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the most important thing to remember is watch out for simple carbs, anything white weather it be rice, bread or even potatoes are no no's at least untill you get your A1C under control. Juices are also not good for you as they have no fiber to negate all the natural sugars. Try to stick to small portions throughout the day, the trick is to keep your sugar at a level not have it bounicing around. Think about using something like the atkins plan untill you take the classes. And PLEASE go to the classes! They are probably the best way to learn to control things. oh the one thing that I found the hardest was limiting milk, because milk regular or skim and all in between, are nothing but liquid sugar. Invest in the test strips and keep a monitor on yourself immediately after a meal, and then 2 hrs after. That's the best way to learn what is having a huge impact on your sugars and what isnt. And one last thing, be aware, they will likely recomend something like splenda or another artifical sweetner, some people react to splenda and others the same way they would sugar. So if you need to sweeten try something like truvia or other natural stevia type sweetner. and Most of all Good Luck, its hard to deal with but you can still love food, just not quite as promiscuisly as when you were younger ;-)

Sorry, dear, it is a shock to be told you have diabetes. I have had it for 22 years and still don't have to take Insulin yet, however, I do take drugs. As @arm1970 says, it is not a death sentence, it is a lifestyle change. My first tip is eat your fruit whole, not in juice form - small servings, it is full of sugar. Stop eating bread indiscriminately - check for carbs - if you buy artisan bread, ask the baker for the run-down. Food is eaten in moderation - as mentioned here before on other threads, it is amazing how the food portions have risen over the years - when you actually measure out food in 1/2 cup quantities, 4 oz. servings, etc., you will be surprised. You will learn much from diabetic classes, make sure you test your blood sugars often and above all, the single most important thing, is to increase your exercise load. I know you will do well, you are already half way there in your food habits. As far as snacking is concerned, sometimes you need to plan for them (if it is a honking big piece of birthday cake) otherwise, you will need to look for things in the 15 gm. of carbohydrate range and choose high fibre. Good luck!

I just got a copy of Tom Valenti's "You Don't have to be Diabetic to Love this Cookbook"... If I was in your shoes that might be where I would start.

I don't know much about it myself, but I'm sure there are tons of other good cookbooks to help you get started. Good Luck!

Tacking on to HeartofGlass's comment, my mom was able to control her type 2 diabetes through diet and exercise for a while, so for some it is fortunately possible. Unfortunately for my CPA mom, tax season stress knocked her off that wagon and she hasn't been able to climb back on it that I know of.

Best of luck, and I'm interestesd to see responses also since my mom is visiting me for a week starting tomorrow and I'd like to be able to cook lots of tasty food for her.

There are people I know who take pills for their diabetic maintenance who went on South Beach Diet and virtually got to stop the pills because their glycemic levels returned within normal range. Do some research about that.

@mepolo - thoughts are with you ..... getting off the juices and soda's is the best thing, i bet you'll see a significant drop in the blood sugar. my dad was diabetic and my best friend is diabetic. she eats a lot of flax products that don't seem to alter her blood sugar. fiber is key. and exercise. and lower the stress, as well.

well, looks like you've got a lot of us in your corner wishing you well, just eat lots of salads and good quality protein. when you're jonesing for something a little sweet, a tablespoon of peanut butter with a no-sugar fruit spread does the trick.... your palate will definitely change.

@GOM is right, I sure wish I had followed a diabetic meal plan years before I did get serious. @Jerzee Tomato raises a good point - I followed the Atkins plan and had amazing blood sugars and weight loss, however, my cholesterol levels skyrocketed and I got into some mild heart problems, so have abandoned it.

I used to try to eat a lean hamburger with romaine lettuce leaves around it, but what a mess, so I have learned to take a bun and pull out most of the middle of both halves and place the pattie & condiments in the hollow - so much better! Oatmeal is a great breakfast (not the processed instant kind.) Make sure you are always aware of the carbohydrate count in your food and you will learn in diabetic class that you can subtract the fiber count from the carb count for a more accurate reading of what you are ingesting.

Don't forget that exercise is very important in controling diabetes as well as diet. Some resistence training with dumbbells or exercise bands and 20-30 minutes of cardio training can often reverse borderline cases of diabetes without drastic changes in diet. Good luck, and hit the gym...I'm on my way there right now.

Hi there,

Mostly you have to watch your carbohydrate intake very carefully - I know it's the hardest thing to do. But you can still eat a lot of protein. My mom had type 2 diabetes and really kicked it in the past couple of years - her doctor actually says she is "no longer diabetic" - but we know that's not really true - you always have to keep watch of your blood sugar. She kicked it with strict dieting of watching the carb intake and also taking daily nutritional supplements including cinnamon, zinc, manganese and some others. You probably want to study up a little on the common nutritional deficiencies of diabetics and look at supplements.
As for food - remember fruits have a lot of sugar so they aren't as healthy as you might think - except for blueberries. Nuts are very good as well - and you can still have a good steak every now and then.

For some more tips she is now writing a daily blog - www.agingbusters.com if you want to get some more short tips.

Good luck - it is definitely a manageable disease - my mom is now healthier than she was 10 years ago :)