Diet and nutrition are important parts of all our daily lives. This is even truer for those living with diabetes. Diabetics have to pay careful attention to both the kinds of foods they consume as well as the quantity and frequency with which they consume. As such, they may require stricter guidelines where their diet and nutritional needs are concerned. Below, we take a closer look at what this all entails.
Diabetic Healthy Food Tips
Diabetes is essentially a malfunctioning of the body’s ability to process and metabolize food for energy. This inadvertently results in blood sugar levels that are too high as the pancreas does not produce enough insulin or insulin not being used properly in helping the glucose (or sugar) from the food we eat get into the cells to be used as energy. In most instances, taking medication can help mitigate this situation, as well as proper dietary management by the individual who is living with diabetes. Such dietary management recommendations include:
Opt for high-fiber carbohydrates (carbs)
Due to the fact that diabetics have a problem metabolizing sugar, cutting back on carbohydrates is often recommended. This is particularly true in the case of refined carbohydrates and sugars. However, all carbohydrates are not the same. There are high-fiber non-refined options that are great for blood sugar metabolization because they convert to sugar more slowly. So, high-fiber, non-refined carbs, and green leafy vegetables are a great alternative in this regard.
Fruits in low-fiber states
While fruits in their natural states are not the same as refined, processed carbs, they do get sweeter over time as they begin to ripen. The sweeter they get, the less fiber there is and the worse it is for diabetics. In fact, the sweet taste comes from sugar breaking down the fruit making it low-fiber. As such diabetics should stay away from having too many sweet fruits in their diet. The higher fiber, low sugar variety is best.
Lots of water and lean proteins
Of course, staying away from overly fatty foods is also recommended. That, and increasing one’s intake of water and lean proteins. This will help ensure that your system stays flushed and organs operating as best as they can. Proteins help the body build muscle and healthy tissues and can aid the body in functioning at optimum levels.
Specially formulated foods
In addition to the above recommendations, there is diabetic healthy food that is created just for diabetics. These types of foods are available from a host of different food sources, including some online. As such, a simple web search can help you find exactly what it is you need.
Exercise regularly
While not directly related to food intake, the recommendation to workout is a welcomed one. Exercising regularly can help boost metabolism and result in better blood-sugar metabolization. This, will, in turn, help the diabetic healthy food individual to manage the condition.
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