Tips for Grocery shopping with Diabetes

When one has diabetes, your body does not properly break down food to utilize as energy.

Diabetes can lead to serious health problems if it is not properly treated. As a result, people with diabetes have to monitor their blood intake and plan their meals accordingly so as to stay healthy. Therefore, it is also very important for people with diabetes to be very careful during grocery shopping.

But with so many things to take note of, what are some tips to remember when grocery shopping

• Never Shop when you are hungry

When people are hungry, they are more prone to purchasing things like snacks which could jeopardize the diet of someone with Diabetes. One way to avoid this would be to do your grocery shopping after having a meal so that you will not be hungry while shopping.

• Have a deep understanding of food label claims

The food labels on the front of packaging me misleading. Terms like “low calorie”, “low fat” or even “no added sugar” can often be false and mean something else entirely. As a result, it is important to scrutinize information like serving size and total carbohydrates before purchasing such items.

• Monitor your Blood Glucose level before shopping

As mentioned before, it is a bad idea for those with Diabetes to shop while hungry. When your Blood Glucose level is low, you become much more hungry and be more susceptible to making impulse purchases of snacks. In addition, it becomes harder to think straight with low Blood Glucose and hence harder to make decisions.

• Make a shopping list and adhere to it strictly

By making a shopping list before Grocery Shopping, it will help you to not only stay on task while shopping, but it will also prevent you from making impulse purchases when browsing the aisles of the grocery store. This eliminates the hassle of having to scrutinize every product you purchase as you will be purchasing items you need and that you know are safe for you.

• When purchasing meats, stick to lean cuts

As meat is very low in carbohydrates, they can be an integral part of the diet of a Diabetic. However, it is important to remember that meat can be very high in fat and should not be consumed too much. By opting for leaner cuts of meat, you can cut down on your intake of fat.

• Purchase fish high in Omega-3 fats

In addition to meat, fish can also be a good addition to a Diabetic’s diet. Some studies from Harvard have suggested that the consumption of foods high in Omega-3 fats can help in the controlling of Diabetes as Omega-3s raise the levels of a hormone called Adiponectin which increases Insulin sensitivity which can help regulate type-2 Diabetes.