Diets for Diabetes & Poor Hearts

Diabetes and heart disease are conditions that often go hand in hand, as they can both be partially triggered through obesity and poor dietary habits. Fortunately, diets to manage diabetes are often simultaneously helpful at acting to cure problems involving the heart, as diabetic diets are quite effective at lowering cholesterol levels and helping to clear arterial blockage. The general principle fueling a diabetes and heart-healthy diet is to eschew processed foods while returning to a simpler form of eating.

Diabetes and Poor Heart Theory

• Understand how diabetes diets work in tandem with heart-healthy diets to curb the diseases with which you are faced. According to the medical website Medline Plus, diabetes is a condition which requires constant control and monitoring of blood sugar levels, as diabetics' bodies have become ill-equipped to dispose of floating blood sugar through normal means. As controlling blood sugar requires the consumption of more natural carbohydrate sources, that often means eating foods that are lower in fat and cholesterol than "normal" meal options. This fulfills the basic tenant of the American Heart Association's recommended heart-healthy diet, in addition to curbing the influence of diabetes.

Diabetes and Heart Healthy Diet

• Consume a diet that is rich in fruits, vegetables and whole grains while eating to help control diabetes and forestall the development of additional heart problems. While on this diet, slightly over half of every meal should consist of fruits and vegetables, with a lesser amount of whole grains sprinkled in for good measure. The remainder of your meal should contain some low-fat protein sources like seafood, chicken, or turkey, along with some heart-healthy unsaturated fats like those found in fish oil, olive oil, palm oil, almonds, peanuts, and various seeds. Wholly eliminate your consumption of processed foods, alcohol, sugars, white flour items, and other "junk" foods, subsisting on a more natural diet to alleviate the symptoms of both diabetes and poor heart health.