29/10/2024
📢Some notes for people with diabetes📢
👉People with diabetes need a healthy diet to help control blood sugar, stabilize blood pressure, and blood cholesterol levels. The goal that people with diabetes aim for is to control weight and reduce the risk of complications of diabetes including cardiovascular problems, stroke or cancer
👉10 tips from experts on eating with diabetics
1️⃣Choose healthy carbohydrates for people with diabetes
All types of carbs affect blood sugar levels, so it is important to know which foods contain healthy carbohydrates, paying special attention to portion sizes.
Some healthy sources of carbohydrates include:
- Whole grains such as brown rice, buckwheat and whole oats.
- Fruits.
- Vegetables.
- Legumes such as green beans, beans and lentils.
- Dairy such as unsweetened yogurt, unsweetened milk.
It’s important to cut back on low-fiber foods like white bread, white rice, and processed cereals. Check food labels to find foods that are high in fiber.
2️⃣Avoid salt if you have diabetes
Eating too much salt can raise your blood pressure, which increases your risk of heart disease and stroke. When you have diabetes, you’re already at risk of all of these conditions, so a low-salt diet is good for people with diabetes.
Try to limit your salt intake to no more than 6g (one teaspoon) a day. Many packaged foods are high in salt, so check food labels and choose low-sodium options. Cook to keep track of your daily salt intake. You can also get creative with your cooking by substituting herbs and spices for extra flavor.
3️⃣Eat less red and processed meat
If you’re cutting back on carbs, you can eat more meat to help you feel full longer. But limit your intake of red meat and processed meats such as ham, bacon, sausages, beef and lamb. All of these have been linked to heart disease and cancer.
Replace animal protein from meat with foods that are good for diabetics such as:
Legumes such as beans and lentils are high in fibre, do not affect your blood sugar as much and help you feel full.
Eggs
Fish is a healthy food. Oily fish such as salmon and mackerel are even better because they are rich in omega-3s, which help protect your heart. Try to eat 2 portions of oily fish a week.
Poultry such as chicken and turkey
Unsalted nuts.
4️⃣Eat more fruit and vegetables
Fruit and vegetables are extremely good for diabetics. Eat more vegetables and fruits at main meals and have them as snacks when hungry. Vegetables and fruits provide the vitamins, minerals and fibre your body needs every day to help you stay healthy.
Products such as fruit juice also count as added sugar, so people with diabetes should stick to whole fruit and it is best to eat sugary fruit in small portions, spread throughout the day rather than eating a large portion at once.
5️⃣Choose healthier fats
Everyone needs fat in their diet because it provides energy. But different types of fats affect health in different ways.
Healthy fats are found in unsalted nuts, seeds, avocados, fish oils, olive oil, canola oil and sunflower oil. Some saturated fats can raise blood cholesterol levels, increasing the risk of heart disease, and are mainly found in animal foods and processed foods such as:
- Red and processed meat.
- Butter.
- Lard.
- Biscuits, cakes, pies and pastries.
- Diabetics should cut down on oil, try to eat by baking, steaming or boiling
6️⃣Cut down on added sugar
Diabetics should try to cut down on sugar in their diet. Avoid sugary drinks such as energy drinks and fruit juices, and replace them with whole milk, unsweetened tea or coffee.
You can try using low-calorie or no-calorie sweeteners. Cutting out added sugar can help you control your blood sugar and lose weight.
During diabetes treatment, your doctor may recommend that you keep sugary foods such as candy, sugary drinks, etc. on hand to use when you have a sudden drop in blood sugar. In this situation, you need to follow your doctor's instructions. However, if you often have low blood sugar, you need to talk to your doctor to find the best solution.
7️⃣Snack Smartly
If you want to snack, diabetics can choose yogurt, nuts, fruits and vegetables without added salt. Avoid foods such as chips, biscuits and chocolate as snacks. In particular, pay attention to your food portions to maintain your weight.
8️⃣Limit alcohol
Alcohol is one of the foods that contain a lot of calories. So if you are trying to lose weight, stay away from alcohol. People with diabetes should absolutely not drink alcohol.
If you are taking insulin or other diabetes medications, you should also not drink alcohol on an empty stomach. This is because alcohol can make hypoglycemia more likely to occur.
9️⃣Don't care about diabetic foods
Foods that are advertised as being for diabetics are not very effective. There is currently no evidence that these foods provide any special benefits over healthy eating. Because using these foods can still affect your blood sugar levels.
🔟Get minerals and vitamins from food
There is no evidence that mineral and vitamin supplements help you control diabetes. Therefore, unless your doctor prescribes supplements, you do not need to use any other vitamins or minerals.
It's better to get essential nutrients by eating healthy foods. Some supplements can interfere with medications you're taking or make certain diabetes complications worse, like kidney disease.
📥Please share this article with everyone if you find it useful!
➤ I am Dr. Brian Williams - Bone and joint health expert. MESSAGE me for a free consultation.
