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Healthy Diet for Diabetics

Diabetes occurs when the pancreas no longer supplies sufficient insulin for the body to make glucose. What little insulin is produced may no longer be recognized by the cells. In order to control your diabetic symptoms, you must maintain a proper diet that is consumed throughout the day to stabilize blood sugar fluctuations. Read more information below to learn how a diabetic diet can improve your health.

  1. Carbohydrates

    • Carbohydrates trigger the production of insulin. High-glycemic foods like white rice, flour, pasta, potatoes and carrots convert into blood sugar, which make insulin levels quickly rise and drop. To maintain better insulin production, eat low-glycemic foods and low-starch vegetables. Broccoli, green beans, asparagus, cranberries and blueberries can be made into a variety of dishes. Choose complex carbohydrates for your diet such as whole grain bread, brown rice and wheat pasta. Remember that carbohydrates are fuel for your body, so you do not want to cut them out completely for your diabetes diet.

    Fiber

    • Fiber is very essential for controlling spikes in blood sugar, because it has a slow hypoglycemic reaction. The American Diabetes Association recommends that people eat between 25 to 50 grams of fiber daily. Fiber's ability to slow down the impact that carbohydrates have on blood sugar has made it very beneficial to diabetics. Likewise, fiber has the ability to keep you feeling full longer. There are two types of fiber: soluble and insoluble. Soluble fiber helps maintain even blood sugar levels. You can find soluble fiber in strawberries, nuts, oatmeal, seeds, lentils, beans and apples. Insoluble fiber helps flush out toxins and cleans your digestive system. You can get this type of fiber in whole wheat cous cous, whole grain bread and whole grain cereal. Choose from both of these categories to help reduce blood sugar fluctuations and clear your body of waste.

    Diabetic Diet

    • Eat five small meals throughout the day to keep your blood sugar from dipping. Always carry a snack that combines protein and fiber like crackers and cheese or nuts and dried fruit. Refrain from eating sweets, processed foods, fried food or fatty foods. Limit your amount of alcohol and caffeine. Get on a comfortable exercise plan, but keep it at a moderation or you may be tempted to binge. Start reading food ingredient labels to avoid any sugar.Experiment with different recipes and check out a range of spices that can easily make you forget about fried processed foods. Take control of your diabetes and find a healthy diet that is right for you.

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