Diabetic Living Australia – March-April 2019

Do I really need to drink
eight glasses of water
per day?
Australian dietary guidelines
suggest an average fluid intake
of eight glasses (2.1L) for
women and 10 glasses (2.6L)
for men. But this will vary
widely from one person to the
next, depending on your body
size, environmental conditions,
physical activity levels and
individual metabolism. And,
this is total fluid, not just water,
although water should be your
first choice.

And tea and coffee
don’t count – right?
While tea and coffee have a
mild diuretic effect, the fluid
loss caused by this is much less
than the amount of fluid that’s
consumed in the drink. So tea
and coffee still count towards
your fluid intake.

Diet drinks – yay or nay?
They may be sugar-free and low
in calories, but some research
suggests artificial sweeteners
may increase
appetite and
cravings for
sweet foods,
while studies
have linked
higher
intakes of diet
drinks with an
increased risk
of type 2 and
heart disease,
possibly via
effects on our
gut bacteria.
Instead, try
drinking natural
sparkling mineral
or soda water with
some fresh lemon
or lime.

Intuitive eating, mindful

eating, getting in touch

with your appetite – seems

to be the latest thing, but

is it really that important?

Yes. Many of us have

lost touch with our

appetites. We tend

to eat for lots of reasons

other than hunger, such

as boredom, stress, because the

food is there or someone else is

eating. Learning to recognise

true hunger and when you are

satisfied (but not overly full) is

an important part of managing

weight and diabetes. Start by

making time to enjoy meals,

rather than eating on the run

or during other activities. ■

Healthy eating really isn’t that

hard. In fact, this famous quote by

Michael Pollan sums it up nicely:

“Eat food, mostly

plants, not too much”

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98 MARCH/APRIL 2019 diabetic living
special report