Did you know that by following a well thought out diet plan can help you lower your blood sugar and keep your taste buds satisfied? Read on.
What Is A Diabetic Diet Plan?
A diabetic diet is a therapeutic nourishment plan for those suffering from high or unmanageable blood sugar. It suggests controlling carbohydrates, following regular meal timings and including a host of super foods that will keep you satisfied and not cause a jump in your glucose levels.
Dietician Plays a Key Role
A dietician can help put a meal plan in place. Learn to make the right food choices and keep your blood sugar in an acceptable range. A professional can help you in reading and understanding food labels and draw your attention to portion size and serving. They can also help you administer the right insulin for your food intake and teach you to slide the doses accordingly to the amount of carbohydrate ingested.
The Three-Pronged Approach
There is a three-pronged solution to choosing food that goes into your plan.
1. Know your carbs – Carbohydrates, when metabolised form glucose. Hence, they have the highest sway on your sugars. Be mindful of the amount of carbohydrates you are consuming each meal. Keep the amount and timing of this food group constant to avoid fluctuations in blood sugar.
2. Understand substitution – Sometimes you would like to substitute a suggested food group with something else. Say a pear for some rice. Understand food groups and their constituents such as proteins, carbohydrates, fat and so on, so you are able to use that knowledge to exchange your food as per your liking – one serving of ‘x’ carbohydrate with another ‘y’.
3. Choose right – At times the glycemic index of foods, especially carbohydrates can be used to make a choice. The lower the index the better the food for consumption. Whole grain cereals have a lower index compared to simple carbohydrates such as white rice or white bread or certain pastas.
Opt For a Balanced Diet
A balanced diet is one that includes a portion of complex carbohydrates such as brown rice, whole grain pasta, legumes such as different types of lentils and an assortment of beans, fruits, vegetables, proteins and low fat dairy products such as yogurt.
Consume More Super Foods
Try and make some super foods given below a part of your diet.
Cinnamon and Chocolate
Early studies show that cinnamon has a positive effect on lowering blood sugar. It helps the cells in absorbing even a small amount of insulin. Dark chocolate also enhances insulin sensitivity. However, as chocolates have a lot of carbohydrates and calories, they should be consumed in moderation.
Fruits and Green Tea
Quercetin is a plant based flavonoid which is an antioxidant and has several anti-inflammatory effects. It is found in abundance in foods such as apples, onions, green vegetables, tomatoes, berries and green tea. It is known to treat high blood sugar and other conditions of the heart and circulatory systems. Lower levels of Vitamin C are common in diabetics. This can be overcome by including citrus fruits in your diet.
Go For Fish
Salmon, Mackerels and Sardines are rich sources of omega-3-fatty acids and help arteries and raise good cholesterol levels in the body. The effective control of triglycerides assists in better sugar metabolism.
High Fiber Means Low Sugars
Fiber can be got from lentils, beans, whole grains, cereals and so on. Lentils are also rich in proteins, low in fat, high in fibre and help a diabetic in controlling sugar.
Include Nuts
Persons suffering from diabetes have a higher risk of heart disease and tests have shown that consuming nuts such as walnuts, cashew nuts and almonds are very beneficial in lowering overall risk of heart ailments.
Conclusion
It is within your power to maintain your blood sugar levels by eating nutritious well balanced and planned meals.