Reversing diabetes is today’s first health issue that the medical world fights with.
It is estimated that approximately 29 million Americans have it. 8 million of these people are not even aware that they have it.
Another survey shows that another 86 million Americans are estimated to have prediabetes.
Having it means that the blood sugar is elevated and you have the predisposition for type 2 diabetes (T2D).
Both conditions expose you to the risk of having heart disease and stroke.
While there is no magic food yet that can prevent type 2 diabetes, there are wise food choices that can help avoid getting the disease or to ease it.
Take a look at which are they and how they help.
What is the best diet for a diabetic?
Most importantly, even if you have been diagnosed with prediabetes or T2D, the next foods might still help you control your blood sugar levels and prevent the disease.
1. Fiber-rich foods
Experts recommend 25 to 50 grams of fiber a day for diabetics. These numbers are slightly lower than what most Americans consume daily.
Fibers are important to keep blood sugar levels low and help to decrease the spikes caused by other carbs.
What foods are high in fiber for diabetics?
In order for you to reach your fiber quota, you need to consume foods such as brown rice, oats barley, beans, and veggies. Beans help regulate blood glucose and insulin levels.
These foods also help to prevent diabetes or minimize its effect on those people who have been diagnosed with the disease.
Beans and cholesterol
Another advantage of beans is the fact that it helps to lower cholesterol levels and offer anti-oxidant properties.
When you combine protein and whole grains, they add a lot of bulk to the meal without adding extra calories.
2. Cinnamon lowers blood sugar
The spice cabinet can come handy.
According to research done by the University of Georgia, some of the commonly used spices and dry herbs may help to block the inflammation believed to cause diabetes, and other dangerous diseases.
Research also showed that ground cloves had the most inflammation-calming polyphenols followed by cinnamon.
Cinnamon came second compared to ground clove. It is used more frequently in cooking and baking.
Taking cinnamon supplement
This means that it has a higher chance to positively affect health.
So much has been documented about the benefits of cinnamon in lowering blood sugar that many diabetes patients now take it as a supplement.
Do you have T2D and are afraid that your blood sugar levers will dangerously drop? Check how to treat hypoglycemia fast and safely.
Use spices to replace salt
The other reason why you need to use spices is the fact that they are an excellent substitute for sodium, which is a prime culprit in raising blood pressure that often leads to heart attack and stroke.
Therefore, cutting down on the sodium is also a great idea.
3. Brown rice vs white rice
Has anyone ever told you that whole grains are much healthier than processed carbs when it comes to preventing and managing type 2 diabetes?
According to research done on 200,000 people, it was found out that by replacing just one-third of a daily serving of white rice with brown rice, you will lower the risk of getting the disease by 16%.
When you continue taking other whole grains such as whole wheat and barley, you might even lower the risk further by up to 36%.
Other studies indicate that brown rice can help control blood sugar and insulin levels better than white rice.
Even more benefits of whole grains
Furthermore, other research indicates that whole grains such as brown rice and barley have more minerals, vitamins, and fiber than refined grains.
One of the compounds that help rice grow can help reduce nerve and blood vessel damage from existing diabetes. You need to soak dry rice in water overnight in order to awaken these compounds.
4. Is virgin coconut oil good for diabetics?
Coconut oil, unlike other oil, has a special structure that makes it unique and is a great diabetes destroyer.
Olive oil, sunflower oil, and safflower oil are all built from a long chain of fatty acids.
These long chains are either deposited in the blood vessels as cholesterol or sometimes stored as fat around the waist, buttocks, or the thighs.
Does coconut oil spike insulin?
On the other hand, when it comes to coconut oil, its medium-chain fatty acids are immediately made available as energy.
The smaller easily absorbed medium-chain molecules supply the cells with essential fatty acids without glucose, and without inhibiting the production of insulin.
This way, it will help to prevent getting diabetes.
Benefits of coconut oil
Coconut oil is also reported to have anti-fungal, antioxidant, and antibacterial properties. Most of them are not used to have an effect on the flavor of food.
Therefore, you can always swap other oils for coconut oil in most recipes.
Most importantly, ensure that you only buy organic virgin coconut oil in order to maximize your health benefits.
5. Can diabetics eat almonds and walnuts?
Research shows that almonds and walnuts prevent diabetes by regulating blood glucose.
According to the research which was published in the journal of nutrition, eating almonds before a meal helps to regulate blood sugar levels.
What this means is that it helps to lower the risk of diabetes together with helping to control the disorder.
Do walnuts spike insulin?
According to a study done in 2009, those diabetic that had included walnuts in their diet had improved their insulin levels.
Apart from helping reversing diabetes, walnuts alter blood lipid chemistry and thus reducing the risk of coronary disease and heart attacks.
6. Is green tea good for diabetes?
Studies indicate that chronic inflammation caused by a lack of exercise, eating too little of fruits, good fats and vegetables, and high-fat foods can increase your vulnerability to a heart attack.
It can also reduce the body’s ability to absorb blood sugar.
Green tea is packed with flavonoids which are powerful inflammation fighters. You can decide to have a cup of green tea everyday and see what change it is going to bring to your health.
Make a diabetic diet plan!
Make a type 2 diabetes diet plan with the help of my foods list and tips and you should normalize that blood sugar in no time.
Apart from the diet, there are things that you can do to help to reverse the disease.
One such thing is changing your daily routine. Instead of stopping for a fat-filled latte on your way to work, you can now have a cup of green tea with low-fat milk and a low-fat granola bar.
This is yet just another simple way of you being diabetes free person.
