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Choosing a Diet for Diabetes

Choosing a Diet for Diabetes: If you are suffering from diabetes it is important to chart out a specific diabetes diet plan to ensure that your blood sugar levels are kept under control and you do not suffer from any further complications. No two individuals suffering from diabetes are the same thus it is advisable to consult a well reputed dietician or a nutritionist to chart out this diet plan for diabetes.

Here are some tips that can help you chart out a diabetic diet plan according to your requirements.

Eat Less of Salt:

For those who are suffering from diabetes it is best if you can bring down your consumption of salt. This needs to be only 1 teaspoonful (6mg) of salt. Most of the food which is pre-packaged contains salt so make sure you do not add any extra. You can check out the labels before you buy any pre-packaged food and buy the one with less salt. Salt is first on the list when you talk about what foods to avoid when you are suffering from diabetes.

For additional flavor you can try different spices and herbs instead of salt. This not only increases complications with diabetes but can also lead to heart problems and increase your blood pressure.

Intake of Healthy Carbohydrates:

All the types of carbs tend to affect the blood sugar. It is thus, wiser, to make a choice of healthy foods and take small portions of food. Some of the healthy sources of carbs include vegetables, fruits, whole grains like whole oats, buck wheat, dairy like milk and unsweetened yogurt and also pulses like lentils, beans and chick peas.

Choosing Healthy Fats:

Fats are considered as an ‘essential’ requirement for all of us as this provides us with the energy we need. You need to decide on healthy fats when making a diet chart for diabetes. Healthy fats include seeds, avocados, unsalted nuts, olive oil, oily fish and more. There are certain types of saturated fats which tend to increase the cholesterol and thus, increase the risk of heart problems. These are processed meat, butter, ghee, lard cakes, pastries and biscuits. These can be in the list of foods which need to be avoided in diabetes.

Intake of Vegetables and Fruits:

You can plan on eating fruits and vegetables even for the in-between snacks you so desire. This means, besides increasing your intake during meal times, fruits and vegetables can be had even as snacks. Though fruits contain sugar, this does not cause any harm as these sugars are natural sugars.

Citrus Fruits:

Research has proved that intake of citrus fruits have ‘anti-diabetic’ effect which means, it is advisable to include these in your daily diet. This is one way in which you can get all the required minerals and vitamins without any carbohydrates.

To summarize, diabetes can be kept well in control with the right type of foods. You also need to make specific life-style changes so that this disease does not cause any complications for your health.