Best Foods to Control Diabetes

Diabetes is when your blood sugar or glucose levels are higher than normal. It’s carbohydrate foods like rice, fruits, pasta, milk, bread, cereals, and desserts that can cause this rise.

Your eating plan should focus on the amount and type of carbs you put on your plate throughout the day.

But it’s also important to have foods you enjoy. You want to eat enough so you feel satisfied and avoid overeating and poor choices. Here are some foods that can help keep your blood sugar in check and make you happy and healthy to boot.

There’s a study suggesting that increasing your coffee (caffeinated and decaffeinated) intake by one cup a day may lower your risk of type 2 diabetes by more than 10 percent. But what you add to the coffee matters too. Avoid adding too much sugar, syrups, and milk to your coffee.

Nuts contain unsaturated fats, proteins and a range of vitamins and minerals that lower cholesterol, inflammation and insulin resistance. According to a study, you should include at least 50 grams of almonds, cashews, chestnuts, walnuts or pistachios in your daily diet to control high levels of blood fats (triglycerides) and sugars.

Accordingly, to a study done by the University College Dublin in Ireland, resistant starch found in foods such as bananas, potatoes, grains and legumes, may benefit your health by aiding blood sugar control, supporting gut health and enhancing satiety. This is a form of starch that is not digested in the small intestine and is, therefore, considered a type of dietary fibre.

Chia seeds are beneficial and high in fibre and healthy fats, omega-3s, calcium, and antioxidants. Studies have shown that high chia seed diets can help lower LDL cholesterol and triglycerides.

Chia seeds have a GI of 1 and are a great addition to recipes. The gooey texture works great as thickener in this pudding recipe from Little Broken (skip the maple syrup). Nutrition Stripped uses chia seeds and cauliflower to make a low-carb pizza crust.

Amla is the fruit of the Indian gooseberry tree and is a traditional remedy to control high blood sugar levels. It also contains a type of mineral called chromium which regulates carbohydrate metabolism and helps in making your body more responsive to insulin.

Leafy greens are high in fibre and nutrients like magnesium and vitamin A. These nutrients can help to lower blood sugar.

Eating 1.35 servings instead of .2 servings of leafy greens per day is associated with a 14 percent reduction of risk for developing type 2 diabetes.

Garlic has potential to help manage blood sugar. Reports show garlic intake can lower fasting blood glucose, which is your blood sugar level when you haven’t eaten. Similar studies also suggest that onions have positive effects on blood sugar levels