November is National Diabetes Awareness Month – a time to recognize that there is no one cause for diabetes, that there is no cure yet for those living with it…and that there is no such thing as a “diabetic diet.”
For years, people with diabetes have been told they needed to eat a certain way to keep their blood sugar levels even. With modern insulin and medicine, the diet has been more flexible – it can be based on how hungry one is feeling, or what type of food they are craving.
It’s important to work with your healthcare team to match your medicine and insulin to your lifestyle. Consider what and how much you eat so that your glucose intake matches how much insulin you take. Working with someone who understands what is in your food and drink can be helpful, as learning and truly understanding the breakdown can be difficult in the beginning especially.
You CAN Eat Sugar
Whether you live with diabetes or not, it’s important to follow a healthy diet – but that doesn’t mean you have to completely give up your sweet tooth. Sugar is perfectly ok in measured amounts, and is very helpful to diabetics having a low as it can boost glucose levels quickly.
Carb Counting
Carb counting is an important part of managing diabetes. Carbohydrates — whether potato, pasta, fruit, or honey — break down into glucose which absorbs into the bloodstream and is used for energy. Knowing how much and what type of carbs is in your food will help you take the correct amount of insulin.
Protein, Fat, & Fiber
Sugar and carbs are not the only things affecting blood glucose. Protein and especially fat can slow down the absorption rate of glucose into the bloodstream, and they can help you feel full for a longer period of time than sugar or carbs alone. Though beneficial in that aspect, a high-fat diet can increase risk of obesity and heart disease, and it can make it harder for insulin to work properly.
Fiber is a plant material that is not absorbed by your body. It helps keep your digestive system healthy and can improve control of your blood glucose and cholesterol levels. Following a high fiber diet (high levels of vegetables, nuts, seeds, and wholegrains) can also be helpful for weight management as these foods can fill you up without the side effects of a sugar high of excess energy.
How We Can Help
We have partnered with Ideal Protein to be an authorized weight loss clinic. Ideal Protein is not about being skinny or about intense exercise; with this program we are focused on health outcomes that are best for YOU. We offer this program because it works.
The three phases of the Ideal Protein Program are designed to help you set, achieve & maintain your weight loss goals. This program addresses weight issues at their source; reducing carbohydrates & fats while ensuring adequate daily protein intake.
In other words, the goal is to lose fat, not muscle, and develop smarter eating habits & lifestyle choices to help maintain your weight after weight loss is achieved.
PHASE ONE: Reset Body
WEIGHT LOSS: Reset body to burn fat & lose the weight. By restricting carbohydrate intake, the Weight Loss Phase is designed to optimize fat loss through ketosis (a safe & natural state in which the body mobilizes stored fat as its alternative energy source).
You’ll remain in Phase 1 until you have reached your weight loss goal.
PHASE TWO: Reset Mind
STABILIZATION: Reset mind to maintain a healthy weight & build healthy habits. Following weight loss, the body fights to regain lost weight. This “energy gap”, where more calories are desired than required, makes weight loss difficult to manage & maintain. Stabilization is about narrowing this gap by adjusting the intake of protein/fat/carbs to effectively manage hunger, promote greater satiety & maintain weight loss.
Weekly follow-up sessions over the course of two months or more are designed to monitor carbohydrate reintroduction & track weight.
PHASE THREE: Reset Possible
MAINTENANCE: Reset possible & live your fullest, healthiest, best life yet
For the first 12 months following Stabilization, you will continue to receive education & support from your coach and clinic. It’s also recommended to “check in” regularly with your coach during this period. In addition, you will also have the option to stay connected to your coach & clinic through the app and Wi-Fi scale.
For all of those in Maintenance, two semi-annual “tune-ups” are strongly encouraged.
If you are looking for ways to lose weight (and keep it off) or are just searching for options for a healthier lifestyle, talk to our team today. We are here to help you on your health journey!
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