eDiets.com - Diabetes Diet Program Choices

by Kristyne McDaniel

As you know, Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes are different diseases with similar symptoms. eDiets will assist you in controlling either disease. Type 1 diabetes is a disease of pancreatic failure, where the pancreas stops releasing insulin in response to eating carbohydrates. Type 2 diabetes is a disease of insulin resistance, or insulin insufficiency.

Both diseases result in chronic high blood sugar, and both diseases cause medical complications because of high blood sugar. With Type 1 diabetes, you always need injected insulin for treatment; people with Type 2 diabetes can often control their blood sugar with a combination of diet and exercise and sometimes oral medications.

Diet is very important for both types. Approximately 80 percent or more of people with Type 2 diabetes are overweight, and health experts associate excess weight with the development of Type 2 diabetes. Eating the right amount of food is crucial for people with Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes. For those who must take injections, insulin has to be monitored with food eaten.

eDiets has great diet program choices overall. Specifially, they've created a plan that help you live well with diabetes. Choosing a good meal plan that follows the dietary recommendations for a diabetic provides many benefits, such as:

• helps you control blood sugar levels
• works to reduce the risk for diabetes and heart disease
• controls your cravings for sweets
• personalized weekly meal plans
• create a "Print & Go" shopping list

All people with diabetes need to stay at a healthy weight, include whole grains, fruits and vegetables daily and balance meals with healthy protein and fat. The Living With Diabetes Program is ideal for people with diabetes, because it allows each member to select the foods they enjoy, but will still give them the correct portion sizes and balance they need for good health.

Here's a great Living With Diabetes sample meal plan you can follow within the eDiets program:

• Breakfast: Scrambled Eggs Florentine
  with Cheese, toast and cantaloupe
• Lunch: Turkey Tostada and strawberries with walnuts
• Dinner: Broiled Beef Tenderloin with Lemon Broccoli, brown rice and kiwi
• Snack 1: Apple with cheese and cashews
• Snack 2: Avocado-Salsa Dip with raw vegetables

There are loads of wonderful recipes and ideas that will help you get control of your diabetes, and that fit in with the recommendations for diabetics. Of course, you will need to run these by your doctor -- especially if you are on oral medications or insulin that affect your blood sugar. You may find that you're able to reduce your medications when you straighten up your diet with eDiets. Give it a try!