Anyone who has had diabetes for a long time is aware of the importance of making appropriate food choices. What you eat and drink significantly affects your chances of controlling your blood sugar level, along with efficient stress management, adequate sleep, regular exercise, and keeping to your prescription schedule. Your overall health is ultimately impacted by blood sugar management. Controlling blood glucose levels is essential for averting difficulties in the future. Long-term increased blood sugar levels can cause kidney disease, nerve damage, eye issues, and amputations.
The Significance of Monitoring Carbohydrate
Although different people have different goals for managing their diabetes, experts generally agree on the types of foods that are good for and bad for diabetics based on both their nutritional value and where they fall on the glycemic index, a scale that determines how quickly food can cause blood sugar fluctuations, with low GI foods increasing glucose slowly and high GI foods increasing it quickly. It’s crucial to consider glycemic load (GL). Like the glycemic index, the GL gauges a food’s potential impact on blood sugar based on its carbohydrate content, but it also takes into account portion size, providing a more thorough picture of the impact. Low is defined as a GL of 10 or below, medium as 11 to 19, and high as 20.
Counting carbs is a helpful fundamental method for managing diabetes. Certain forms of carbohydrates, namely simple carbohydrates, can quickly increase the level of sugar in your blood because, during digestion, your body converts them into glucose, a type of sugar.
10 Diabetes Dietary Options That Are Healthy
Start with these 10 diabetes-friendly options to stay on track with your diabetes care. They can assist maintain blood sugar targets and provide nutrients as well.
1. Oatmeal As A Fiber Filler
The heart-healthy soluble fibre beta-glucan can be found in oatmeal. It is therefore a fantastic snack to avoid blood sugar rises. According to a controlled scientific experiment involving people with type 2 diabetes and published in the February 2021 Journal of Functional Foods, the beta-glucan in oatmeal has also been found to enhance blood sugar control and heighten sensations of satiety. Only some types of oatmeal are created equally, so choose a steel-cut or traditional version. The sugar content in instant oatmeal can be high. Just keep in mind that oatmeal contains carbohydrates, so you should exercise sensible portion control. A typical serving size of cooked oatmeal is one-half cup. Use it to make homemade granola bars or a smoothie, or eat it for breakfast.
2. Omega-3 Fatty Acid-Rich Fish
A great provider of essential nutrients is salmon. Cooked wild Atlantic salmon comes in 3-ounce (oz) portions and has 155 calories, 0 grams of carbohydrates, 21.6 grams of protein, and 6.91 grams of fat per serving. The GL is zero since there are 0 g of carbs. Additionally, salmon is a good source of vitamin D, which is crucial because type 2 diabetes has been linked to low levels of the vitamin. Omega-3 fatty acids are another important component of this fish. Omega-3 fatty acids found in fatty fish, such as salmon, can enhance heart health, which is crucial for diabetics due to their elevated risk of heart disease.
3. Magnesium-Rich Almonds
Another nutrient-rich food for diabetics is almonds. Unsalted almonds include 172 calories per ounce, 5.76 grams of protein, 15.3 grams of fat, and 5.78 grams of carbohydrates. According to the website Glycemic-Index.net, almonds have a GL of 1.9. They are also a rich source of magnesium and high in vitamin E. Additionally, fibre, a crucial vitamin for diabetics as it can lower blood sugar levels by reducing the rate at which sugar is absorbed, is included in almonds. Including nuts in your diabetes diet is a good move because having diabetes increases your risk of having high LDL, or “bad,” cholesterol. Unsaturated fats, such as those found in almonds, can help decrease LDL cholesterol and enhance HDL, or “good,” cholesterol.
4. Citrus Fruits For Pectin
Pectin, a soluble fibre that has been demonstrated to reduce LDL cholesterol levels, is a great source of nutrition in oranges. Oranges have a GL of 4, which is low on the glycemic index (GI), despite being sweet. One orange isn’t exactly a low-carb food, so keep that in mind. It has 72 calories, 1.45 g of protein, 18 g of carbs, and less than 0.2 g of fat. Oranges also include essential nutrients including vitamin C. Instead of choosing juice, choose whole fruit for additional fibre and antioxidants that may help prevent cell damage and lessen any impact on blood sugar.
5. For Plant-Based Protein, Use Beans
Beans are a fantastic source of soluble fibre and a cheap supply of protein that has a low glycemic index, making them the perfect food to eat to avoid significant fluctuations in blood sugar levels. Since it takes longer for your body to break down fibrous foods, diets with a higher fibre content are advantageous for reducing the rate at which blood glucose levels rise. Black beans have a GL of 7, 19 g of carbohydrates, 110 calories, 1 g of fat, and almost 7 g of protein per half-cup portion.
6. The Many Vitamins And Minerals In Kale
Kale is the best leafy green to include in your diabetes diet out of all of them. It is a superfood because it provides a wide range of critical minerals, such as iron, calcium, potassium, and vitamins A, C, E, and K. Additionally, the calories and carbohydrates are modest. About 9 calories, 1.1 grams of carbohydrates, and fewer than 1 grams of protein and fat can be found in one cup of raw kale. The GL is only 1 or 2 at best. Bile acid sequestrants are present in kale. They may reduce LDL cholesterol.
7. Flavonoids In Dark Chocolate
It may come as a surprise to hear that dark chocolate can be included in a diet that is favourable to people with diabetes since limiting sugar is crucial while treating diabetes. But think about this: According to a study of research involving more than 114,000 people, those who consumed the most chocolate had a 31% lower risk of developing diabetes and a substantially lower risk of heart disease and stroke than those who consumed the least. Additionally, a different study discovered that consuming roughly 10 g (or 1.5 tablespoons) of flavonoid-rich cocoa powder daily helped lower triglyceride and LDL cholesterol levels in individuals with diabetes.
Choose dark chocolate that preferably has at least 85% cacao. 136 calories, 1 g of protein, 14 g of fat, and 12 g of carbohydrates are found in an ounce of 85% dark chocolate. Based on a glycemic index of 23, dark chocolate has a GL of 2.76.
8. A Clever Sweetener: Cinnamon
Adding fresh flavours to your meals with the help of diabetes-friendly spices is another feasible management strategy. When it comes to sweetening food, put cinnamon at the top of your list. According to one study, cinnamon may improve insulin sensitivity, lessen inflammation, and lower LDL cholesterol while this spice is linked to a decline in fasting blood sugar levels. However, effects may ultimately differ from person to person, depending in part on the kind and quantity of cinnamon utilized. Although cinnamon has no calories, protein, fat, or carbohydrates and a GL of 0, it won’t make much of a difference nutritionally, but your taste buds may appreciate it and your blood sugar levels may rise. Try sprinkling cinnamon on top of or in your tea or fruit salad.
9. A Healthier Salad Dressing Base With Vinegar
Although research on vinegar’s potential health benefits is ongoing, earlier studies showed that it improved insulin sensitivity to meals high in carbohydrates in those with diabetes or insulin resistance. According to the research, vinegar’s physiological effects are comparable to those of metformin, a medication used to treat diabetes. In addition, vinegar was proven to inhibit the absorption of sugar in research. Researchers discovered that including two ounces of apple cider vinegar in a high-carb meal enhanced insulin sensitivity and fasting blood sugar levels. Apple cider vinegar has zero calories, zero carbs, zero protein, and zero fat per tablespoon. Its GL value is zero because it contains no carbs. Give it a shot as the foundation for a homemade salad dressing.
10. Polyphenols In Green Tea
The specific health advantages of tea in preventing or treating diseases like cancer, heart disease, and diabetes are unknown, although it has been used medicinally for thousands of years in China and Japan. However, some research provides hints as to how, in particular, green tea may affect insulin resistance and blood sugar levels in persons with type 2 diabetes.
For instance, a previous review identified studies that revealed type 2 diabetes was 33% less likely to develop in those who drank six or more cups of green tea per week than in people who only drank one cup. The analysis referenced a study that claimed those who consistently drank green tea for more than a decade had smaller waistlines and a lower percentage of body fat than people who didn’t. According to a paper that was published in the July 2019 issue of Current Neuropharmacology, the super-brew also contains polyphenols, which are antioxidants that have been demonstrated to regulate glucose in the body and may help to prevent or treat diabetes. Green tea has a GL of 0 and is devoid of calories, carbs, protein, and fat.
Calories are Important in Diabetes Diets
Remember that lowering insulin resistance requires maintaining a healthy weight.
It’s critical to keep an eye on your calorie intake. Even if your carbohydrate intake is under control, you still might be getting too many calories from fat and protein sources, which can result in weight gain. Your blood sugar levels can be improved, and losing just 5 to 10% of your body weight will cut your chance of developing diabetes by 58%. Maintaining a healthy weight will benefit your heart as well as reduce your risk of developing diabetes. People with diabetes must do that because the two conditions are closely related.
