The Diabetic Foot

Sticking to the type of diet is not too difficult. You soon get used to picking the right foods and it all becomes pretty routine.

The difficulties appear when you have a need for a bite. All of us get somewhat hungry between meals and the only option would be to nibble on something.

Visit any sweet shop (candy store) or the confectionary counter in the local supermarket and you may be presented with a vast collection of chocolates, chips, biscuits and other processed snacks. All will pack an energy punch that'll keep you going until the next meal.

The issue for you is that all are high in sugar and fat.

Eating these on a regular basis would completely ruin any opportunity you've got of beating your diabetes.

You should not despair. Below are a few bites for conquering diabetes- a few savory nibbles that provides you with a midafternoon boost and, at once, allow you to overcome your diabetes.

Raw vegetables

Raw vegetables make an excellent nibble. They're low in calories, they can be filled with water (which allows you to feel complete) and they fulfill the want to crunching.

My favourites are uncooked carrots and raw celery.

The beta carotene in carrots helps shield you against macular degeneration (a major stress for diabetics) and the progression of cataracts. Carrots can also be high in carotenoids, fat-soluble compounds related to a decreased threat of a wide variety of cancers, cardiovascular disease, asthma and rheumatoid arthritis.

 With celery, I rinse them completely and cut them into short spans. Chomp and love. I keep a little bath of prepared raw carrot and celery on my desk.

If plain raw vegetables taste somewhat dull you can liven them up with low fat dip, like soy yoghurt. Read the labels, nonetheless, simply to be sure they're truly low fat and that sugar hasn't been added to improve flavor.

Watermelon

Watermelon is another food that's high in water. Actually it's about 92% water by weight, so it can cause you to feel complete without piling on the calories.

Though watermelon includes very little dietary fibre, it's an excellent supply of vitamin C... 100g comprises 8.1mg of vitamin C, about 10% of your daily necessities. It's also a rich supply of the antioxidant lycopene which can be said to lower the chance of cancer, though that is as yet unproven.

Watermelon is slightly diuretic, ie it increases the flow of your pee. Some research indicates it may be useful in assisting you to reduce your blood pressure but, as far as I'm conscious, this still must be proved under rigorous scientific conditions.

About 6% by weight of a watermelon is sugar and it's a pretty high GI (72). Yet weight of's load (carb content as a percent of its weight) at 3.6 is quite low. So it is possible to safely eat watermelon as a bite.

As you've got likely figured by now, the key to your healthful bite is the water content of stuff you would like to nibble. Pears and apples can also be full of water content.

Pears don't have any fat and almost no protein.

Apples contain almost no fat or protein, and a fair quantity of dietary fibre (2.4%). Now include comparatively low quantities of vitamin C. Yet they are a rich supply of other antioxidants that keep damage to cells.

A potential difficulty with pears and apples is their carb content, about 14% for apples and over 15% for pears. In both instances sugar is more than 10% by weight.

 However they are really great sources of vitamins C and K, and fairly great sources of vitamins B1, B2 and B6.

The issue, again, is sugar. But the GI of uncooked grapes is less than 50 so grapes should be OK as an occasional bite eaten in moderation.

 One raisin includes all the nutrients of one grape, for example, extra sugar so you must treat them with care. Never eat over a few at a time.

But if you're prone to 'hypos' or hypoglycaemic episodes (in which your blood sugar drops perilously low), you should take a little package around in your pocket as an immediate glucose boost.

Berries

There are many berries it is possible to use as bites. Included in these are blackberries, raspberries, blueberries, strawberries and black currants. It's possible for you to add in fresh cranberries if, similar to me, you might be fond of the sour flavor.

 Moreover, they may be filled with great material like antioxidants, including polyphenol antioxidants (naturally occurring substances that may have a favorable effect on metabolic processes), along with minerals and vitamins.

Berries, with a couple of exceptions, have become sweet. It follows that they will fill your sweet tooth for a small percentage of the calories you'll take in gobbling buns (biscuits) or brownies.

Yet it is difficult to determine how some berries can impact your blood glucose.

It is because GI values can simply be computed for foods containing sugar or starch. Some berries have an abundance of fibre and quite low in starch, so a GI value for these fruits cannot be computed.

But if these berries have an abundance of fibre subsequently it appears to be safe to presume their GI will be realistic and these fruits can be eaten in moderation as occasional bites.

Air-popped popcorn

Atmosphere-popped corn is among a small number of processed foods that may be advocated as a bite. It's also the only bite that doesn't include plenty of water.

 It's this that makes it an appealing bite for us diabetics.

The trouble is that, for the benefit of flavour, huge amounts of fat, sugar, and salt in many cases are added to commercially-prepared popcorn, which turns it into an extremely bad selection for diabetics. The kind of popcorn you purchase in theaters is infamous for the quantities of fat and salt it comprises.

So, read the labels carefully prior to buying. Or on top of that, take your own corn at home. It is simple.

Non-dairy product yoghurts

There are many non-dairy product yoghurts around you could use as a bite. But you should read the labels carefully for added 'flavour-improving' fixings, like sugar, fat and dairy protein.

Drinks

One certain way to give yourself a boost would be to drink something with caffeine within it.

Coffee fits that statement. Yet the quantity of caffeine in a cup of coffee will change according to the variety of the seed, the level to which it's been roasted, and the brewing process.

Java is a powerful stimulant. But as a diabetic, you should drink it 'basic black'. Adding sugar sets it out of bounds for all diabetics.