A Borderline Diabetic's Guide to Eating Right: Low-Carb Recipes and Tips

Through many years of trial and error and miserable consequences from poor eating habits, I've found that a low-carbohydrate diet works for my body. After reading tests identifying me as a borderline diabetic and negative body responses took over, I took charge of my life by changing my diet. I did not want to rely upon medications, perhaps someday insulin, for my well being, so I began eating right.

Eating right for a borderline diabetic means controlling sugar intake and balancing the carbohydrates and proteins ingested. Always, eat protein along with carbohydrates. Never eat carbohydrates alone, as this will cause a negative fluctuation in sugar levels.

Below, I offer a few ideas for eating right.

Breakfast: Royal Oatmeal

Using steel cut oatmeal, cook up enough for about ten days at a time. Store in a straight-sided bowl and cut off a small wedge serving each day; otherwise, cooking one serving a day becomes tedious and a waste of time and water for cleaning the dishes.

For a week's supply place into a large microwave safe bowl:

¾ cut steel cut oats (Arrowhead Mills)

scant amt. of salt (if desired)

2 ½ cups water

Cook 18 minutes (ovens vary)

When the oatmeal softens and the water dissipates remove from the microwave oven.

Add in: 1tsp. Vanilla

Cinnamon to taste

Scrape into straight-sided bowl for cooling and storage in refrigerator. Cover tightly after cooling and before refrigeration.

When cool, divide the cooked oatmeal into approximately ¼ cup size servings.

Each day after heating up the oatmeal portion, I add in a few chopped nuts (to your taste), a heaping teaspoon of ground flax seed and 3 oz. of a low-sugar, low-fat, gluten free organic yogurt (Brown Cow).

Tip: One of the tricks of balancing sugar levels is to eat often, every 2 ½ to 3 hours. Eat small meals and eat often. Small meals means not to eat meals larger than the palm of your hand.

Snacks

Nuts are a satisfying and nutritional snack and a good source of protein and carbohydrates, but only eat a small amount, 6 nuts. Nut butter spread on apple or pear slices or on celery stalks become a good snack.

Eating right for a borderline diabetic means controlling sugar intake and balancing the carbohydrates and proteins ingested.

Credit: Li Kim Goh, via iStockPhoto

Copyright: Li Kim Goh, via iStockPhoto