Have the disease, or simply want to lose weight? The following foods can help:
• Whole grains: Not all carbohydrates are bad. Foods made with whole grains, such as whole-wheat bread and brown rice, are sources of filling fibre (aiding weight loss, which can reduce your diabetes risk) and nutrients such as potassium, which helps the pancreas release insulin, the hormone that helps your cells use glucose for energy.
• Fish, eggs, poultry: These foods (poultry without the skin) are fair game in a diabetes-friendly diet. Why? Because they’re high in protein (result: full stomach); but typically low in fat (result: better weight management). Fatty fish also contains omega-3 fatty acids, which cut down on cardiovascular problems that can accompany diabetes.
• Fruits: Although they do contain sugar, the rate at which it enters the bloodstream is slowed by fibre. Fruits with a red, blue or purple hue might be particularly beneficial, because they’re loaded with anthocyanins, compounds that heighten your body’s sensitivity to insulin.
• Nuts and seeds: Craving a snack? Grab a handful of nuts. Even though they’re high in calories, they’re also packed with filling protein and healthy fat that can help keep your weight in check. If you’re a fan of walnuts, you’re especially in luck, because their high level of polyunsaturated fatty acids improves the body’s sensitivity to insulin.
• Green leafy vegetables: Pretty much everyone, with or without diabetes, should eat a lot of veggies, ideally at least three servings per day; and green leafy types, including spinach, kale and romaine should top the list. They have high fibre and water content that satiates your appetite on fewer calories, and they’re an important source of magnesium, which improves the body’s ability to turn glucose into energy and keep your metabolism humming (a process that is impaired in people with diabetes).
Source: All You Magazine(Punch)
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