I came across a piece called "What is a Diabetic Diet?" on Diabetes Daily in the last couple of days and thought it was worth sharing.

The question of "what can I eat?" comes up a lot at our local Type 1 and the Type 2 support group meet ups. And even though, we would reply to our group members that nothing was off the table, the explanation doesn't end there.

The author of the piece says:

One of the biggest questions for anyone with diabetes is: what can I eat? The real, honest answer: anything!

That’s right. People with diabetes can eat anything that people without diabetes can eat.

But, and this is a very important but, you must be aware of how it will impact you and take that into account. You can’t eat large numbers of carbohydrates and get good results (unless you are a serious athlete). But by checking your blood sugar strategically, you can learn how much of a food you can safely enjoy."

I wonder about all those people out there, without diabetes, who have no idea what they're putting into their bodies? I used to be envious of them as they just ate, and ate, and ate, for years, before it caught up with them. For me, the results of that kind of eating would be seen in less than 4 hours through my blood glucose testing.

My next thought was about how I'm not jealous of those people anymore. And how did that happened?

I used to consider the idea of a coffee and a dessert as a treat, or as the phrase goes; "being good to myself".

In one five day period, this "treat" nearly happened three times, I felt that this went WAAAY beyond the scope of "occasionally" or "now and again".

I said to myself; "You know, woman! The coffee is enough of a "treat"! Why don't I be good to myself by NOT having a dessert?!" After all, I wouldn't put petrol into my diesel car, would I? So why would I put fat and masses of sugar into me?

I thought this was a rather novel idea and was a little proud of myself for thinking of it! I chose to overlook the fact that it took me 40 plus years to figure it out. :-S

My whole ethos about desserts has changed because of this new (for me) way of thinking. I'm being good to myself by investing in my health, by only putting the healthiest food into it (mostly). I feel that my body deserve it! And because I'm worth it! (Thank you LÓreal!) And my family is worth it!

Yes, this is me write now - NOT!

I'm finding that this mental attitude makes it easier to resist all those temptations. And, to be quite honest, the temptations are not always that good. Some are, some aren't but I'm not missing out on anything. I'm gaining so much for my health. Plus, I get to feel a little pious over all those people without diabetes who don't treat themselves well.

These days, my "treat" mostly consists of a high quality glossy magazine with my cuppa:-D

I might let myself enjoy a home baked dessert on an occasion but it has to be really, really, seriously, REALLY, good. But it's not a treat - it's to satisfy a craving.