Protein’s Affect on Blood Sugar Levels

Much the same as fiber, eating quality protein with your snacks and meals can have a positive affect on your blood sugar levels. By combining protein and carbohydrates you will slow the digestions of the carbohydrates in your body. This slowing down will prevent your blood sugar from spiking as the result of too many carbohydrates in your system.

This does not mean that you should eat more protein than is recommended in one meal.

Doing so can lead to other problems down the road. But if you are a diabetic, skipping protein in your diet is not a good idea. For diabetics who are vegetarians or that don’t eat a lot of any protein it is important to find a source that can be consumed on a regular basis.

There are many other sources of high-quality protein that does not include animal meats. Other protein sources can include:

Reading Food Labels

On all packaged food that you buy, there is a food label that includes important information to a diabetic. You need to learn how to read them properly and know what the different numbers and percentages mean to you and your diabetic diet. Below is an overview of the basic information you need to know about food labels.
Whether you are counting carbohydrates, are following the exchange diet, or you are on the Therapeutic Lifestyle Changes (TLC) diet you can increase your chances for success by reading your food labels and understanding what they mean.

The ingredient list is a good place to start before looking at the numbers in the food label. Where is sugar on the ingredient list? The closer it is to the beginning of the list the more of it is present in the food. That goes the same for all ingredients; manufacturers list the ingredients in order of the amount that is in the product. If there are things in your food that do not work well for your blood sugar on the list it should be avoided or eaten in moderation.

Look at the serving size and compare that to the number of carbohydrates is in a serving. Most servings of carbohydrates for a diabetic are 15 grams. If one serving is higher than 15 grams you will have to eat less than the suggested serving size to stay on track with your meal plan.

Sugar-free foods may grab your attention as something safe and yummy to add to your shopping cart. But look at the carbohydrate count first. Most foods that are made sugar-free using artificial sweeteners and sugar substitutes have higher carbohydrate counts.Check the fat content too, look for a low percent of your daily intake and ideally it will be monounsaturated as opposed to polyunsaturated or saturated fats.

When to Eat when you have Diabetes

When you are a diabetic sometimes when you eat is just as important as what you eat. 

Keeping a steady stream of food in your system without causing high blood sugars can be hard to do. But once you figure what works for you, you will have more flexibility and better control of your diabetes.
It is recommended that diabetics eat many small meals throughout the day or three main meals and three snacks in between. A typical day may go like this:

When you are Hungry in Between Meals

There are going to be times when you have finished your meal or snack and you are hungry again long before your next meal is scheduled or right before bed. Depending on how much time you have to go before you are supposed to eat again and what your blood sugar levels are at you may want to move your meal time up or indulge in some free food.

If this happens frequently it is time look at your eating schedule and meal plan. If you have recently added more physical activity to your daily routine, you will also have to increase your food intake to compensate for the extra energy your are using up. If this isn’t the case and you are unsure why your appetite has increased or your current meal plan is no longer working, speak to your dietician to see if there are some revisions that can be made to prevent this from happening.

Artificial Unsweetenes Applesauce

YUMMY DIABETES CAKE

2 c. water
2 c. raisins
1 c. unsweetened applesauce
2 eggs
2 tbsp. artificial sweetener
3/4 c. polyunsaturated cooking oil
1 tsp. baking soda
2 c. flour
1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1 tsp. vanilla

Cook raisins in 2 cups water until water evaporates. Add applesauce, eggs, sweetener, and cooking oil. Mix well. Blend in baking soda and flour. Add cinnamon, nutmeg and vanilla. Mix well. Pour into greased and floured 8 x 8 inch cake pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes or until done.

Non Concentrate Cookies

DIABETES COOKIES

1/2 c. raisins
1/2 c. dates
1 1/2 c. quick oats
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tbsp. soda
1/2 c. flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1 egg
1 tbsp. liquid sweetener (NON - concentrated)
1/4 c. oil
1 tsp. vanilla

Put raisins and dates in small pan and cover with water; bring to boil. Pour off water and set aside. Mix oats, cinnamon, soda, flour and salt in bowl and mix well. Add dry ingredients to date - raisin mixture with egg. Mix and drop onto cookie sheet. Bake at 400 degrees about 8 minutes. Check bottom of cookies during cooking (sometimes the bottom cooks faster than the top).

Moan Diabetes Cookies

DIABETES COOKIES

2 med. bananas
1/3 c. vegetable oil
1 c. chopped walnuts
2 c. quick oatmeal
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 c. chopped Dates

Mash bananas. Pour oil over top. Mix dates and nuts. Add vanilla and oatmeal. Mix by hand or spoon. Drop onto lightly greased cookie sheet by full teaspoon. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes until lightly browned. Remove at once to rack.

Special Diabetes Cookies

DATE COOKIES FOR DIABETES

1 c. raisins
1/2 c. dates
1 c. water
2 eggs
1/2 c. margarine
3 packets Equal sweetener
1 c. plain flour
1 tsp. soda
1 tsp. cinnamon

Boil raisins, dates and water for 3 minutes; cool. Cream eggs, margarine and Equal. Sift together flour, soda and cinnamon. Combine all ingredients. Beat well and chill several hours or overnight. Drop by teaspoonfuls on a greased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes.

Diabetes Cake With Nut

DIABETIC DATE - NUT CAKE

1 c. butter or margarine
1 tbsp. sucaryl
1 egg
1 c. dates, finely diced
1 1/2 c. or 2 sm. cans diabetic applesauce
1 c. pecans, coarsely chopped
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. cloves
1 tsp. vanilla
2 c. flour
2 tsp. soda

Cream butter, add egg, sucaryl and vanilla which has been beaten together. Sift dry ingredients together and add to other mixture. Beat at medium speed until well blended. Turn into buttered loaf pan and bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour.

Diabetes Cake

Special Cake for diabetes sufferer

2 c. water
2 c. raisins
1 c. unsweetened applesauce
2 eggs
2 tbsp. liquid sweetener
3/4 c. oil
1 tsp. baking soda
2 c. flour
1 1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. vanilla

Cook raisins in water until all water is absorbed. Mix applesauce, sweetener, eggs, oil together. Then add all other ingredients and stir together. Pour into a greased and floured tube pan. Bake at 350 degrees until tested done with a toothpick.