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Gaining control over diabetes is more than handling diabetes supplies well.  There is a whole diabetes treatment plan that any person with diabetes should develop and follow.  Any treatment plan will be overseen by the skilled healthcare team; however, if looking for extraordinary results, the patient may have to do a little work on his own as well.  What is likely to be found is that some of the smallest changes in diet may produce the greatest results.  The change to the low carb diet is one such example and works wonders for both diabetics and non-diabetics alike.

For many people, carbohydrates, or carbs as they are commonly referred to, are a confusing topic.  There are two general classes of carbs: refined and unrefined.  Since the 1950s we have developed a reliance on refined carbs as a staple.  Think of these carbs as any food that comes in a package or a box.  Examples of these carbs are white breads and flour, white rice, cereal and pasta.  Hidden in the term refined carbs is the term refined sugars, certainly something the diabetic wants to avoid.  Refined sugars are quickly converted to glucose in the system, which is not good for any body to function at highest potential.

In reality, all carbs will be converted to glucose and will elevate blood sugar.  The key is to eliminate those that are clearly bad and incorporate more nutrients which will have a positive impact on the body.

Low carb diets are essential for the person with diabetes who wants to do more than rely on diabetic supplies such as lancets and monitors.  Seeking a low carb diet is not difficult and the change to can produce some amazing results.

In his recent best seller “The Four Hour Body”, author Tim Ferris discusses how he implanted a real time blood glucose meter into his body to monitor the effects of different foods on his blood glucose levels.  Through self-experimentation Ferris wanted to put to the test which foods actually raise, lower and stabilize blood glucose levels.  Much to his surprise, drinking lemon juice before meals had the most positive effect on blood glucose levels from all the foods tried, including balsamic vinegar.  In the experiment, Ferris found that drinking 3 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice before meals reduced the effect of food on blood glucose levels by having the ability to stabilize blood glucose levels just before eating.  The end result is a lower likelihood of gaining weight, stable blood glucose levels and less stress on the body at eating time

Following the low carb diet requires discipline as it mandates that there are no white carbohydrates, fruits, dairy or sugar of any kind.  Instead, a meal regimen of beans (black beans, lentils or red kidney beans) provides “friendly carbohydrates” followed by greens, preferably spinach, and protein.  There is no need to count calories as one simply eats until full.  Ideally, if breakfast can start off with 30 grams of protein it is an effective way to lose weight.  The boredom of a low carb eating regimen is offset on the seventh day in which any food, including white carbohydrates can be eaten.  Ferris suggests that not only does this help keep one on the low carb regimen; it is healthy for the body to eat the “forbidden” foods as it keeps it guessing and replenishes certain vitamins.

While diabetics must pay close attention to what foods are eaten on the seventh day, especially those high in sugar, the low carb diet can be an effective way to lose weight, combat diabetes and go on to lead a long, healthy and productive life.

Many people have an unscientific approach to dieting. They see the headline: “Lose one pound a week if you cut your food intake by 500 calories a day”. Without much thought, they sign up because 500 calories does not sound very many calories to lose and one pound lost every week is a good reward to aim for. So then they start asking the important questions like, “What is a calorie?” and “How do you measure the number of calories?” This can finish a few people’s interest before they start. Some will just assume they can guess and it will all turn out right if they eat less. It takes slightly more commitment to make it to the final stage which is menu planning. Why plan menus? Because one of the problems of many diets is they get boring unless you change things around on a regular basis. So actually sitting down to pick out a few recipes you like and put a week’s menu together is a good way of keeping up interest. All of which brings us to the Big Breakfast Diet.

Recently, a team of researchers based at the Virginia Commonwealth University found that women who ate bigger breakfasts as part of a low-carb diet lost more weight than those who ate a low-carb diet spread out over the day. Both groups ate between 1,200 and 1,300 calories a day but the “big breakfast” is at least half the daily intake. You do not have to eat all this in one sitting. You can spread it out between the time you wake and 9 a.m. The intention is to help you feel full. In turn, this will give you the strength to resist the temptation to snack before you get to lunch. The ideal strategy sees you come down to three meals a day at regular times with no other food added in. When starting off, you may find it useful to keep some fruit around and, if you do feel a little hungry, eat an apple. Remember to cut out sweetened juices and sodas, and drink plenty of water.

As breakfast, look for a good mixture of low carb and protein. Fruit, cereal with milk, two slices of wholegrain bread, and your choice of eggs, some cheese, or slices of ham or turkey, i.e. a continental style of breakfast. Lunch and dinner should be more exclusively low carb, aiming for about 350 calories per meal. They can be based around a few ounces of chicken, turkey, pork or fish with plenty of green vegetables and a side salad, i.e. some protein and low GI, low starch vegetables and greens. The results showed both groups of dieters losing about the same percentage of body weight during the first four months but, after that, the big breakfasters went on to lose significantly more weight. By the end of the eighth week, the big breakfast group had lost up to four times the weight of the low-carb group. If motivation does prove a problem, you can add phentermine into the weight loss strategy to cover the afternoon when the craving for a snack may catch you unawares. It is easy to buy phentermine online and it offers complete appetite suppression, seeing you through into the evening without giving in to snacking. With this drug’s help, you can maintain the diet and lose a significant number of pounds.