Diabetes Cookbook For Dummies, 4th Edition

Chapter 2

How What You Eat Affects Your Diabetes

In This Chapter

Understanding the Mediterranean diet

Coping with carbohydrates

Selecting protein

Cutting the fat in your diet

Eating enough micronutrients (vitamins and minerals)

Timing your food

Obesity is getting bigger. As defined by a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or greater, the percent of Americans who were obese went from 25.6 in 2007 to 35.1 in 2012. During the same period, the prevalence of people with a diagnosis of diabetes went from 23.6 million in 2007 to 26 million in 2012. Sixty-nine percent of the U.S. population is considered overweight (BMI between 25 and 29.9) or obese (BMI of 30 or higher).

The United States must reverse this trend. Otherwise, millions of people will become blind, develop kidney failure, and require amputations. In addition, millions of people will become heart attack victims, many of whom will not ...