Tricks to Changing Your Diet

By Randi Morse 

When I was diagnosed as a diabetic I remember being scared, mad, and frustrated, all at the same time. The idea of changing my diet felt overwhelming and for several months I tried to pretend that I didn't have diabetes. I eventually realized that I needed to change my diet or else I was going to risk having even more serious health problems as I got older. But changing your diet isn't easy. Here are a few tips that helped me to change my diet in what felt like a very natural, progressive way. 

Choose One Thing 

One of the first things I did when I realized I needed to change my diet was to figure out what one thing I could do without. For me, the answer was pasta. I have never been a huge pasta fan, but for convenience I would make pasta fairly often. I stopped eating pasta and, when I prepared it for my family, I had a second dish for me to eat so that I wasn't tempted with all of the carby goodness of pasta. 

Be Careful of Favorite Dishes 

One of my favorite things to eat is mashed potatoes. I absolutely love mashed potatoes and could probably eat a bowl of them every single day. Mashed potatoes, however, are not the best thing for a diabetic to eat. Because it's one of my favorite dishes, and because I know how bad it is for me, I avoid making it. I know that if I make mashed potatoes for the family, I'm going to eat more than I should. So, I save mashed potatoes as a treat and only eat them once or twice a month. Find whatever your favorite unhealthy dish is and save it for a treat, for those days when you really need comfort. 

The Soda Problem 

Everyone knows that soda is bad for you, but it's sweet, tastes good, and brings with it a convenient little caffeine pick-me-up. If you have been a regular soda drinker and you try to remove soda completely from your diet, you are likely to fail. Instead, slowly decrease the amount of soda you drink each week. For example, if you drink two cans of soda a day, start dropping it down to one can of soda a day, then three cans of soda a week, and eventually you will get to the point where soda becomes a treat rather than a regular beverage.  

Changing your diet can be intimidating but remember that you don't have to do it all at once. By implementing small changes, a bit at a time, you're training your body and mind to look at food differently, and over time the changes will make a drastic impact on your health. 

To learn more about your health, wellness and fitness, see your local chiropractor at The Joint Chiropractic in Hiram, Ga.