A proper diet is essential for diabetics to avoid fluctuations in blood sugar levels that can lead to dangerous, potentially life-threatening effects of the disease. The best foods for diabetics are not only healthy, but can also be easily found.
What’s more, the best foods for diabetics are also good for everyone. Eating a diabetes diet, known as medical nutrition therapy, can help manage your weight, a necessity for diabetics and a way to shed pounds for anyone who wants to decrease the risk of
developing diabetes, the Mayo Clinic reported.
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Here are some of the 10 best foods for diabetics:
1. Fruits, including apples, pears, peaches, berries, bananas, and mangoes, make excellent replacements for sugary treats. Mayo said many of them fall into the "healthy carbohydrates" category, which category that makes calories count.
2. Vegetables that are non-starchy contain carbohydrates and high fiber. Choose raw or lightly steamed veggies over vegetables that are cooked and lose their nutrients.
3. Sweet potatoes, yams, winter squash, and cauliflower mash make healthy substitutes for mashed potatoes or fries, which can cause weight gain and damage
heart health, HelpGuide.org reported.
4. High-fiber breakfast cereal instead of sugary cereals help to keep glucose levels under control.
5. Whole grains include whole-grain breads and whole-grain pasta. These foods give you a full feeling and provide you with the nutrients that are lost in refined grains. "Eat grains in the least-processed state possible: 'unbroken,' such as whole-kernel bread, brown rice, and whole barley, millet, and wheat berries; or traditionally processed, such as stone-ground bread, natural granola or muesli breakfast cereals," HelpGuide said.
6. Legumes, such as beans, peas, and lentils, contain healthy carbohydrates, which help break down glucose
7. Brown rice or whole barley should be used instead of white rice.
8. Low-fat dairy products provide necessary protein without too much fat. Choose low-fat milk or yogurt.
9. Fish with omega-3 fatty acids include tuna, mackerel, salmon, bluefish, and sardines. Omega-3s help to lower triglycerides, fats in the blood that can lead to heart disease, Mayo said. Fish generally have low saturated fat and cholesterol, making a good substitute for meat or poultry.
10. Healthy fats are monounsaturated or polyunsaturated fats instead of unhealthy saturated fats that can clog arteries. Healthy fats are found in almonds, pecans, walnuts, olives, avocados, and olive, canola and peanut oils.
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