WHAT CAN I EAT IF I HAVE DIABETES TWO? Nutrition is very important in managing diabetes.  Not only what you eat but how much you eat and when you eat influences your blood sugar.  Meals should be at regular times with planned snacks.  They should be low fat, high fiber foods with a limited amount of simple carbohydrates. Diabetes Nutrition guide tells you how much in portion and what kinds of food you can eat.  The most common nutrition guides are the Plate Method, Carb Counting, and Glycemic Index.  Studies has been done that proved having a nutrition guide will improve your overall health; not to mention can prevent complications such as heart, kidney, lungs, liver diseases, and some cancer.  The purpose of the tree most common guides are to mange glucose level; the main sugar found in the blood and the body’s main source of energy. EATING: Carb Counting….Carbohydrate counting is exactly what it says it is and that is counting the amount of carbohydrate grams you eat per meal. Carbohydrate are the foods that affect blood glucose the most so I would recommend that you understand this group to its entirety.  Carbohydrate range will vary amongst individuals so I recommend that you acquire your target range from your health care provider.  A place to start is at 45 – 60 grams of carbohydrate at a meal.  Once again you and your health care providers can figure out the right amount for you. Plate Method…..the Plate Method is very simple.  Basically, it is done by dividing your plate into three sections.  First, the plate must be divided into two equal half.  The second half of the plate is then divided once again into two equal half that produce two additional smaller shares; producing a total of three sections for the entire dish.  The largest portion (1/2) of your plate is for non-starchy vegetables (spinach, carrot, lettuce, tomatoes, cucumber, and etc…) while the small sections are for starchy food (cooked beans, sweet potatoes, grits, whole grain, and etc…..)