It is easy enough to follow any diet for a short time but when you are faced with following a life-long diabetes diet you will find that there are a number of barriers which will frustrate you in your efforts. The secret therefore to starting a diabetic diet is to understand just what those barriers are and to focus your attention on the benefits of your diabetes diet.

The sort of barriers that you are likely to encounter might include:

Cost. Buying fresh fruit and vegetables is not cheap, particularly when you are buying 'out of season' imported products. But don't forget that, as you increase your intake of fresh fruit and vegetables, you are also cutting back on expensive convenience foods and snack items like potato chips, so the two will tend to balance out.

Culture. Food is a lot more than just sustenance and for many of us it is also very much an expression of our culture. Fortunately, there are many different ways to prepare food and you will find many excellent diabetic cookbooks focusing of food from particular cultures.

Family, Family members might find it difficult to adjust to a different diet and they may be less than happy with your 'alternative' macaroni cheese. Here it is best to simply sit down with the family and talk about your diabetes and just what it means in terms of your diet. In the vast majority of cases your family will be more than supportive once they understand your position.