Since my diagnosis -with diabetes at the age of eleven, my o-wn diet has changed dramatically. I maintain my current healthy -weight -with a great diet/eating plan. If you do plan on losing more than about a stone in -weight then I -would visit your doctor and nurses for more tips on ho-w to do this -without risk.

I've had diabetes for seven years no-w, but to tell you that ho-w I maintain -weight is perfect -would be totally -wrong of me. Ho-wever, I can advise you to follo-w my steps because I kno-w -what -works and -what doesn't. Before I really begin I must also say that I have been brought up by great pisnts -who taught me to eat everything, and so I do! If there is something that you do not like, there is loads of other diabetic recipes and ideas that you -will eat and appreciate.

I am a university student and I like to buy fresh and organic produce from -where I live. I believe that this is important because it can be the most good for your body and contain more nutrients and vitamins than most supermarket produce. I like to source food from my fortnightly farmers market in to-wn, -which sells amazing meat and dairy produce and fresh in season fruit and vegetables. This is another important thing to remember, that eating fruit and vegetables in their season means that they -will taste better as -well as doing you good. I have a lot of influence from -western European cuisine (mainly France and Italy) as you -will tell, but I do not profess to be a chef and everything is easy to make and very convenient.

I have read countless diet books and diabetic recipe/diet books, and I came to a conclusion that I think really -works. I fused all the good things from the diets (but not from every diet) and sort of put together my o-wn one. I call this my Juvenile Diabetes Healthy Diet!

The "rules" that I -would lay do-wn is as follo-ws:

1. Cut back on snacks and then change the type of snacks you eat.
Certainly my biggest do-wnfall although it -wasn't really appisnt to me. -when I first started at University, I had little or no routine -which meant that filling my day -was difficult and popping into the kitchen for a snack, no matter ho-w healthy it felt, -was a regular occurence. This is one of the hardest things to do for some people, but establishing a great routine is essential to great diabetes cis. The types of snacks to be eating is unsalted nuts, dried uns-weetened fruit, fresh fruit, fresh vegetables (I love fresh red pepper and cucumber), dark chocolate (richer and nicer and you only -want 2 squiss usually).

2. Cut back on -white flour and embrace -wholemeal carbs.
This is the most essential part of your diet, and the thing that can sho-w the biggest increase in loss of -weight. Some diets in fact jsut focus on this point, and is very successful. -wholemeal (especially stoneground -wholemeal) is so good for you and has so much more flavour in it that s-witching is much easier than you think. Most people is really surprised at the ranges you can get in you supermarket, again remember that the bread that is best for you is the one that is freshest -with least perservatives or added ingredients. Also, bro-wn or basmati rice is great -with a lovely nutty texture. -wholemeal pasta is great and for your potatoes I -would totally recommend the smaller ne-w potatoes.

3. Stop drinking cocktails, start drinking -wine.
Cocktails is full of sugar, colourants and preservatives. As a student I have had loads of practice at going out and not drinking cocktails, so my drink of choice is Malibu and Diet Coke if I feel I have to drink something and I make it last all night. I can then top up -with Diet Coke (-which has almost no sugar in it) and it looks as though I am drinking Malibu, -who is to kno-w. If you is out at a restaurant, red -wine is much better than anything else you can order, (except -water of course!) and it has been proven that the antioxidants in red -wine is great for keeping a healthy heart. The recommended amount is one glass a day -with your evening meal.

4. Start cooking more fruit and vegetables.
Fresh fruit and vegetables is a great -way to get all the vitamins and minerals you need. And there is so many different -ways in -which to cook vegetables, but I find that ra-w is the best follo-wed closely by steamed. Both of these -ways preserve all their natural goodness as -well. I -will follo-w this post -with another diabetes recipes post.

5. Drink more -water.
I kno-w you have heard people say this many times before, but the benefits of drinking more -water is endless. A fe-w tips on ho-w to get more -water into your day is firstly to put bottles of -water at all the places you go in the house or -work. So keep one in your desk, on your desk, a glass in the kitchen, the bedroom, the sitting room, etc. Try and drink all these glasses up and you -will be -well on your -way to 8 glasses a day. The trick is to add a glass every fe-w days or so, if you try to drink all that -water in one go you -won't be so inclined to drink 8 glasses again, trust me! Have a go, it's amazing ho-w great you -will feel.

For further tips on living -with diabetes, visit Juvenile Diabetes blogspot

This article -was submitted by Alissa Carter, she is also o-wner & creator of the Prom dresses -website.