9 Simple Diet Changes

Quite simply, to lose weight and improve your condition, you have to eat less, eat more often, and eat better.

Here are some simple steps to take:

1. Plan your meals. It's the best way we know of to stick to healthy eating goals. Use the weekly meal planners in the personal planner, and give preference to chicken, fish, and bean-based dishes.

2. Eat more often. The best approach for diabetes is to eat three moderate-sized meals (including breakfast!) and two healthy snacks a day.

3. Eat five servings of vegetables a day. By eating more vegetables, you'll automatically eat more fiber and less fat. And vegetables are full of disease-fighting compounds. One serving is 1/2 cup canned or cooked vegetables or 1 cup raw vegetables.

4. Eat four servings of fruit a day. A serving of fruit is one piece of whole fruit, 1/2 cup cooked or canned fruit, or 1 cup raw fruit. Have fruit with breakfast and as snacks.

5. Switch to whole grains. Whole grains such as whole wheat bread and brown rice contain fiber, which blunts the rise of blood sugar. Aim for 3-6 servings a day. A serving is 1 slice whole wheat bread or 1/2 cup brown rice or whole wheat pasta.

6. Calcium-rich foods. They facilitate weight loss. Aim to get 2-3 servings a day of low-fat calcium foods such as milk, yogurt, and cheese. A serving is 1 cup milk or yogurt or 1 1/2 ounces nonprocessed cheese.

7. Eat beans 3-5 times a week. Beans are loaded with fiber, especially soluble fiber, which lowers cholesterol.

8. Focus on "good fats." While saturated fats (the kind found in red meat, butter, and ice cream) contribute to insulin resistance, "good" fats help stabilize your blood sugar. Favor fish over red meat and olive or canola oil over butter.

9. Watch your portion sizes. Keep in mind that a main-dish serving of meat is only the size of a deck of cards, and pasta and cereal should be kept to less than 1 cup.