Five Great Foods for Diabetes : Diabetics must know
It’s one disease that can never be cured, and as long as you live with it, you have to constantly worry about the complications and consequences if you don’t adopt a healthy and active lifestyle. Diabetes could affect anyone who is not disciplined and who eats just about anything, is subject to a great deal of stress, overweight and/or leads a sedentary lifestyle. Some people are unlucky enough to be born with genes that are cursed with this disease, and for them, they have to learn to manage diabetes at an early age. One way to do this is by eating the right kinds of food, and a few such edibles are:
* Bitter Melon: Mostly found in India and other tropical climates, this vegetable is one bitter pill that is sweet news for diabetics. Its natural bitter taste helps in controlling blood sugar levels. It can be eaten as a vegetable, imbibed as juice, or mixed with water as a powder. While not everyone’s cup of tea, there’s no doubt that the bitter gourd (as it is more popularly known) and its many variants are natural ways to control diabetes.
* Garlic: Rich in potassium, zinc and sulfur, garlic is a natural wonder drug for diabetics. It helps replace minerals lost through urination and also lowers blood sugar levels because zinc and sulfur act as natural insulin (they are components of insulin).
* Oats: A breakfast of oatmeal with no sweeteners added is one that is filling and nutritional because of the soluble fiber in this food grain. It slows down the rate at which sugar is absorbed by your blood and also helps to bring down your bad cholesterol levels.
* Green tea: When you’re a diabetic, caffeine is just what the doctor orders you to stay away from. Milk is also not a good beverage because it causes mucus. So without tea and coffee, your best bet for a refreshing drink is green tea. It is rich in antioxidants that help repair and build cells and boost your immune system. So sip a warm cup of green tea every morning and evening to manage your diabetes.
* Apples: An apple a day keeps more than just the doctor away when you’re a diabetic – in fact, apples make great, low calorie snacks that are nutritious too. They fill your stomach, they’re not too sweet, and they meet the needs of a diabetic who has to eat small meals more often instead of relying on three large meals each day. Apples contain pectin which decreases your body’s need for insulin. And if you’re tired of munching apples, try juicing one without any additives like milk or sugar.
In general, doctors recommend that diabetics go easy on foods that are high in salt, sugar, fat and processed grain. It’s easy to remember this diet and follow it if you avoid all things that are white – salt, sugar, flour, butter, milk, and the like. When you’re a diabetic, you must eat to live, not live to watch diabetes eat away at your life.
This article is guest posted by Shannon Wills, who writes on on the topic of Physical Therapy Assistant Schools
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by on 11. Jan, 2010 in diabetes diet, diabetes nutrition, diabetic guest posts
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