1. Choose Some Healthier Carbs
First and foremost, you want to look for healthier carbohydrates to add to your diet. You not only need to know which foods have carbohydrates but also which ones have healthier carbs. Not all carbohydrates are created equal. Here are some of the healthier options for carbohydrates as a diabetic.
Healthier Options For Carbs:
- Wholegrains
- These are healthy because they aren’t going to cause a sudden spike in your blood sugar levels. These include brown rice, whole oats, and even buckwheat.
- Vegetables
- It’s always a good idea to add some whole vegetables to your diet. They don’t break down nearly as fast as fruits.
- Chickpeas, lentils, and beans
- All of these are good sources of healthy carbs and protein.
- Cut down on empty calories and low fibre foods
You want to try to minimise your intake of carbohydrates that are deemed mostly empty calories and that don’t have a lot of fibre. Fibre can slow the absorption and help to keep the carbohydrates from impacting blood sugar too much. Diebetes can cause cause problems with your eyesight, it might be worth you checking out Chris McCausland eyesight to give you awareness of what to look out for in regards to the eyesight with diabetes.
2. Reduce Salt Intake
A key thing that you should be doing when you want to eat healthier is to consume less salt. Unfortunately, consuming too much salt can lead to even higher blood pressure. This is a big issue for those with already high blood pressure. This can effectively increase your risk of developing both heart disease and having a stroke. This is something to be avoided if you suffer from diabetes because you’re already at a higher risk factor for all of these serious conditions.
Because of this, it’s best to limit your salt intake to a max of 6 grams of salt per day. The majority of foods you find on the shelves that are processed and pre-packaged contain a lot of salt. Therefore, you’ll want to look at the salt content before buying. A good way to limit the amount of salt you get in your diet is by preparing and cooking meals yourself. This can help you control how much salt is in your diet. Likewise, you can substitute salt for other herbs and spices to keep your food from being bland.
3. Reduce Meat Intake
Another key thing you’ll want to do when you are looking to improve your diet has to be eating less meat. This is a great way to get yourself healthier in general. If you’re already getting rid of a lot of bad carbs, you’ll need to replace those calories with something else. This could cause you to eat more meat. Instead of doing this, try to swap out the excess meat with other healthier nutrient-dense foods. Here is a good list to get you started.
Swap Out Meat For:
- Whole eggs
- Eggs can be a great source of all kinds of nutrients including protein.
- Fish
- Fish is a good source of healthy fats that are essential to your general health.
- Poultry
- If you are going to consume more meat, try to avoid red meat. Instead, try to incorporate more chicken into your diet.
- Unsalted Nuts
- Getting a handful of unsalted nuts every day can do wonders for your diet and health.
4. Eat More Vegetables and Fruit
While it’s common knowledge that fruit and vegetables is good for you, it’s important to take in a wide range of nutrients. If you ever feel the need to snack during the day, reaching for whole vegetables or fruits can do wonders for you. Not only will you avoid eating processed junk food, but you’ll get more healthy nutrients in your diet. This includes fibre which can play a big role in keeping your blood sugar levels under control.
A lot of people that suffer from diabetes think they should be avoiding fruit because it contains sugar. While it doesn’t, it’s not the same as eating refined sugar. Fruit contains fructose which doesn’t spike blood sugar levels the same. Also, fruit generally has a good amount of fibre content which can keep your blood sugar levels from spiking too much.
5. Eat More Fat
While it may sound like something you’ll want to avoid, fat can be good for you. You simply need to find foods that contain healthy fats. There are plenty of foods with healthy fats. These include olive oil, eggs, fish, nuts, seeds, and more. The key is staying away from saturated fats. These are the fats that can clog your arteries and put you at an increased risk for a stroke or heart attack.