Diabetic Exchange

A Diabetic Exchange Diet Can Stabilize Your Blood Sugar By Providing You With the Tools to Manage Your Carbohydrate Intake

What is a diabetic exchange diet? A diabetic exchange diet requires you to carefully mete out your food portions, while paying special attention to caloric content, carbohydrate and protein counts; and only eating at certain times during the day.

The diabetic exchange diet is prescribed to patients who either have diabetes or are likely to develop it if they continue with their current dietary habits. The diabetic exchange will correct blood levels by carefully regulating everything about how a diabetic person eats.

There are a number of different types of the aforementioned diet—and not all of them involve eating nasty, flavorless foods. In fact, you can eat many of the same foods that you currently consume, but you have to pay more attention to the caloric composition of the food and the portions in which you are consuming it.

For instance, on many diabetic exchange diets, you can consume ½ to 1 cups of cucumber, eggplant, green beans—and nearly any other type of non-starchy vegetable—in one day. You can also consume a small amount of pasta and a starchy vegetable, but you must pay more attention to the proportions in which you consume.

If you plan to go on a diabetic exchange diet, you should start by finding a good chart that delineates what foods may be exchanged for others—and in what portions. This chart will make it easier for you to decide what to eat and when. If you don't know whether or not you are allowed to exchange certain foods, you will more than likely either get frustrated with the diet's restrictions or simply make a lot of mistakes, compromising your blood sugar levels.