6 Tips to Eating Healthy if You Have Diabetes.
Diabetes is a common condition that affects how your body uses glucose, a type of sugar. It’s caused when your pancreas doesn’t produce enough insulin, or when your cells don’t react to insulin.
Now, while some people with diabetes can manage their blood glucose levels through healthy eating and physical activity alone, others need medications or insulin injections to keep their blood glucose level in range. If you have diabetes, it’s important to know what foods are safe for you to eat and which ones aren’t. Here are 6 helpful tips on how to eat healthy if you have diabetes.
Know the basics of diabetes
If you have diabetes, it’s important to know what foods are safe for you to eat and which ones aren’t.
There are two types of diabetes: type 1 and type 2. Type 1 is typically diagnosed in childhood and type 2 is typically diagnosed in adulthood.
Type 2 diabetes is the most common form of diabetes, accounting for 90-95% of all cases. Diabetes occurs when your pancreas doesn’t produce enough insulin, or when your cells don’t react to insulin properly.
A healthy diet can help control your blood glucose levels by limiting the amount of sugar in your body. If you're diabetic, it's important to know what foods are safe for you to eat and which ones aren't. Here are 6 helpful tips on how to eat healthy if you have diabetes:
What you can eat
You can eat most fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.
It's important to know which foods you need to limit or avoid because they may affect your blood glucose levels. A few examples include:
processed foods, sodas, sweetened beverages, sugar-sweetened juices/drinks, sweets/chocolate/candy, cakes/pastries/donuts/doughnuts, ice cream/popsicles, fruit pies or tarts with heavy fillings that are high in fat or sugar.
If you're wondering about particular food items on this list (like cakes), keep in mind that it's not just the number of carbs you're eating—it's also the type of sugar in the foods. So if a food contains processed sugars or refined flour (which release their sugars relatively quickly into your bloodstream) instead of natural sugars like those found in fruit, it will still affect your blood glucose levels even though it might not be considered "high carb."
What you can’t eat
Some foods are high in calories and can be difficult for your body to process, which is why they’re not safe for people with diabetes. These include:
If you have diabetes, it’s important to know what foods are safe for you to eat. Here are 6 helpful tips on how to eat healthy if you have diabetes.
Tips on eating junk food if you have diabetes
It’s a given that you need to watch what you eat if you have diabetes. The first step is to know which foods are safe for you to eat.
Generally, your diet should consist of:
-lean protein
-whole grains and vegetables
-healthy fats such as olive, canola or peanut oils
-fruits and dairy products
Now, there are some exceptions. One of those exceptions is junk food. Junk food includes fried foods, sweets, and high fat fast food items like hamburgers and fries. Junk food is not healthy for anyone but it’s important that people with diabetes know how to safely indulge in these treats without having an effect on their blood glucose levels.
So how do we know what's ok to eat? It’s all about carbs! Foods like pasta and bread contain mostly carbohydrates (which turn into sugar when digested). You'll want to avoid these foods as much as possible as they'll affect your blood glucose levels. However, there are some things under the "junk food" category that are still safe for people with diabetes: -pizza without the crust -ice cream -chocolate bars (depending
How to maintain a healthy weight with diabetes
Weight management can be really challenging if you have diabetes. The good news is that there are ways to make weight management easier.
First, it’s important to understand why you need to maintain a healthy weight. Achieving and maintaining a healthy weight is one of the most important things for people with diabetes because it helps decrease the risk of complications like heart disease, stroke, blindness, kidney failure, and amputation.
Weight management isn’t just about looking better, it’s about feeling better too!
So how can you maintain a healthy weight? It's easier than you might think! First things first, eat regular meals throughout the day so your blood sugar level stays steady. Some studies show that eating at least five times per day may help improve diabetes control. Second, drink plenty of water to stay hydrated and avoid sweetened drinks or beverages with caffeine. Third, exercise regularly—exercise not only helps maintain your current weight but also assists in weight loss if needed! The more active you are the healthier you'll be. Fourth, sleep well; sleep deprivation can lead to insulin resistance which worsens glucose control over time. Finally, eat foods that are low in fat and high in fiber like whole
Conclusion
Diabetes is a chronic condition that affects the way your body metabolizes food. By following some basic guidelines, you can eat healthy and avoid the potential complications of diabetes. The key things to remember are understanding the basics of diabetes, knowing what you can and can’t eat, and maintaining a healthy weight. Stay tuned for more posts on how to stay healthy with diabetes!