Dealing with diabetes can be a struggle, the biggest one being to eliminate and stop the consumption of food items you love. This becomes especially difficult if you have a sweet tooth or a special liking for a certain type of food that you should be avoiding.
However, dealing with diabetes doesn’t have to be as difficult as it’s made out to be today. No one has to entirely give up on their favorite food items. It is all about healthy eating, moderation, and consuming the right sort of food to tackle the condition. In this blog post, that’s exactly what we will be trying to help you out with.
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Health starts at home
This should go without saying, but you have to lower your consumption of packaged and processed foods. They come loaded with sodium, sugar, and preservatives that are detrimental to a diabetic's health. The biggest advantage you can give yourself is to switch to home-cooked meals 70-80% of the time. Aim to eat at least two home-cooked meals a day. When your meals are home-cooked, not only are they fresh, but their nutritional value is much higher than packaged and processed foods. When home-cooked meals are made mindfully - the ingredients used are measured and the meal is balanced. This goes a long way in reducing sugar levels.
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Whole grains over refined carbs
Omitting carbs can be especially torturous if you are a fan of foods like pasta, pizzas, and burgers. But the good news is that you don’t have to do any of that. Carbs aren’t your enemy, refined carbs are. Hence, that is the switch you need to make. Instead of refined carbs, choose goods prepared from whole grains like whole-wheat flour, brown rice, oats, etc. Start small, and try to do better every day. Make little switches like swapping white rice with brown rice, and white bread with brown bread. You can also find healthy kinds of pasta and burger options out there. Following the little changes, you broaden your horizon without entirely compromising on your tastebuds. Real progress is created in small steps.
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Nuts and oil-seeds over packaged snacks
Packaged snacks like chips and cookies are a tempting option but, not all that glitters is gold. Sometimes it's plastic waste floating around on an otherwise beautiful beach. Packaged goods seem like such an easy option. They’re cheap, convenient, and taste great. But they’re jammed with added sugars, salts, and preservatives, and can worsen diabetes if consumed regularly. A wonderful alternative could be switching to nuts and making a trail mix for yourself whenever you feel like snacking. A handful of nuts carry way more nutritional value than those empty calories you’d have otherwise consumed. Packed with good fats, protein, and antioxidants, they will surely satiate your hunger pangs.
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Fruits and natural sweeteners over refined sugar
Diabetes is most unpleasant to people who’ve got a sweet tooth, along with a taste for other savories. Sugar is one item that should be avoided as much as possible. But, the good news is that you don’t have to give it up entirely. The best alternative to refined sugar is any fruit of your liking or sugar alternatives. But w In case you’ve got a craving for a particular food item, natural sweeteners like honey and maple syrup are always an option. However, we’d still advise you to consume it in moderation as it can increase your blood sugar if consumed too often.
Tackling diabetes is never easy but we hope this blog has helped you understand that you don’t need to entirely give up on your sweet tooth or the foods you love.