Living with diabetes requires many special considerations both in regards to activities as well as diet. Both of these considerations are best addressed by qualified medical personnel on an individual by individual basis but what follows is a general outline of diabetes diet information. This information was gathered from many sources and is generic in nature and should not be taken or used in lieu of professional medical guidance and it should certainly never be used contrary to qualified medical guidance or opinions; each individual situation is unique and doctors spend years studying the intricacies of the human body as well as how certain diseases and other factors work together to create individual and unique health situations that cannot be easily summarized.

With all of the warnings out of the way it is time to talk about a generic and hypothetical diabetes diet. People living with diabetes need to try to keep their blood pressure and cholesterol levels as near to the band of ‘normal’ as they possibly can without breaking a handful of important rules. Each of these important rules is taken from mountains of medical data and research conducted over the course of several decades.

The first piece of advice is to manage carbohydrates very carefully. In 1994 the ADA (American Diabetes Association) recommended that between sixty and seventy percent of all daily caloric intake be from carbohydrates. More recent studies seem to contradict this and suggest that a figure under 50% but higher than 30% is probably a more tenable and healthy long term solution for those living with diabetes. This serious discrepancy regarding even a fundamental component of any diabetes diet should underscore just how serious the need is to consult with a physician for the most up to date information available.

One particular rule of all diabetes diets is the strict prohibition on alcohol. Alcohol is simply not part of the daily diet of anyone living with diabetes who intends to continue living a long and healthy life. The occasional sip of wine or can of beer may or may not be permissible depending on the situation and once again it is up to those with diabetes to seek personalized information from a health care professional.

Having more frequent meals and snacks of smaller sizes is a very common piece of advice for those seeking diabetes diet information. As with all things related to medicine and health, it is likely that this will eventually be refined or have caveats added to it in order to boost efficacy and suitability. Some medical experts suggest a continual grazing ever one to two hours of high fiber snacks and tiny meals while others suggest 5 to 6 mini-meals a day with no snacks allowed between any of the scheduled mini-meals.