How Does Slim-Fast Work With Diabetes?

Diabetes is a very manageable disease if you have the right tools. Losing and maintaining a healthy weight is one way you can improve your blood sugar control and lower your risk of complications. To lose weight, it is important to find the diet that works for you. As a meal replacement program, Slim-Fast can help you limit your calorie intake, lose weight and improve your blood sugar control. Before starting any weight loss program, first consult your doctor.

You do not need to eat any special foods on the diabetic diet. In fact, the diet encourages you to eat the same healthy foods that everyone should be eating, including fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins and low-fat dairy foods. However, it is important that you control the amount of food you eat at each meal, and try to eat at the same time each day. Most importantly, it is important to control the amount of carbohydrates you eat at each meal. Carbohydrates, found in starches, fruits, milk and yogurt, raise blood sugar. Controlling the amount you eat at each meal can help you control blood sugars.

Slim-Fast is a meal replacement diet. On the plan, you replace two of your regular meals with a shake or meal bar, and eat one regular 500 calorie balanced meal. The plan also recommends you include three healthy snacks a day, such as fruits, vegetables or snack bars. Each snack should be limited to 100 calories. Based on these guidelines, the Slim-Fast diet plan limits your calories to about 1,200-calories a day, making it a low-calorie weight-loss plan.

As a low-calorie diet plan, Slim-Fast can help you lose weight, which helps to improve your blood sugar control. In addition, the structured meal plan can help you control portions and carbohydrate intake. Each Slim-Fast shake contains about 25 grams of carbohydrates; each meal bar has 23 grams; and each snack bar 15 grams. Eating a consistent amount of carbohydrate at each meal and snack also helps with blood sugar management. Your regular, balanced meal should limit carbohydrates to 45 grams to 60 grams, as recommended by the American Diabetes Association.

When dealing with diabetes, you can safely follow the Slim-Fast diet as long as you are being closely monitored by your physician. However, as a liquid meal replacement diet, Slim-Fast does not teach you how to control portions or carbohydrates once you go back to eating regular food for all of your meals. This may make it harder for you to maintain your weight loss and control blood sugars.