What are the Best Foods
for People with Diabetes? (Part 2)
Scientific studies and medical research have documented
the positive benefits to be gained for diabetics from
eating the following foods. For the first part of
this article, check out
What
are the Best Foods for Diabetics to Eat? (Part 1)
Apples
– Apples are a surprisingly healthy, relatively low glycemic fruit when
eaten with the skin and may help with weight loss. A recent scientific
study found that women who ate three whole apples a day (with skins),
lost 24% more weight on the same diet than the control group.
It’s best to eat
organically grown apples when possible because the skin of a
commercially raised apple is a “pesticide heaven”. If you have to eat
non-organic apples, be sure to peel them. By doing so you will lose
part of the nutrients and fiber, but the skin holds most of the
pesticide residues. Commercial apples also often are waxed, so you
don’t really want to add synthetic wax to your diet.
Blueberries –
Newest scientific research
on blueberries has uncovered an exciting substance called pterostilbene,
which is similar to resveratrol, and was shown to control blood sugar
in studies done on test animals. In addition, blueberries are very
high in phytochemicals, which can prevent oxidation of fatty acids in
your bloodstream. An added benefit; pterostilbene may help to prevent
cancer, while protecting your cardiovascular system.
If you’re
diabetic, it would be good to eat 4 ounces of blueberries daily. The
best blueberries are wild ones; according to nutritional studies, they
are about twice as high in antioxidants as domestically raised ones.
You can find frozen wild blueberries in your health food store and some
markets.
Strawberries –
Strawberries have a chemical
called fisetin, which, according to a Salk Institute study, helps to
prevent inflammation and some complications of diabetes. Fisetin is a
flavonoid, which can also help prevent oxygen damage to cells and
strengthen blood vessel walls.
In a study done on
diabetic mice, the untreated subjects showed typical deterioration from
diabetes types 1 and 2 including kidney disease and increased blood
sugar. The treated mice remained diabetic but kidney damage was
reduced and high urine protein levels decreased. In addition, advanced
glycation end products or AGE’s (characteristic of diabetes and chronic
high blood glucose levels) were reduced.
Researchers
believe that high levels of AGE’s cause most of the complications of
diabetes. High AGE’s are also associated with inflammation and
possibly cancer. Unfortunately, strawberries are also sprayed a lot
with herbicides and pesticides, so organically grown are best.
Soy foods
-
such as tofu, edamame (green soybeans) and cooked dried soybeans – All
soy foods are high in protein and lower in carbs than any other bean
although they do have more fat than some veggies. This makes them very
healthy choices for diabetics. When choosing the form of soy to add to
your diet, green soybeans (edamame) are the healthiest. Avoid TVP (texturized
vegetable protein), which has been stripped of it’s nutrients.
Cinnamon
– In a study done at a university in Pakistan, researchers found that ¼
tsp of cinnamon a day not only reduced blood sugar levels, but also
lowered cholesterol and triglycerides in diabetics. Easy ways to use
cinnamon are to put it on your cereal in the morning or put it in with
your tea or coffee. If you do the latter, you have to stir it
well to get
it to dissolve. Large amounts of cinnamon (over a teaspoon per
day) might be toxic, so it's best to limit your consumption.
Whey Protein
Powder – For people with
type 2 diabetes, new scientific studies have shown that adding whey to
high-carbohydrate meals stimulates insulin release and reduces spikes
in blood glucose levels after meals.
A popular supplement
for weight lifters, you can buy
whey powder at many health food stores
and online. New studies show that whey may improve immune
response. For an idea about how to add whey to your diet, try this
diabetic meal replacement recipe.
You can also add it to any beverage or put it on cereal.
High ORAC foods
– The USDA developed this measurement to identify foods with the
highest amounts of various valuable antioxidants and phytochemicals.
In addition, many of these foods are high in fiber, which helps buffer
entry of glucose into the blood. If you have diabetes, you need more
antioxidants to offset the aging effects of high blood glucose levels.
Here is a list of
these foods in order with the highest ORAC first and the lower ORAC
last (remember, raw is best for fruits, cooking destroys nutrients).
Fruits: wild blueberry, blueberry (cultivated), cranberry,
blackberry, prune, raspberry, strawberry, apple, cherry, plum -
Vegetables: Small Red Bean, Red kidney bean, pinto bean, artichoke
hearts, black beans
Seaweed
– Seaweed can keep you young and perhaps prevent cancer. It is one of
the most nutrient dense foods, but one that is often overlooked in the
US and it's a great source of iodine. The easiest way to add seaweed to your diet is to add some to your
soup just before serving, or sprinkle seaweed bits over a salad.
Don't substitute kelp powder unless you want a large dose of iodine.
What are
the Best Foods for Diabetics to Eat (Part 1)?
 Custom
Search
|
