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Call your local hospital and ask them about a support group for diabetics. Most hospitals have them or will be able to help find one.

You definitely should try to get into a diabetes class or support group led by a knowledgeable nutritionist. But the basic idea is that you have to restrict your intake of carbohydrates – any food that contains sugar or starches. Most likely your doctor or nutritionist will give you a target for how many grams of carbohydrates you should be eating at each meal. The target is frequently 45g for women and 60g for men, but don’t try to pick a target for yourself. Make sure to consult with your health care provider first.

Within your limit, you have a wide range of choices of food. If you want a modest dessert, you can cut down or eliminate a serving of rice. You should learn to carefully read the labels of the food that you are eating, so you know their carbohydrate content. Some foods – such as meat, poultry, fish, and most vegetables – don’t contribute significantly to your blood glucose levels, so you can eat as much of them as you want. So it’s not really true to say that you have to stick to small meals. Load up on salads and have normal portion sizes of meat and there is no reason to get up from a meal still hungry.

I do not have diabetes, but I DO have a food allergy and I found that Yahoo Groups has some great recipe and support groups. I just took a second to search for a few Diabetic ones. This way you get to pick the brains of hundreds of people and get answers to your questions, support, or share great recipe ideas and tips.

http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/Type-2-Diabetes/

http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/diabetes/

http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/CarbSmartRecipeExchange/

http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/kicksugar/

diabetes.org has many useful links and articles, including how to manage a diabetic diet into your day. They also have message boards where you can get good advise.

It really isn’t that difficult to eat all day – these are not full sized meals like we are accustomed to. A package of peanut butter crackers is often plenty or me at breakfast or for between meal snacks, or even before bed. Others prefer a small apple or veggie sticks, or beef jerky.

A large supper is a problem even for non diabetics. Trying to get all your calories and nutrients in one meal is not good (I know this from experience). If you reduce your supper size and add the small meals and snacks during the day, your blood sugars will be more stable all day.

A diabetic diet is not as restrictive as people think. And you can have things like white potatoes and rice (despite what some peopple claim), the problem is more portion size than carb type. Everybody is a little different, so some of us may be more sensitive to some foods than others – I can mashed potatos without bothering my blood sugar, but not bread (not even whole wheat). I can have a handful of M&Ms for a smaller rise in glucose than I get with a banana.

Don’t forget to add some exercise, too. It doesn’t have to be jogging, walking is fine. 15 minutes a day can really help. Heck, you can even learn to exercise while sitting in a chair infront of the television (just as useful for those who can’t walk as for those who don’t have the time or safe location to walk in).

It would help if you live on fruits, veggies and salads. Have some breads and very little sweets. Drink plenty of water.