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Writer's pictureWayne Drury

Having Diabetes, Do You Need to Stop Eating Out?


The answer is “No,” and you do not have to deal with diabetes alone. At Damndiabetes.ca we know that one size does not fit all, and that being told what to do usually does not work with anyone.

Yes, diabetes sucks. At Damndiabetes.ca we understand that and are here to help you through your ups and downs. You do not have to make all the mistakes we have made living with diabetes. At Damndiabetes.ca we are here to help you. Together we can make your diabetes treatment suck less. Contact us today. Let us at help you and in the meantime, continue to enjoy a good meal out.

Diabetes Diet - Enjoy your night out with a great Diabetes Meal

Eating Out With Diabetes: Making the Best Menu Choices - Nutrition for Diabetics

Introduction

My wife and I enjoy a meal out occasionally, although, with the high prices, we have taken the challenge to look at quality versus cost. 

The question I had to answer was, "Does eating out have to end because I have diabetes?  Going to our first new restaurant and looking at the menu, not much stood out for a diabetes diet.  But, putting my thinking cap on and using a few rudimentary rules, I had some success.  I looked at the menu and considered:

  1. Foods that I knew were high in carbohydrates were eliminated

  2. What offerings were high in Protein?

  3. What about sauces?  For "safety," I decided to take control of how much of what I had with my dinner. 

  4. Sauces are typically high in sugars and other things that may not be good for folks like me on a diabetes diet.

  5. Careful with the dessert.  There are desserts I have found I can eat, which helps, but it took some time to get to  that point.

What is On My Plate? Many suggest that I use a child’s divided plate to decide how much to eat.  What do I do?  Take the plate to the restaurant?  That will not work and second, eating my dinner, I do not want to have a plastic divided plate staring up at me.  

I have quickly learned to balance my food, and you can too.  For me, it is as simple as approximately 50% salad and vegetables, a quarter of a potato or a small portion of rice, and 5-6 ounces of meat, preferably white meat or fish.

A choice about fat; many suggest that diabetics should only eat lean meat.  I do not hold myself up as an expert, and have  been researching adding fat to my diabetes diet. 

The American Diabetes Association suggests, " An important nutrient to consider as part of a balanced diet is fat.  Even though it sounds counterintuitive to what one might expect, eating the right amount of, and the right type of fat plays an important role in our bodies." A great source of information on fat in our diabetes diet, can be found at this link

Adding fat to my diet has had a positive impact.  I am not always hungry, as I was on a "lean diabetes diet," and I am still on target with my cholesterol and weight-loss.  But, I add a caveat.  Please discuss any potential changes to your diet with your healthcare team before making any changes.

My Menu Choices

We must recognize that each restaurant has its own menu challenges for diabetics.  After a few times asking questions, I now feel quite comfortable "grilling" the server.  Most are knowledgeable and friendly about sharing advice and I stick to the basics.  A salad with the dressing on the side and usually apple cider vinegar.  A small piece of meat grilled and only sprinkled with salt.  A double helping of steamed or grilled vegetables.  For dessert, I have found I can eat cheesecake without my glucose spiking.  I am so lucky!

All pretty simple, but it allows for sufficient variety that never becomes boring.  For me, it was, and continues to be a journey of testing to find the best mix of foods that can provide me with a better quality of life living with diabetes.  And, you can have a similar success too.

At Damndiabetes.ca, our focus is helping our clients to achieve their goals, while still being able to enjoy life with diabetes.   If you would like some help "to sort out the wheat from the chaff," call us today and experience how you can benefit from our services based upon the principles of E-A-T: Expertise, Authoritativeness and Trust.

Conclusion

If you have diabetes and enjoy a meal out, "why stop?"  With a little bit of planning and forethought, diabetics can enjoy a restaurant meal out as much as the next person.

Decide beforehand your carbohydrate, protein and fat intake limits and ask questions.  As always, keep it simple, keep your food clean - sauces only on the side - and you may even think about a good glass of wine.

Why not call on Damndiabetes.ca today to help you on your path to a better quality of life living with diabetes?

What I learned is that I do not have to deal with diabetes alone and that is where Damndiabetes comes in.

At Damndiabetes, we do not want you to have to do diabetes alone. Together, we can make your diabetes suck less.  We know it's not a one-size-fits-all disease and we are here to help you figure out what works for you. Food, exercise, logging your blood sugar, and sometimes just listening. Call us today at Damndiabetes.ca so you are not having to deal with your diabetes treatment all alone. We are here to help you with your diabetes treatment plan to help you to a better quality of life living with diabetes. Best wishes

The Team at Damndiabetes.ca



Wayne Drury has been diagnosed with Type II Diabetes. He was frustrated with the lack of usable information on the treatment of diabetes and how to lower blood sugar effectively. His passion now, using all he has found with diabetes research, is helping others on a path to a better quality of life living with diabetes, which he shares on his website.

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