[onaughmae]

Can anyone direct me to any sites with meal plans for diabetics? ANY sort of meal plan will do, once there is:

a) Variety
b) Variety
c) and did I mention variety?

And failing that, any websites that can give some solid, indepth advice on the right diet for a type 2 diabetic?

Sorry, I dont really know of any specific ones but I am sure with a simple web search you could find a bunch of them. As far as diet for a diabetic goes, I find that a low carbohydrate diet, with a good amount of protein and healthy fats are the way to go. I stick to more complex carbs such as whole grains (not just whole wheat...it isnt the same). I avoid over processed starches such as white bread, white rice, white potatoes. I do eat fresh fruit, but test around it to see what your body likes and doesn't like. I can eat fresh berries with no problem, but I cant eat watermelon or bananas. One simple way to determine a good ratio of protein, carb veggie portions for dinner is to imagine your plate divided in half. One half should be filled with good non-starchy vegetables. Green veggies or a nice salad would be a good example. The other half of the plate should be divided equally between your protein and whatever starch you are going to eat. As always, you should test your blood sugar around meals sometimes to be sure this is not too much carb for you. Some people are able to eat more carbs than others and still maintain a good blood sugar. If you dont have access to a carb counting book, there are places online that are very good resources fro counting carbs. I especially like the one at Calorie King. Please feel free to ask any questions you might have here....someone around here always has some good advice to offer

 

[onaughmae]

Thank you! This helps very much.

One question though - what's the deal with starches? The ADA recommends that you have 6 - 11 servings per day (check Diabetes Food Pyramid - American Diabetes Association) yet I've been told by my Mother (who is also a type 2 diabetic) and a UK website that starches such as white bread, pasta, potatoes are a strict no no and should not be part of my diet.

In my opinion, the ADA recommendation is pretty liberal in regards to carbohydrate servings allowed. It might be a good place to start out....but test around your meals to see what your blood sugar is after meals also. If your blood sugar is not back down to normal, or your pre-meal state....then you are eating more carbs than your body can handle. Start subtracting carbs until you find the level that your body is comfortable with. Some people can eat more carbs than others. A lot depends on where we are with our disease and what type of medication we take.