If you have diabetes you can still have great tasty foods, just follow these 10 tips for healthy eating with diabetes and it will help you to manage your blood sugar level and diabetes.
1. Add Healthy carbohydrates to the diet. 
Carbohydrate directly affects blood sugar level and it can affect diabetes. So it is important to choose a healthy carbohydrate source when choosing a diet to maintain a blood sugar level and maintain diabetes.
We have listed down some of the healthy sources of Carbohydrate
- Whole grains, brown rice, buckwheat, & whole oats
- Pulses Ex. chickpeas, beans.
- Fruits
- Vegetables
- Unsweetened yogurt and milk.
At the same time, we need to cut down on the food which has low fiber Ex. white bread, High Processed cereals & white rice, when purchasing foods check on the label & ensure that the food contains high fiber.
2. Cut down the salt
Salt increases the amount of sodium in your blood & it affects your kidneys to reduce the ability to remove the water efficiently and it causes the risk of higher blood pressure which we can avoid easily by cutting down salt intake in our diet.
Pre-packed food contains salt, we can ensure minimum intake of salt while purchasing food by checking the label that how much the sodium or salt in that specific food product.
If you want to avoid the risk of pre-packed food then it is the best option to cook food at home and you can also experience other spices and herbs in exchange to salt, with this you will be able to explore some new flavors and most importantly you will avoid pre-packed food which can maybe affect your health.
3. Avoid red meat & processed meat.
When you plan to cut down carbohydrate in your diet you may think that you can fill up this portion with some harmful protein, like red meat & Processed meat. This source of diet can lead you to heart problems, so why we need to invite unnecessary health problem when we are already dealing with such an issue.
Try to replace the red meat & the processed meat with this following choices :
- Pulses Ex. beans & lentils
- Eggs
- Fish
- Poultry (chicken & turkey)
- Unsalted nuts
Some of this food is very high in fiber and also does not affect your blood sugar level, if you replace this with red meat & processed meat it will help you to maintain your blood sugar level and also keep you feeling full. We know fishes are a good source of protein but oily fish like salmon and mackerel are the best source of some essential oils omega-3 which is so good for a healthy heart.
4. Increase the fruits and veggies in the diet
Fruits and veggies contain some essential vitamins, minerals, and fiber which can make you healthier and fill your need for vitamins and minerals which your body needs to make you healthy. If you take fruits and veggies as snacks when you are hungry it will make you full and also you will able to complete your daily vitamins and minerals need of your body.
You might be wondering most of the fruits are sweet and you should avoid eating fruits, you should understand one thing that fruits are good for everyone and it does not make any difference if you have diabetes, fruits contain natural sugar. It is different from added sugars like(ex. Chocolate, biscuits & cake, etc.)
Fruit juice products also count in added sugar category, so whole fruits are the best choice instead of juice.
5. Add some healthy fat.
There some different type of fats, we need fat in the diet, because it gives us energy. But not every fat is good for health different type of fat affect health in different ways.
Healthy fat includes unsalted nuts, avocados, fish, seeds, olive oil etc. Some amount of saturated fats can increase cholesterol amount in your blood. And can affect your heart health.
- Red and processed meat
- Ghee
- Butter
- Lard
- Biscuits, cakes, pies, and pastries.
It is more beneficial if you can cut down oil in the cooking process and try to grill or steam or bake food instead.
6. Avoid added sugar
Cutting down sugar can be really hard or painful in the beginning but you can try to swap and begin the journey of your cutting down extra sugar in your diet.
Swap sugary drinks and energy drinks with fruit juices or milk, tea, coffee without sugar can be a good start.
You can also try or experience with low or zero calorie sweetener to help you control your blood sugar level maintain and keep your weight in control.
7. Make smart choices snacks.
If you take snacks, choose
Yogurts.
Unsalted nuts.
Fruits.
Instead of chips, biscuits, chocolate, and cakes.
8. Drink consumption sensibly
Alcohol contains high in calories, so if you do drink and you’re trying to lose weight, think about cutting back. Because it can affect your weight and health.
If you are prescribed for insulin or any other diabetes medication, you should avoid alcohol consumption with an empty stomach. Because of alcohol chances of hypos are more likely to happen.
9. So-called diabetic food.
It is against the law if one say that some foods are diabetic because there is no evidence that some foods offer you special benefits over others. They can also contain as much fat and calories and unhealthy carbs as similar products, and it can affect your blood sugar level. Sometimes this food also has a laxative effect.
10.The right source of vitamins and minerals.
There is no evidence that minerals and vitamins can help you with managing your diabetes so it is important to make sure you choose the right source food to fill your need of vitamins and minerals, try to avoid supplements, it can only worsen the condition. Because it can affect your medication and make the situation more complicated, so it is advisable that you take your essential nutrients from different types of foods.
