Diabetes Management – Foods That Can Help Lower Your Blood Sugar
Diabetes Management
Your diet and lifestyle are important aspects of diabetes management and treatment. The food you eat on a day to day basis has a direct impact on your blood sugar levels. For instance, high carb foods raise your blood sugar levels. The digestive system breaks down the digestible ones into sugar, which enters the blood. Complex carbohydrates like whole grains take longer to digest. While simple carbs like white flour and refined sugar may cause sudden spikes in your blood sugar levels.
Diabetics tend to have high blood sugar levels due to the inefficiency of insulin, a hormone secreted by the pancreas, to control them.
The Best Natural Food Combination For Good Health
Given below are 7 foods that can help in Diabetes Management:
7 Foods Which Helps In Diabetes Management
Barley
It helps to control Type 2 diabetes. Its grain has all the essential vitamins and minerals, particularly beta-glucan soluble fiber that slows down glucose absorption. A study has proved that insulin-resistant men who consumed barley beta-glucan soluble fiber had significantly reduced glucose and insulin levels as compared to other test subjects.
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Bananas
They are rich in a fiber called pectin, which gives the flesh its structural form. Unripe bananas contain resistant starch, which acts like soluble fiber and escapes digestion. Both pectin and resistant starch may moderate blood sugar levels after meals, and reduce appetite by slowing stomach emptying.
Furthermore, bananas also rank low to medium on the glycemic index, which is a measure of how quickly foods increase blood sugar levels. The glycemic value of unripe bananas is about 30, while ripe bananas rank at about 60. The average value of all bananas is 51.
This means that bananas should not cause major spikes in blood sugar levels in healthy individuals. However, this may not apply to diabetics, which should probably avoid eating lots of well-ripened bananas and monitor their blood sugars carefully when they do.
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Nuts
According to a study, two servings of nuts a day is helpful in fighting against cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and cancer. Replacing animal fats and proteins with the mono-and polyunsaturated fats found in cashews is an excellent way to manage your weight and reduce the build-up of fat and cholesterol in the heart. It also helps to lower your blood pressure with the help of magnesium present in them.
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Bitter Gourd
It contains an insulin-like compound called Polypeptide-p or p-insulin which has been shown to control diabetes naturally. A study conducted gives evidence that consumption of bitter gourd tends to increase the uptake of glucose and improves glycemic control.
The two essential compounds called momordin and charatin in fresh bitter guard juice can play a key role in reducing the blood sugar levels. It can have an influential role in glucose metabolism all over the body.
Bitter gourd juice can act as a natural blood purifier. As bitter gourd is known for the presence of iron, it can help with the treatment of anaemia.
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Fenugreek Seeds
A teaspoon of fenugreek seeds, turmeric powder and amla powder in equal quantities with warm water thrice a day to control high blood sugar levels. You could consume one to two teaspoons of fenugreek seeds soaked in water every morning but those who are on insulin therapy should consult their doctor before doing so.
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Chia Seeds
The high fiber content keeps you feeling full and satiated; you therefore tend to eat less. It is also an excellent appetite suppressant. The fiber in chia slows down the conversion of carbohydrates to sugar, and the conversion of sugar to fat. This provides benefits to both dieters and diabetics, because it helps your blood sugar level become stabilized, making your insulin more efficient at doing its job.
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Amla
It assists the body in the proper absorption of insulin, thus reducing blood sugar levels. Because of this, it is invaluable for people afflicted with diabetes and should be a part of their daily diet.
Amla is the fruit of the Indian gooseberry tree and is a traditional remedy to control high blood sugar levels. It also contains a type of mineral called chromium which regulates carbohydrate metabolism and helps in making your body more responsive to insulin.
