When you have type 2 diabetes, healthy eating is one of the best ways to manage it, especially because weight loss, calorie cutting and following the right kind of diabetes diet will go a long way toward helping your overall wellbeing. First you need the right mix of carbohydrates, proteins, and fats to keep blood sugars as normal as possible throughout the day, and then dietician and integrative nutritionist and food researcher at Duke University Integrative Medicine Beth Reardon, MS, RD says, the next step is choosing among the foods and beverages that can give you an extra wellness edge.
Firstly, pre-germinated brown rice and fibre can reduce your risk of complications, such as diabetic neuropathy, which is nerve damage resulting from high blood sugars. To make pre-germinated rice, soak the rice in warm water overnight before cooking. This causes the rice to produce tiny shoots that are invisible, but contain chemical complexes that appear to be protective against neuropathy. The fibre component of the rice is essential because ‘fibre takes a long time to digest, says Reardon, which ‘helps keep blood sugar levels steady and prevents glucose spikes.’ You can beans to your rice for an extra fibre boost.
Next, you can get 40% of your daily magnesium needs from just one cup of spinach, which will regulate your blood sugar levels and people with type 2 diabetes often have low levels of magnesium. Replace lettuce in sandwiches and salads for spinach leaves, or, if the Popeye way just isn’t the way for you, get your magnesium from nuts, beans, and low-fat dairy products. You can also keep type 2 diabetes under control with low-fat milk, as it is loaded with calcium and vitamin D – just be sure it’s non-fat or low-fat to keep your weight and intake of saturated fats under control too.
Finally, avoid foods that are high on the Glycaemic Index, which means foods that highly affect blood sugar levels. Because foods like white rice, doughnuts, soft drinks and white bread, ‘are high in carbohydrates, they can cause blood sugar levels to go up considerably,’ Reardon says. If you do want to eat some of these foods, make sure it’s always alongside a low-carb meal to keep your blood sugar in check. Also, consume saturated fats in moderation, as people with diabetes are already at a high risk of heart disease and these foods, like fatty meat and full-fat dairy, raises that risk even further. Consult a dietician or look online for more information.
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