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.

Social Pressure. Bringing your family on board should be quite easy but it may not be quite so easy, or practical, to bring others on board. Of course it should be simple enough to tell your wider family and close friends about your dietary needs and help to avoid embarrassment at dinner parties and other events where food is served, but there are always going to be times when you find yourself in a social situation and are tempted to try a slice of home-made gateaux.

Here it is a case of planning ahead and deciding what you are going to do before the event. For example, you could decide to have a small piece of gateaux and simply adjust your diet for the remainder of that day to compensate. Another option might be to decide that it is better to eat before you go out or to take along your own favorite snack, plus a little bit extra for others to try.

However you decide to tackle these barriers, they will need to be faced and overcome. This should not prove too difficult with a little bit of thought and effort, but it will also help if you focus your attention on some of the benefits of following your diabetes diet:

Feeling better. Without your diet there is a good chance that you will overeat, or eat the wrong foods, raising your blood sugar level and making you feel tired and generally unwell. With your diabetic diet however you will feel a whole lot better.

Better weight control. With your diabetic diet you will avoid overeating and eating foods which are likely to lead to weight gain, allowing you to keep your figure and also reducing the risk of other health problems like heart disease and stroke.

Reduce your risk from low blood sugar levels. We tend think of diabetes in terms of high blood sugar levels but many diabetics also experience the difficulties associated with low blood sugar levels, such as dizziness, weakness, sweating and irritability, and can even fall into a diabetic coma. You diabetic diet will keep you on a regular eating pattern which will reduce this risk dramatically.

With the right diabetic diet, as well as a little bit of exercise, you will find that you can keep your diabetes under control and live a full and normal life.