One of the most important aspects of caring for your diabetes is making healthful food choices. What you eat, how much you eat, and when you eat all have an impact on blood glucose, and following an individualized meal plan can help you improve blood glucose control. Check out the articles in this section to learn about meal planning, measuring food portions, carbohydrate counting, and other nutrition-related topics.

Antioxidants by Robert A. Jacob, Ph.D.

Oxygen is a Jekyll and Hyde element. We need it for critical body functions, such as respiration and immune response, but the element’s dark side is a reactive chemical nature that can damage body cells and tissues. The perpetrators of this “oxidative...

Are You Label-Able? by Belinda O’Connell, M.S., R.D., C.D.E., and Laura Hieronymus, M.S.Ed., A.P.R.N., B.C.-A.D.M., C.D.E.

Eating healthfully and following a meal plan are key components of good diabetes care whether you use oral medicines, insulin, or diet and exercise to manage your diabetes. Knowing how to read a food label can help you choose healthful foods, figure...

Carbohydrate Factors by Dana Armstrong, R.D., C.D.E., and Jan Chait

Meal-planning is one of the cornerstones of diabetes management, and carbohydrate counting is one of the basics of diabetes meal planning. Keeping track of the amount of carbohydrate you eat is important because carbohydrate (rather than protein or...

Also inside: Carbohydrate Factors at a Glance, Where to Find Carbohydrate Factors

Cooking Oils by Lea Ann Holzmeister, R.D., C.D.E.

Fat plays many important roles in a healthful diet. It provides energy and essential fatty acids, which are necessary for good health. It helps to maintain healthy skin and to regulate cholesterol metabolism, and it contributes to substances in the...

Dealing With Meal Plan Blahs by Kelly Van Horn, R.D., C.D.E.

Have you ever felt blah about your diabetes meal plan? Eating healthfully for diabetes control demands time, thought, and emotion. People who are new to diabetes often have a lot to learn about planning healthy meals for blood sugar control, and...

Also inside: Shopping Tips, Tools for Meal Planning

Going With the (Whole) Grain by Laura Hieronymus, M.S.Ed., A.P.R.N., B.C.-A.D.M., C.D.E., and Patti Geil, M.S., R.D., C.D.E.

Grains provide many nutrients that are vital for the health and maintenance of your body. But not all grains and grain products are equally nutritious. Whole grains and grain products contain all of the parts of the grain—including the germ, the bran...

Also inside: Adding Whole Grains to Your Menus, Identifying Whole Grains

Healthy Eating on a Budget by Patti Geil, M.S., R.D., C.D.E., and Laura Hieronymus, M.S.Ed., A.P.R.N., B.C.-A.D.M., C.D.E.

“Healthy food costs too much money” is a common meal-planning myth and one that could be preventing you from enjoying the benefits of eating healthfully while spending less. It may be true that sugar-free and fat-free versions of certain food items...

Mindful Eating by Megrette Hammond, M.Ed., R.D., C.D.E.

A diagnosis of diabetes changes everything. It frequently changes a person’s perception of himself and of his health. The demands of diabetes care can also change a person’s daily routine. A diabetes diagnosis is almost always accompanied by...

Trans Fat Begone! Julie Lichty Balay, M.S., R.D.

If you've read a newspaper in the past 40 years, you're probably already aware that not all fat is created equal. There are three major categories of fat in the diet: unsaturated fat, saturated fat, and trans fat. Unsaturated fats are considered “good...

Treating Gastroparesis by Kathryn Feigenbaum, R.N., M.S.N., C.D.E.

Although the term gastroparesis may be new to some, the symptoms of this ailment, in which the stomach’s ability to move food into the small intestine is impaired, can be all too familiar, as up to 50% of people with diabetes will develop...

Also inside: Recipes for a Liquid Diet

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