Working out the best foods to eat when living with diabetes doesn't have to be arduous.
By not making things complicated your foremost goal should be regulating your blood sugar levels.
It's also imperative to eat a healthy diet to promote a healthy heart as a complication of diabetes is commonly heart disease.
Your diet is pivotal in preventing and managing diabetes.
There are 16 Key Foods for diabetes both Type 1 and Type 2.
Fatty Fish:
Fatty fish
Salmon
Sardines
Mackerel
Trout
Pilchards
Herrings
Anchovies
offer us a great source of Omega-3 fatty acids, DHA (Docosahexaenoic acid) and EPA (Eicosapentaenoic acid) which supports our hearts health.
EPA and DHA safeguard the cells that line your blood vessels, reducing markers of inflammation, and can enhance the function of your arteries.
Research has revealed regularly eating fatty fish assists regulating blood sugars.
Leafy greens:
Leafy green vegetables are abundantly nutritious and low in calories. They are a low-digestible carbohydrate that is incompletely or not absorbed in the small intestines but are at least partly fermented by bacteria in the large intestines, so they don't notably affect blood sugar levels.
Leafy greens especially Spinach and Kale are rich in vitamins and minerals including vitamin C.
Diabetics tend to be vitamin C deficient and often require a considerable more vitamins C than non-diabetics.
Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidants and boosts of anti-inflammatory qualities which support both heart and eye health.
Avocados:
An avocado consists of less than 1 gram of sugar, very few carbohydrates, a high fibre content and healthy fats. This means avocados don't raise your blood sugar levels.
Avocados are under research studies currently within humans to see if studies in mice are reporting the same results. As within mice the fat molecule avocatin B (AvoB) found only in avocados, inhibits incomplete oxidation in skeletal muscle and the pancreas, which reduces insulin resistance.
Eggs:
Eggs consumption supports our hearts health as they reduce inflammation, develop insulin sensitivity improve your HDL (good) Cholesterol and reduce your LDL (bad) Cholesterol. Eating eggs for breakfast has been shown to help regulate blood sugar levels throughout the day.
The protein levels within eggs helps sustain satiety for longer.
Chia seeds:
Chia seeds are an amazing food for diabetics as they are abundantly high in fibre, but low in digestible carbohydrates. In reality 11 grams of the 12 grams of carbohydrates in a 28 gram serving is actually fibre, and fibre doesn't increase blood sugars. In fact the viscous fibre within chia seeds actually reduces your blood sugar levels by slowing down the momentum the food passes through your gut and absorbed.
Chia seeds help decrease blood pressure and inflammatory markers, they also aid the maintenance of your glycaemic levels.
Beans:
Beans are from the legume family they are rich in vitamin B, beneficial minerals (calcium, potassium and magnesium) and fibre.
They are extremely low on the glycaemic index which supports diabetic management of their condition.
In a research study participants who ate a high consumption of legumes had a reduced chance of developing Type 2 diabetes.
Greek Yogurt:
A daily serving of Greek Yogurt is linked to an 18% lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes reported in a research study of 100,000 participants.
Greek yogurt contains 6-8 grams of carbohydrates per serving, which is much lower than standard yogurts. It is also higher in protein which helps you reach satiety.
Yogurt is seen to promote healthy blood sugar levels and reduce heart disease risk.
Nuts:
The majority of nuts contain fibre and are low in net carbohydrates, but not all are all the same and some have more than others.
Research reveals that regular consumption can reduce inflammation and lower blood sugar, HbAlc (a marker for long-term blood sugar management), and reduce LDL (bad) cholesterol levels.
In particular research shows eating tree nuts i.e. Walnuts, almonds, hazelnuts and pistachios - lowered participants with type 2 diabetes, risk of heart disease and death.
Nuts can also improve blood glucose levels and one study with type 2 diabetics found eating walnut oil daily did just this.
Broccoli:
One of the most nutritious vegetables around is broccoli, 45 grams of cooked broccoli contains 27 calories and 3 grams of digestible carbohydrates plus valuable nutrients like vitamin C and magnesium.
Broccoli helps manage your blood sugar levels, and helps reduce blood glucose within diabetics. The reduction in glucose levels is due to sulforaphane, a chemical in cruciferous vegetables like broccoli and sprouts.
Extra-virgin olive oil:
Extra-virgin olive oil contains oleic acid, a monounsaturated fat that helps improve glycaemic management, reduce fasting and post-meal triglyceride levels, and has antioxidants properties.
The antioxidants, polyphenols reduces inflammation, protect the cells lining your blood vessels, keep oxidation from damaging LDL (bad) cholesterol, and decrease blood pressure.
Flaxseed:
Also known as common flax or linseed, all of which have a high content of omerga-3 fats, fibre and other unique plant compounds.
A part of their fibre is insoluble which is made up of lignans which help reduce heart disease, boost blood sugar management and lower blood pressure.
Flaxseeds are especially high in viscous fibre, which supports gut health, insulin sensitivity and satiety.
Apple cider vinegar and vinegar:
Apple cider vinegar and vinegar offer our bodies many health benefits, even though made from apples the sugar within the fruit is fermented into acetic acid. Research shows those with type 2, the vinegar has a favourable effect on fasting blood sugar levels and HbAlc.
The advice to add apple cider vinegar or vinegar to your diet is to add 4 teaspoons in to a glass of water and drink it before each meal each day.
Strawberries:
Strawberries are packed with antioxidants recognised as anthocyanins, they also contain polyphenols.
Polyphenols are seen to improve insulin sensitivity to all. This is important because low insulin sensitivity can make blood sugar levels spike.
Roughly 140g of strawberries contain 53,5 calories and 12.7g of carbohydrates, three of which are fibre. They also provide us with 100% of our RDI (reference daily intake) for vitamin C, which supports our bodies with anti-inflammatory benefits for heart health.
Garlic:
Garlic is incredibly nutritious for its petit size and low calorie count, one clove (3 gram) of raw garlic, is roughly 4 calories contains:
Manganese 2% of the Daily Value
Vitamin B6 2% of DV
Vitamin C 1% of DV
Selenium 1% of DV
Fibre 0.06 grams
Garlic helps improve blood glucose management and supports regulating cholesterol, it also helps reduce blood pressure.
Squash:
There are many varieties of squash and they are recognised as one of the healthiest vegetables. The dense, substantial food is fairly low in calories and has a low glycaemic index.
The polysaccharides, which are found within squash, improve insulin tolerance and reduce high blood glucose levels quickly and effectively within diabetics who are critically ill.
They are also found to contain beneficial antioxidants that help reduce blood sugars.
Shirataki Noodles:
Shirataki Noodles are great for diabetics as they are high in fibre glucomannan fibre helps you reach satiety, it is also shown to reduce blood sugar levels and reduce the risk of heart disease and metabolic syndrome. It can significantly reduce levels of fasting blood glucose, serum insulin and cholesterol.
Unfortunately the noodles are pre packed in a liquid that has a fish odour, which needs rinsing before eating.
Foods to avoid:
Refined grains
Fried foods
Alcohol
Breakfast cereal
Sweet (candy)
Processed Meats
Fruit Juices
Creating a plan
There are numerous ways to plan a healthy, nutritious diet taking into consideration your diabetes.
The plate method
Half the plate non-starchy Vegetables
Quarter of the plate protein
Quarter of the plate carbohydrates
Accompanying the meal with a low calorie beverage.
Glycaemic Index (GI)
If you stick to low or medium GI foods whenever possible, and limit your high GI foods, it can be an effective tool for maintaining blood sugar levels.
Carbohydrate counting
A popular way to manage blood sugar levels, is by tracking the weight of carbohydrates within the food you are eating so that you can adjust your insulin dosage.
A register dietitian or doctor will need to create a customised plan for you as it takes into account your needs, age, size and activity levels.
Bottomline:
A healthy, balanced diet of whole foods can support our bodies to manage our blood sugar levels well. Allowing diabetes to live life to the full.
Resources:
ICS Health & Wellbeing - Eating Well