Bitter Melon Diet for a Diabetic

The bitter melon diet for diabetics is a natural method of controlling diabetes. If you follow Eastern medicine, you will realize that bitter melon is a popular ingredient in Asian dishes and medicinal remedies. If you are a diabetic seeking a way to supplement your diet with healthy foods, the bitter melon is a great choice. Native to the tropics and found throughout Asia, Africa and the Caribbean, the bitter melon fruit has been a staple food item for thousands of people worldwide.

Benefit

• Bitter melon is a good food for diabetics to incorporate into their diet since it has been proven to reduce and stabilize glucose levels in the blood by a significant amount. Incorporating one bitter melon into your diet every day will help you control your blood sugar levels.

Preparation

• Although the bitter melon is indeed bitter to taste, you can blend it with other fruits and vegetables to create a smoothie every morning. Adding stevia or agave syrup will not raise your blood sugar level, but it will help add sweetness. Do not drink bitter melon juice without anything else mixed in, since it can be very potent to diabetics. Eat some vegetables and/or meat along with the fruit to get the full benefit. The bitter melon is best left uncooked, since heating it will destroy some nutrients. You can look at traditional Asian recipes for an idea of how to cook the bitter melon, if you dislike eating it raw. There are many recipes that use bitter melon in meat dishes.

Where to Find Bitter Melon

• You can find the bitter melon in Asian grocery stores or ethnic food markets. It may not be readily available at your mainstream grocery store, but you can inquire. The bitter melon resembles a green, lumpy cucumber. If you do not want to handle messy fruit, you can buy capsules online or at a health food store that contain the proper amount of bitter melon extract for diabetics.