the 16 best foods to control diabetes

are you looking for how to prevent diabetes?

Diabetes, as we all know, is a metabolic disease that causes our blood sugar levels to rise. This seemingly minor disease can prove to be quite fatal if proper care and restraint are not followed. So, what is Diabetes Care you might ask? Diabetes doesn’t have a cure but you can try to control it if you are already affected by it or just try and prevent diabetes from affecting you.

Now the next question you must be thinking is how to prevent diabetes or how to control diabetes? The answer to both these question lies in our food plate. That’s right! Our food holds the key to our body’s ability to fight diabetes, prevent it from causing havoc and control our blood sugar levels.       

When you are a diabetic, navigating your way to healthy eating can be quite tricky, especially since what you eat directly reflects on your blood sugar levels. As such having a specially crafted diabetic diet can help control your diabetes and also fight any diabetes-related complications like heart diseases, kidney damage and nerve damage among others.  

As a rule of thumb, the diet for diabetes should contain plenty of fruits and green leafy vegetables and some healthy portion of protein. Nevertheless, it is still best advised that you seek your doctor’s or dietician’s help to prepare a healthy diabetic diet chart for you, to help you eat your way to good health.

Living on a diabetic diet does not mean eating only tasteless, bland food. Here is list of 16 food items that are not only good in taste but have also been found to naturally help control diabetes. You can also talk to your dietician about these food items and include it in your diabetes diet.

1. Greek Yogurt – Enjoy it in a smoothie or pair it with some berries and seeds and enjoy it as a snack, Greek yoghurt is a great way to get your daily dose of protein. This healthy substitute to regular yoghurt contains more protein and fewer carbs that help control both hunger levels and blood sugar.
2. Berries – Berries are nature’s very own dessert, so when you are craving for a sweet, simply grab some strawberries, blueberries, blackberries and raspberries and satiate your sweet craving without causing any harm to blood glucose levels. These berries are low on the glycaemic index and are considered as a superfood for diabetics.
3. Avocado – This naturally fatty fruit holds many benefit for a diabetic person. It contains a significant amount of healthy fats and dietary fibre, which can help slow carbohydrate digestion, absorption thereby preventing blood sugar spikes. So, go ahead grab your favourite avocado toast and enjoy a guilt-free delight.
4. Brown bread – You can still eat your toasts and sandwiches even on a diabetic diet. The key lies in portion control and using 100% whole wheat bread. Several studies have proven that you do not need to entirely cut carbs out of your diabetic diet, rather you can simply switch to complex carb like whole-wheat bread that is higher in vitamins, minerals and fibre than white bread.
5. Eggs – Eggs are a power-packed diabetic food that holds significant health benefits like, decrease inflammation, improve insulin sensitivity, increase good HDL cholesterol, protect good eye health and also keep you full for a long time.
6. Fatty Fish – Fatty fishes are a blessing for diabetics. Fatty fishes like salmon, tuna, mackerel, herrings, anchovies and contain a rich amount of essential Omega 3 fatty acids that prevent the risk of strokes and heart diseases that are the single deadliest complication of diabetes.
7. Nuts – Nuts are power-packed snacks that even a diabetic can enjoy. The high healthy fat content makes nuts like almonds, cashew, walnuts, pistachios, pecan, Brazil nuts, Hazelnuts and Macadamia nuts a great diabetic food, that help in lowering blood sugar and reduce insulin levels.
8. Seeds – Just like nuts, seeds too, are rich in healthy fats, protein and fibre. Nearly all the types of seeds – pumpkin, flax, chia, sunflower and sesame work wonders in keeping the blood sugar level low and fight off heart diseases. 
9. Shirataki Noodles – That’s right now you can have your noodles and eat them too, well shirataki noodles to be exact. Made out of Glucomannan flour shirataki noodles are a wonder food for diabetics. The glucomannan flour helps lower blood sugar levels and also delays stomach emptying thus preventing post-meal blood glucose spike.
10. Dark Chocolates – Diabetes and chocolates? Yes, that’s right now you can give in to your sweet cravings and enjoy a piece or two of dark chocolate, without spiking your blood sugar. Dark chocolates having 70% cacao are rich in antioxidants and help fight inflammation.
11. Leafy Vegetables – Leafy vegetables are packed with essential vitamins, minerals and nutrients and as such forms a crucial part of the diabetic diet. Leafy vegetables good for diabetes include spinach, collard greens, cabbage, kale, bok choy and broccoli among others.
12. Beans – Beans are an excellent source of plant-based protein, besides that beans are also packed with various nutrients like iron, potassium and magnesium. Beans are also complex carbs and thus take time to digest and thus controls post-meal blood glucose spike.  
13. Citrus Fruits – Citrus fruits are a great diabetic food which offers you varied vitamins and minerals minus the carbs. Citrus fruits like oranges, grapefruit and lemon have been found to have an anti-diabetic effect and as such is a great addition to your diabetic diet.
14. Peanut Butter – Peanut butter adds that little amount of fats to your food for added satiety. This extra amount of fat slows down the digestion so you feel full for a longer time and thus prevent extra consumption of carbs. Here too the key lies in portion control. 
15. Quinoa – Quinoa is rich in fibre and protein that help control blood sugar levels. And with so many amazing quinoa recipes available on the net, quinoa sure makes a tasty addition to a diabetic diet.  
16. Lean Meat – Lean meat like chicken breast is great for keeping your blood sugar levels under control while keeping you satisfied. The versatility of this ingredient makes it an essential addition to a diabetic diet

To enjoy the benefits of any of the food be diligent with your food practise and strictly adhere to your diabetic diet to enjoy a healthful life ahead.