if you have to have it then make sure that you remove any visible fat as well.

Fish like salmon, tuna, and halibut are all good sources of lean protein not to mention those Omega-3 essential fatty acids that you hear so much about these days. Omega-3's are beneficial for maintaining good brain function among other things. I have already mentioned shrimp but did you know lobster is another great source of lean protein? Go ahead and treat yourself.

Chicken is also loaded with protein but just make sure to remove any skin and visible fat. Your best bet is to buy some boneless, skinless breasts and keep them in the freezer to make it easy to use them when you need them. You can buy them in bulk to save some money and weigh out 4 ounce portions then individually wrap them before freezing.

Eggs and dairy are other ways to round out how you get your protein for the day. Eggs have lots of protein and also essential nutrients like folate, zinc, and iron. It is not recommended that you eat eggs every single day but if you really feel the need to then separate some of the and make a mostly egg white omelet with two egg whites and one whole egg.
The cholesterol is in the yolk so if you limit the number of yolks you eat then it is all good.

Keep your dairy foods like milk, cheese, and yogurt low fat, or fat free to reduce the amount of saturated fat you take in. Balance your diabetes protein diet with a moderate amount of carbohydrates to help keep your blood sugar levels in a healthy range.