Diabetic Exchange Diet

The diabetic exchange diet can help diabetics make the right decisions concerning food. Eating healthy on a regular basis is difficult enough for anyone, but for a diabetic, it is a necessity.

The diabetic exchange diet system works like this: foods are placed into specific categories: starches, meat, sweets, milk, fruit, fats and foods that are considered “free”. The diabetic should go by their recommended daily caloric intake that has been suggested to them by their doctor, or a registered dietitian.

Each group of foods tells how much you can eat of each food to get the amount of calories that you are looking for. The concept is that by following the exact suggested portions of each food group it would be impossible to overeat, or even to eat too much of the wrong foods.

The diabetic exchange diet name is derived from the fact that you can “exchange” foods within a food group- one for another. Since foods within the same group wold have close to the same nutritional value and a similar effect on glucose levels, switching one food for another would not create a drastic effect.

Two things should evolve out of the diabetic exchange diet. One is that it forces diabetics to only consume their recommended number of calories. This means that the individual should begin to see weight loss. This weight loss would also be slow, and controlled, as it should be.

The other advantage if the diabetic exchange diet is that the diabetic would be consuming a balanced diet of the right foods. This would go to great lengths to help maintain proper glucose levels throughout the day. This, in itself, would also prevent many complications of the disease from surfacing.