Type 2 Diabetes - Overcoming Common Barriers to Help Change Poor Eating Habits, Part 1
Trying to change the way you eat - or any other habit in your life - is never easy.
If you've been diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes, you're probably facing some changes to the way you usually eat.
Making these changes, like following a healthy eating plan, cutting down on simple sugars, and eating at regular times, will help get your blood sugar under control and help you avoid dangerous complications.
Here are some common barriers people face when trying to change their eating habits along with ways to overcome them...
1.
Your spouse or family doesn't want to eat healthily.
If the rest of the family isn't on board with your new eating habits, it can be tough to limit unhealthy food in the house.
Talk to your family and let them know how important it is.
If they want to keep food like soda or candy in the house, ask that it's kept out of your sight where you won't be tempted by it.
Keep buying the healthy foods you need to eat and, over time your family may get used to eating them too.
2.
You don't have time to prepare meals.
When you're busy, it can be easier to eat convenience food like freezer pizzas than to cook healthy meals.
But healthy meals don't all have to be complex.
Try using a salad as the base of your meal and adding in fresh vegetables, a lean protein source, and some cheese.
Or try cooking a large batch of food when you do have time - maybe Sunday nights - and eating it throughout the week.
3.
You eat out often.
It's harder to control what's in your meal when you go out to eat.
If you regularly eat out, you'll need to focus on getting enough vegetables in your meal.
Order an extra side of steamed vegetables and use them to replace some of the carbohydrates in the meal.
Or, try to cook at home more often and gradually cut down on how often you go out to eat.
4.
It's too expensive to eat healthily.
It's true it's a little more expensive to buy healthy food than junk food.
But overall, you can save lots of money on prescriptions and medical bills by adopting a healthy eating plan.
And there are ways to make eating healthy more affordable.
Buy fruits and vegetables that are in season - for example, squash and kale in the winter.
You can also find meat on sale when it's close to its sell-by date.
Just cook it or freeze it when you get home.
If you've been diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes, you're probably facing some changes to the way you usually eat.
Making these changes, like following a healthy eating plan, cutting down on simple sugars, and eating at regular times, will help get your blood sugar under control and help you avoid dangerous complications.
Here are some common barriers people face when trying to change their eating habits along with ways to overcome them...
1.
Your spouse or family doesn't want to eat healthily.
If the rest of the family isn't on board with your new eating habits, it can be tough to limit unhealthy food in the house.
Talk to your family and let them know how important it is.
If they want to keep food like soda or candy in the house, ask that it's kept out of your sight where you won't be tempted by it.
Keep buying the healthy foods you need to eat and, over time your family may get used to eating them too.
2.
You don't have time to prepare meals.
When you're busy, it can be easier to eat convenience food like freezer pizzas than to cook healthy meals.
But healthy meals don't all have to be complex.
Try using a salad as the base of your meal and adding in fresh vegetables, a lean protein source, and some cheese.
Or try cooking a large batch of food when you do have time - maybe Sunday nights - and eating it throughout the week.
3.
You eat out often.
It's harder to control what's in your meal when you go out to eat.
If you regularly eat out, you'll need to focus on getting enough vegetables in your meal.
Order an extra side of steamed vegetables and use them to replace some of the carbohydrates in the meal.
Or, try to cook at home more often and gradually cut down on how often you go out to eat.
4.
It's too expensive to eat healthily.
It's true it's a little more expensive to buy healthy food than junk food.
But overall, you can save lots of money on prescriptions and medical bills by adopting a healthy eating plan.
And there are ways to make eating healthy more affordable.
Buy fruits and vegetables that are in season - for example, squash and kale in the winter.
You can also find meat on sale when it's close to its sell-by date.
Just cook it or freeze it when you get home.
