Healthy eating for diabetes is something that will benefit not only the diabetics but all of us. Whether or not you have diabetes, it pays to follow these proven tips on how to eat healthily.
Why Shift To Healthy Eating
Health experts recommend that both diabetics and non-diabetics alike eat a well-balanced diet. For diabetics, the emphasis is controlling blood sugar and maintaining their recommended weight.
According to the Harvard Medical School, diabetics should follow a dietary plan that controls their blood sugar for the following reasons. To:
- Prevent the complications of diabetes such as heart disease, eye damage, kidney damage, foot damage, and more.
- Avoid the effects of hypoglycemia or low blood sugar such as depression and anxiety, heart palpitation, blurred vision, and trembling.
- Maintain the proper balance between good cholesterol (HDL) and bad cholesterol (LDL).
- Make your blood pressure normal and keep it constant so as to prevent heart attack and stroke.
If you are diabetic, healthy eating is the foundation of treating and managing your condition. If you are not diabetic, healthy eating is your best natural solution to prevent diabetes and other health issues. The best diabetes cure is prevention.
ALSO READ: 4 Easy Steps To Reduce The Risk Of Developing Diabetes Type 2
Proven Tips on How to Eat Healthily
Follow these proven tips and you’ll benefit from healthy eating for diabetes:
1. Meet your nutritional requirements
In treating and managing diabetes, nutrition is critical. You need a good balance of your macronutrients (protein, carbs, fat, and fiber) and your micronutrients (vitamins and minerals).
2. Reduce your intake of animal-based food and increase your intake of plant-based food
Researchers from the Harvard School of Public Health found that increased consumption of red meat increases the risks of type 2 diabetes by as much as 50%. Plant-based foods, meanwhile, are excellent sources of both macronutrients and micronutrients. Vegetables, specifically, are high in nutrient density favorable to diabetics.
ALSO READ: Diabetes and Fruits, The Truth Revealed
3. Create your healthy plate
Divide your plate into three sections, with one section occupying half of the plate.
Fill the section that occupies half of the plate with non-starchy vegetables. Examples are kale, spinach, bok choy, broccoli, cucumber, arugula, peppers, celery, and carrots.
In one of the two smaller sections, put your whole grains and starchy vegetables such as potatoes, beans, peas, and corn.
In the remaining section, put your proteins. Most of your proteins should preferably come from plant-based food. For animal-based protein, choose high quality (organic grass-fed) lean meat cuts or fish.
CLICK HERE to learn more about the power of plant-protein
4. Develop healthy eating habits
Examples are:
- Choose natural, real, or whole food over processed, instant, fast, and junk food. Click here to learn more about a clean whole food diet.
- Choose healthier cooking methods in preparing your food. Examples of healthy methods are grilling, baking, boiling, broiling, and stir-frying. Avoid deep and pan-frying.
- Learn how to swap food ingredients. For instance, instead of adding salt to flavor your dishes use herbs and spices. Or use mashed avocado instead of mayonnaise. Here are a few food swaps to get you started:
Another great substitute for sour cream is cashew cream. To be honest, it tastes so much better than sour cream.
Your dietary habits and choices have the greatest influence on treating, managing and preventing diabetes. See to it that your diet meets your nutritional needs. Eat a variety of food that can control your blood sugar. Follow the tips so you can start to benefit from healthy eating for diabetes.
If you are serious about living a healthy lifestyle and/or losing weight to improve your health and happiness the healthy way, CLICK HERE!
Thanks for reading. I hope this information was helpful. Until next time!
Amy Goodrich
Crazy cat lady, life and food lover, certified biologist, and holistic health coach.
