It is important for one who has been diagnosed with diabetes to learn which food items make good diabetic foods to eat. This is because diabetes is a medical condition intimately tied to one’s blood glucose levels, and eating the best diabetic foods can help keep blood glucose fluctuations to a minimum.
The right diabetic foods to eat are ultimately those that keep calorie intake at reasonable levels for a healthy diet. They are also the ones that are low in fat and sugar content. Thus, a diabetic is advised to pay special attention to carbohydrate and fat intake and to cooking methods. This is not to say that one should go on some fad diet that promises drastic weight loss in a brief period. Such a diet would simply exacerbate a diabetic’s condition. Instead, one should make intelligent food choices. Such choices involve switching highly-refined cereals with wholegrain cereals. Eating wholegrain cereal-based foods makes it possible for one to eat foods that allow the slow release of glucose into the bloodstream. This makes it possible to fuel the body for long stretches of time without triggering diabetic crises.
Other obvious choices for diabetic foods to eat include fresh fruits and vegetables. However, because fruits tend to contain natural sugars, care must be taken in their choice to minimize sudden rises in blood sugar levels upon consumption. The ideal fruits are those that are high in fiber content and low in the natural sugars of glucose and sucrose. Thus, berries of all sorts and fruits such as apples, pears, peaches and mangoes are fair game. Lean meats are a good source of protein, and so are plant-based protein foods such as lentils and beans.
Diabetic Foods to Avoid
It is not enough to talk about what the right diabetic foods to eat are. To ensure that all the bases are covered, every diabetic must also ask himself or herself “What foods should a diabetic avoid?” This way, he or she can avoid making the kinds of dietary mistakes that would have negative health consequences.
The list of foods to avoid as a diabetic obviously includes foods that are high in sugar content. Refined sugar is number one on this list. The diabetic should either reduce sugar intake or eliminate it altogether. Some are able to do this by using the appropriate sugar substitutes. Yet others simply eliminate it from their diets without substituting it with something else. The second route is more challenging to follow and sustain. Hence, each individual diabetic should choose for himself or herself the route that meets his or her health goals and is realistically attainable.
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