Nutrition

• Eat for health, period!
• High complex carbohydrate, high fiber diet (raw fruits, nuts, whole grains, and vegetables)

Eating Habits

• Eat 2-3 solid meals daily (preferably 2 meals)
• Keep 5 hours between meals (to allow for digestion and complete emptying of the stomach)
• No eating between meals even of “healthy” foods such as carrots, apples, etc. (delays stomach emptying and leads to food rotting in the stomach)
• No drinking anything but water between meals
• Don’t eat within 3 hours of going to bed
• Eat ½-1 cup beans/lentils with breakfast (helps to regulate blood sugars throughout the day)
• Breakfast should be the largest meal of the day (2-3 fresh fruits, 1-2 whole grains, sparingly of natural fats, miscellaneous items [beans, soy/rice milk, spreads, tofu])
• Lunch should be medium (2-3 raw vegetables, 1-2 cooked vegetables, 1-2 provisions/legumes (beans/peas/lentils), sparingly of natural fats.
• Supper (if you have it) should be small and light (fruit, grains). 2 meals are better than 3, however.
• Avoid unhealthy high calorie foods
• All meats, dairy (butter, cream, milk, cheeses, ice cream), eggs, lard, margarine, commercial mayonnaise and salad dressing, cooking oils, gravies, cream soups, sugar, jelly, jams, sodas, chocolate, junk foods (chips, pretzels, crackers, popcorn), all store bought desserts and baked goods (cakes, puddings, cookies, pastries, muffins).
• Complex carbohydrates are good
• Fresh fruits, vegetables, nuts, and whole grains
• Natural fats are good
• Nuts (almond, peanut, walnut, etc.), vegetables (olive, corn, soy, etc.), avocados
• A vegetarian diet is the healthiest. If you are eating meat or animal products, stop! Learn healthy substitutes.

Exercise

• Get consistent cardiovascular exercise on a regular basis (work up to 30-50 minutes daily 5 days a week, moderate intensity—meaning you can talk but cannot sing while exercising)
• Get regular resistance exercise at least twice weekly (lift weights, sit-ups, push-ups, squats, etc. Start light and increase weight as you are able. Do 10-15 repetitions of each exercise)
• If you are overweight, set a goal to loose weight and get an accountability partner to keep you on your goal.

Water

• Drink only water and lots of it between meals
• Every day you should drink 1 ounce for every 2 pounds you weigh.

Sunshine

• Get outside and soak up at least 15-minutes of sunshine daily. It helps with vitamin D production and mood.

Avoid harmful substances

• Alcohol, tobacco, caffeine, etc. These substances greatly exacerbate diabetes complications.
• Be consistent, don’t give up, and Trust in God, He can help you be successful!

P.S. If you are on diabetes medications, measure your blood sugars frequently. Your blood sugar will start to come down with these changes, and you will have to reduce your medication doses. Inform your doctor of your lifestyle changes and have them help you decrease your medications properly.