Type 2 Diabetes - Tips for Changing the Way You Eat

By Beverleigh H Piepers

Changing the way you eat isn't easy. You've likely formed some habits over your lifetime that influence what, when, and how much you eat. But if you've been diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes, it may be time to make some changes in order to manage your blood sugar levels and prevent further complications developing. If you know what changes you need to make but are having a hard time making them, here are some tips for changing the way you eat.

First, it can be helpful to think about how ready you are to make a change. Depending on what stage you're in, there are different strategies you can use to help you change...

1. Precontemplation. If you're in this stage you aren't thinking about changing your eating habits - and aren't interested in changing in the next six months. Since you're reading an article about how to change the way you eat, you've likely already moved past this stage and are interested in making a change.

2. Contemplation. In this stage you are thinking about changing your eating habits - but haven't started to change yet. You know you need to change your eating habits to stay healthy and you think you'll start changing them within the next six months. However, you likely feel there are many barriers that will prevent you from eating a healthier diet.

3. Preparation. In this particular stage, you're beginning to change your eating habits. You are making an effort to eat healthier, at least some of the time. Or, you may have already tried to change the way you eat but encountered some difficulties and are now back to your old habits. You likely know what to do to get started changing your diet, but may not know what to do to stick with it.

Now you've figured out what phase you're in, here are some strategies you can use to move on to the next phase and improve your eating habits...

if you're in the contemplation stage, you may want to read and think more about the benefits of changing your diet and the risks that apply if your don't start controlling the type of food you eat and the effect they have on your blood sugar. Anything you can do to increase your knowledge can help you start preparing to make a change. Giving yourself more opportunities to eat healthy will also help. This could mean finding healthier restaurants to eat at, or planning to cook more healthy meals at home.

if you're in the preparation phase, it's time to take action! Anything you can do to change your behavior will help you adopt a healthier diet. This is a good time to enlist social support. Find friends or family members who value eating a healthy diet and who will support you changing how you eat. Setting up rewards for yourself, like buying a new book after you reach a certain goal, is another good strategy.
Although managing your disease can be very challenging, Type 2 diabetes is not a condition you must just live with. You can make simple changes to your daily routine and lower both your weight and your blood sugar levels. Hang in there, the longer you do it, the easier it gets.

For nearly 25 years Beverleigh Piepers has searched for and found a number of secrets to help you build a healthy body. Go to http://DrugFreeType2Diabetes.com to learn about some of those secrets.

The answer isn't in the endless volumes of available information but in yourself.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Beverleigh_H_Piepers

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