“I need some advice on how to get things started. I know that I need to make changes to my diet, but I really don’t know how to start. I crave sugars so badly right now. I need to lower blood sugar levels but I am so exhausted from fatigue. I just don’t know where to start.”
So, you really want to get started on your pre/ type 2 diabetic diet plan. But, you seem to have so many bad food habits, you read conflicting information, and it all just seems overwhelming.
We understand.
Without a doubt, getting started can be tough, for anyone, let alone if you have type 2 diabetes or prediabetes.
But you can’t afford to stick your head in the sand and ignore your health condition. Type 2 diabetes can be life threatening if you don’t take good care of yourself and has some pretty darn serious complications you want to avoid – a very motivating factor!
And of course, if you have prediabetes, dodging that diagnosis is obviously in your favor!
So, how exactly do you get started, what should you focus on first, and how can you deal with those dreaded cravings?
That’s what we’re going to chat about now.
*21 Day Lower Blood Sugar Challenge™: Your challenge task is at the bottom of this page.
How Exactly Do You Get Started?
Sometimes being overwhelmed means you do nothing at all. Do you feel like that right now?
Here’s the thing: you don’t have to know everything to get started.
Read that again.
You don’t have to know everything to get started.
We’ve worked with lots of people over the years that have felt like they must do things exactly right or they’ll fail. But this simply isn’t the case.
When it comes to your diet and lifestyle it’s always a work in progress, always!
The most important thing is you just get started!
Don’t get stuck in that overwhelm of not knowing what to do. Just start doing something different, anything at all, and keep moving forward from there.
What we’re going to ask you to do over the next 21 days of this challenge is to just apply what we share. If you’re not part of the challenge, then challenge yourself to apply this information for 21 days and you will be amazed at the result!
Ignore everything else. Ignore what you think you know about nutrition. Just apply what we share.
The information we share is based on extensive dietary research. And we’re proud to say that what we share works.
TESTIMONIALS:
Margaret “At times my fasting levels were as high as 199 (11.1). After just 21 days my morning average is 121 to 140 (6.8 to 7.8) and my after-meal numbers are normal! I had never seen a number much below 120! It does work and I am very thankful for the advice & encouragement.”
Linda H “I’m so proud of myself for sticking with the challenge for 21 days. I’ve lost weight and changed eating habits. I lost over 11 pounds (4.9kg) in 21 days, lowered after-meal blood sugar from 151-160 (8.4-8.9) down to under 140 (7.8), and morning sugars from 121-140 (6.7-7.8) down to 101-120 (5.6-6.7). I look forward to keeping it up.”
As we send you info or you learn something new that we share, just go right ahead and put that into practice.
What To Focus On First
We won’t lie, you probably won’t like what we’re about to tell you.
But we’ll tell you anyway because what we’re about to tell you is the best and fastest route to lowering blood sugar, A1c, and improving your overall health.
Ready?
Cut out sugar, bread, potatoes, pasta, cereals, and rice.
Do you eat lots of those foods?
If you said yes, you’re not alone.
These are staple foods that we’ve all become accustomed to eating. BUT, they are not healthy foods for us to eat in the proportions we’ve been eating them.
And, if you have diabetes, these are the most problematic foods.
If you want to lower your blood sugar, A1c, and get better diabetes control, lowering your intake, and even cutting out those foods–sugar, bread, potatoes, pasta, cereals, and rice–is your number one focus.
We said you wouldn’t like hearing that. 😉
However, don’t panic!
There are plenty of options and alternatives. You just need to learn what they are. And you’re in the exact right place to do that.
TESTIMONIAL:
Cheryl A, VIP Member, says: “I learned that alternative foods are just as delicious as “normal” foods. I’ve lost 16 lbs (7.2kg) since I went low carb. I’m not as fearful about eating fat. My daily blood sugar readings are slowly going down. I have really learned a ton from this site. Thank you for all of your efforts.”
Focus On What You CAN Have
Okay, you might be freaking out right now but just hang on a sec.
You’re probably thinking about the toast you like to eat for breakfast, that favorite pasta dish you’re going to miss, and potatoes, oh my, you just love those several times a week — how on earth are you going to live without them…
Believe me, you can. Plenty of people have made the switch. And so can you!
So here’s a tip: thinking about the foods you can’t have is not going to help you here. There are LOTS of foods you CAN eat, so it’s very important to just think about those.
Focus on what you CAN have and make the most of it because what you can have is some of the healthiest, most nutrient dense foods that, if you don’t love already, you’ll learn to love.
Sure, it might take a little getting used to. But we can adapt and so can our taste buds!
And the best part is, by being adaptable, you’ll be lowering your blood sugar and A1c levels and enjoying a healthier, happier life.
Sugar/Carb Cravings
It’s an unfortunate fact that human beings are born with an innate liking for carbs, sugar and sweet things.
Sugar triggers pleasure centers in the brain, and our appetite and hunger signals, along with blood sugar regulation, are all tied up with different regulating hormones in the body – insulin, leptin, ghrelin and others.
When you have high blood sugar, you can also have fatigue, both of which make you feel hungrier and get cravings.
Then there’s things like emotional eating and our psychological triggers associated with eating sweet things. Think about why you turn to sweet things as a ‘pleasure’ food. Since we were kids we’ve always been offered treats as a reward, celebrated events with cakes and candy, and all those ‘feel good’ times have often included sweet treats.
That’s why our emotions are often so wrapped up with sweets – it’s deeply embedded!
The thing is, we can get a grasp on these cravings.
You know the foods we talked about giving the axe–sugar, bread, potatoes, pasta, cereals, and rice–these will make your cravings worse. Although we think carbs are satisfying our cravings, they’re really not. It just contributes to the repetitive cycle.
Once you cut them out, which you absolutely can do, you will notice it becomes much easier.
It’s also easier to manage sugar cravings when you have better blood sugar control. If you’re stuck on the blood sugar roller coaster ride, this also make cravings worse also.
And don’t worry, it doesn’t mean living without sweets – not at all. There are plenty of safe dessert substitutes that are just as delicious – we’ll be sharing some ideas and recipes during the challenge!
Practical Tips To Reduce Sugar & Carb Cravings
Okay that’s all very well but you need something that can help with the cravings, right now!
Understandable. So here goes…
While you lower and cut out sugar, bread, potatoes, pasta, cereals, and rice, you can also include the following to help:
- Cinnamon – cinnamon is a natural source of chromium, which helps stop sugar cravings. Cinnamon also happens to have it’s own natural sweet flavor. Try making sweet cinnamon tea, taking a cinnamon supplement, or sprinkling cinnamon on your food. You can even go as far as just eating a little cinnamon powder if you get a craving. Cinnamon also helps lower blood sugar levels, too.
- Chew more – eat more fiber-rich vegetables like green beans, celery, lettuce, just munch on things and chew more. We need to chew to get the right signals to the brain and it can take up to 20 minutes before the brain gets the ‘full’ signal.
- Drink water – dehydration can lead to more sugar and carb cravings so make sure you’re getting you daily dose of water – a minimum 1.5 liters per day. Fill up a water bottle and start drinking early in the day so you can get through your quota.
- Consume these all-you-can-eat veggies – anytime you crave, just keep munching veggies and your cravings will dissipate.
- Eat healthy fats – as you reduce carbs you’ll need to eat lots of vegetables and eat healthy fat sources too – avocado, olives, olive oil, nuts and seeds. These are very satisfying foods that help fight off sugar cravings. Grab a small handful of nuts or seeds but don’t just eat them ravenously all in one gulp. Slowly chew them to gain the best satisfaction.
Michelle says: “I learned that eating healthy isn’t painful, time consuming, drudgery. It can be fun AND taste good.Wish the doctor’s office would have shown YOUR way of doing it when I was first diagnosed. I probably would not have stuck my head in the sand so long! Glad I found you!”
YOUR TASK: 21 Day Lower Blood Sugar Challenge™
- Just get started – today. And keep taking steps forward every day. It is actually quite amazing how much progress you can make if you just keep moving forward each day.
- Cut out sugar, bread, potatoes, pasta, cereals, and rice – if you’ve been eating these foods as staples (and many of us do), this is a big task but will bring about dramatic results. NOTE: For those with very high blood sugar numbers (200+/ 11+) you may need to cut back over a few days to week, instead of cutting out all in one go. Why? Because you can feel shaky, dizzy, and nauseous. These are similar symptoms of hypoglycemia (low blood sugar). It’s likely that you don’t actually have hypoglycemia but because your levels have been high and you’ve been eating carbs, you can get similar symptoms when cutting them out – just be aware and monitor yourself.
- Focus on what you CAN have – the quickest way to feel deprived and limited is thinking about all those foods you can’t have. There are still plenty of foods you CAN have and they are equally delicious. Over the coming 21 days you will gather many delicious options and alternatives – we’ll be sharing lots ideas and recipes.
- Manage your sugar/ carb cravings – if you have to cut out sugar, bread, potatoes, pasta, cereals, and rice, you can pretty much bet that you’re going to get some cravings, so, get prepared with a strategy right up front. Have plenty of snack foods on hand – veggie sticks, raw green beans, nuts and seeds, olives, even some small meatballs – anything you can grab to eat when you get those cravings. And if you’re away from home, make sure you keep some emergency snacks such as nuts handy. Don’t fall prey to those cravings. You can beat them!
Commit to yourself and apply what we share because we know what we share can help you get results.
Need extra help during the challenge? Join us as a member.
You’ll receive weekly meal plans and exclusive member benefits.
Sharlene said: “I’ve been following your plans for about a month now. My bs range was 150 to 185 (8.3-10.3) for am fasting. Now it’s ranging from 105 to 140 (5.8-7.8).”
What is the meaning of fasting numbers please
Hi Mary, Fasting glucose usually refers to your morning glucose levels, after you haven’t eaten for 8 hours or more.
I really appreciate you article on where to start your diabetic diet plan is really helpful but I tried gluconize and it work perfectly.
I was just told I have type 2 diabetes. I was pre -type 2 several years ago, I managed with diet, which I still have been following. How ever I also have high cholesterol {i have had since I was 11}. So my question is, I’ve been looking at the labels, if it is low in sugar it is high in sodium and fat, so what do I do? I feel like there is really nothing I can really eat. PLEASE HELP me.
One of the easiest things you can do is focus on fresh foods – lean meats/protein, vegetables and some fruits. The funny thing about those types of foods is most don’t have nutrition labels, yet they are the healthiest! I think you may find this article about cholesterol interesting as well, there is a lot of confusion when it comes to cholesterol. Lastly, it may be helpful to work with a dietitian one-on-one; they should be able to give you specific sodium and fat targets.
Do low fat and fat free food items such as cheese and milk contain more sugar than whole fat foods?
Yes, in general they usually do Bobbie.
thank you
Is oatmeal a good breakfast option?
Beans and legumes ok for diabetics?
Generally we encourage people to limit intake of oats and portion control beans and legumes as they are high carb foods. Here’s more info on oatmeal and on beans and legumes.
Hi my name is Diana. I had a complete hysterectomy 6 months ago. Ive gained about 15 lbs. And I can feel my body swelling. Please help.
Our information is geared towards individuals looking to improve their blood sugar control, although weight loss is tightly connected to this. Your doctor may have better resources and recommendations for your specific situation.
Hi Iam here again, after massive back op and loosing my Husband, I need to do something about my sugar levels as they are climbing again. My movements have been slow, getting better. I am76 years old, I am trying so hard. I live with my daughter and Family. It is therefore hard to control my Diet ( or is it a excuse? ) I am Diabetic 2 for a few years 3-4 years it is not to the extreme high. I like to keep my Diabetes under control with some help please
I am sorry for your loss and glad you’re ready to re-commit to your health. Have you talked with your daughter about your diabetes and diet recently? Having your family’s support can make it feel less daunting. Keep scrolling through our blog and reach out with any questions!
Hi there I’m checking in late
Late is okay Debbrena – we are here. Hope all is going well 🙂
Good morning even if it is very very cold. So walk will wait for the sun to warm things up.
Today’s numbers:
fasting – 81
postprandial 170 Freak out.
I am not sure about how figure out the post prandial numbers. And that 170 was after a 40 minute walk.
Then I thought that maybe I took a reading to early. So I got the glucometer out again and the reading this time was 133. which I like a whole lot more. So that 170 lowered to 133.
Do you have any idea what was at play here. I ate at a small restaurant with daal at least 3/4 cup (so maybe just to much beans. vegetables picked out the potatoes. Indians eat potatoes all kinds. Maybe I should start cooking myself,….more control.
Thanks and as always great appreciation.
Raani
Hi Raani. It can be common for blood sugar to rise after exercise but it should level out fairly quickly. Postprandial levels are ‘after meal’ levels. With Day 5 resources there was a ‘paired monitoring’ sheet, which you can refer to for timing. Ideally you test 2-hours after a meal (from the first bite) and you want to aim for 140 levels. Beans in too large portions can also raise levels as they are predominantly a carbohydrate. In general we recommend 1/4 cup or maximum 1/2 for beans and legumes. It always give you more control to cook yourself, but it can be nice to eat out sometimes too. 🙂
Day 1 of the 21 day challenge. I appreciate the tips you offered today. I am looking forward to applying them and seeing the results.
Thanks for checking in Lina – the goal is definitely to apply them and look forward to hearing about your progress.
great comments and I struggle with everything from scratch too. Just checking in as my morning checkin email didnt’t seem to work.
Thanks for checking in Beth. You can check in anytime throughout the day. 🙂
Just checking in. First timer here so excited to lower my numbers.
Thanks for checking in Sara. Implement the tasks or suggestions provided in the challenge each day and it will be great to see the changes as you report your progress. Great to have you involved!
Starting over. Got sloppy in 2020, gained 50 lb. Didn’t know it but my fbg was 300. Shook me to the core. I worked dmp before but tired of making every meal from scratch. This time I am adding bistro md meals to give me a break. Good luck to everyone! Will
That can happen Will, so it’s great to have you join us for the challenge! Good to find a solution to help support you with the meals. Good luck to you with getting on track 🙂
I also have a question about low carb breads- are they okay? My nutritionist said I can have 35-40 grams of carbs at meals. I rarely have that much and haven’t had pasta, rice or potatoes since August, when I was diagnosed with pre diabetes.
Yes, low carb breads are a good option and many people choose them instead as having a bread option can help. We will have some carb guidelines coming in future days of the challenge, but 35-40 grams per meal is high.
Hi, I’m checking in. My doctor says that I’m prediabetic and have high cholesterol and triglycerides. I’ve been on the Homemade Method Cooking Program for 18 months to reduce these numbers. I refuse to take medication for these conditions. My food habits have improved a lot (I reduced carbs but did not cut them out) and my energy is excellent, and I feel very well, But my weight is not going down. I weigh 200 lbs. For the first time in my life, I started this week to measure my blood sugar (between 5.5 and 6.9) and they seem normal, although I still don’t know the good range. I can’t imagine living life without bread, rice, pasta, etc. I always need some in every meal. Look forward to getting a better blood test and glucose test.
Thanks for checking in Jeanne. Sounds like you’ve made good progress in the past months. It does sound extreme but it is possible. Perhaps for you you can try to reduce the bread, rice, pasta, etc, as this will also help promote weight loss.
Checking in.
Thanks for checking in Susan – great to have you in the challenge
Checking in.
This is a good start for me because sugar, potatoes, and bread are big temptations for me. My husband is a meat and potatoes and cookies and candy guy so the temptations are always around. But I am really going to try.
Great stuff Terri – really do give it a good go and you may be pleasantly surprised it is doable and with the outcomes too. Thanks for joining us and look forward to future updates.
I really really want this to work.
First question I have is about the 2 Blood sugar trackers. I don’t understand (yet) how we work with them.
I have been checking my fasting number and don’t know how they work. And the second one I really don’t know what to do with those numbers and what how do I know if what I am doing is of benefit or not. How do I figure the carb (g) counts.
And do you want us to record what each meal consisted of.
Whew!
Hi Raani – glad you’re in the challenge! You don’t have to work with them, but they are there as a resource if you want to, and it can help to monitor levels from day 1 to day 21 to observe the changes that can occur.
For now, just monitor the fasting number, plus, in the days to come you will learn more about levels, and how to do a paired monitoring test, which can provide you with extra information to adjust your menu. You also don’t have to record every meal. If you follow the guidelines through the challenge, you should see those numbers coming down, depending where they are now. Hope that helps and I’m sure things will start to make sense as we move along. 🙂
I am interested to get these plans ..Tnx Rashmi
Check out our membership options here Rashmi – hope you join us!