A diabetic person that would engage in a 1200 Calorie Diabetic Diet is to prepare him or herself of meal plans containing no more than 1,200 calories each day. This will control blood sugar or lower the risk of heart problems. Diabetics who are obese could also benefit from this diet as the intended benefit of this is to lose weight. 1200 Calorie Diabetic Diet is basically 50% calorie from carbohydrate, 30% calorie from fat, and 20% from protein. Some dieticians recommend this diet as the best for diabetics as it ensures that the diabetic gets the ideal daily calorie intake without compromising the nutritional value of the food.
Starting the day with a light breakfast consisting of a cup of cereals, skimmed milk, a muffin, and a small fruit is an example of a 1200 calorie diet for breakfast. If the breakfast is taken too early in the morning, the patient may have a light snack of 20 pieces of almond and a small apple.
During lunch time, half cup of white rice, a piece of ham or baked chicken, and a diet soda would still pass the calorie count. Keeping track on the diet, a cup of yogurt in the afternoon snack is just perfect.
Before dinner, the patient should still feel great and motivated and make sure he or she stays away from the powerful fast food combination of burger, fries, and giant-size soda or the diet plan would only put to waste. A little heavy dinner consisting of turkey, vegetables, beans, and small fruit could compensate the light menu and it would still be a healthy choice.
Including fresh fruit juices and the popular 8 glasses of water a day would definitely add to the benefits of the diet as healthy liquid intake flushes out toxins in the body.
The key to 1200 calorie diet is that the diabetic must stick to the calorie count per day while eating the right kind of food. Varying the menu would help him or her from being bored on the plate. For instance, wheat bread could be substituted from cereal and fruits must come in different shape and colors per serving. The same is true for vegetables. For snacks, have him or her munch on different kinds of nuts like cashew, peanut, and almonds and serve a cup of tea. The idea is not to keep a calorie meter at hand every meal time. It is into enjoying every nutritious bite more frequently throughout the day while keeping junk foods away.
Despite the promising result of this diet, this may not be appropriate for children. Diabetic women who are pregnant or breastfeeding must also consider other diabetic diet plans as this may not provide the needed nutrients for both the patient and the baby. Likewise, it may not be effective for men and women under the age of 35 as the height, age, and lifestyle of patients must be considered before pursuing the 1200 calorie diet. In addition to diets you should also look at diabetic crew socks.
To know if the diet is working, the blood sugar readings should be improving and are closer to normal level (80-130 mg/dl).