Proper nutrition and proper diet are important factors for anyone who is diabetic, pre-diabetic, or caring for someone with diabetes. Understanding nutritional value and healthy food preparation methods can help maintain healthy body weight and blood glucose levels. Check out our recipe recommendations and keep the following tips in mind: 

• Eat a diet that helps keep blood fats close to normal. Avoid saturated fat and tropical oils, such as palm or coconut oil
• Get enough vitamin B-6, B-12, and folic acid in your diet to help control homocysteine levels (high levels can cause damage to your arteries)
• Maintain a healthy weight. Losing as little as five percent of body weight when obese can help improve certain symptoms and complications. 

Follow your meal plan to the best of your ability, and eat at regular and consistent meal times. If you’ve been prescribed insulin, eating too much food or consuming too many calories for the amount of insulin you take can cause high blood glucose, or hyperglycemia.

Another potential complication related to your diet is hypoglycemia, which means your body does not have enough sugar. This can happen if you skip meals, delay them or eat too little. People with type 2 diabetes may also have hypoglycemic episodes if taking certain medications and skipping meals, or exercising more than usual. See also Diabetes and Diet