Getting Acquainted with Diabetes

Paying Attention to Diet : -

Your doctor will determine the meal plan that is best for you, based on your age, weight, activity level, occupation, and other medical requirements. You will be responsible for controlling the amount of sugar that gets into your bloodstream by controlling the kind and amount of food you eat.
While your diet may be "special" in the sense that you now will pay more attention to it than you did in the past, you are very likely to continue to eat the same foods as nondiabetics should eat. The main difference will be in being sure to eat at the right time and to eat the amounts recommended by your doctor. Your doctor will tell you about a food exchange system that will enable you to have flexibility and normal food within your diet. By following the food exchange system you can trade, for example, an ounce of meat for a portion of cheese or an egg. There are many foods you can have without any restriction at all, such as many low-calorie vegetables, fat-free bouillon and broth, and decaffeinated coffee, and tea in moderation.
You won't need any special equipment for your kitchen, other than a standard eight-ounce measuring cup, a measuring teaspoon and tablespoon, and a small scale. Recommendations for your meals usually will be stated in terms of cups, tablespoons, and teaspoons. Sometimes a few weight measurements will be recommended. You will learn more about watching weights and measures of foods, calories, and sugar content in Chapter 4.