Nutrient-rich meals for diabetics -
Be sure to drink water before, during, and after exercise to stay well hydrated. The following are some other tips for safe physical activity when you have diabetes. Talk with your health care team before you start a new physical activity routine, especially if you have other health problems.
Your health care team will tell you a target range for your blood glucose level and suggest how you can be active safely. Your health care team also can help you decide the best time of day for you to do physical activity based on your daily schedule, meal plan, and diabetes medicines.
Because physical activity lowers your blood glucose, you should protect yourself against low blood glucose levels, also called hypoglycemia.
You are most likely to have hypoglycemia if you take insulin or certain other diabetes medicines, such as a sulfonylurea. Hypoglycemia also can occur after a long intense workout or if you have skipped a meal before being active. Hypoglycemia can happen during or up to 24 hours after physical activity.
Planning is key to preventing hypoglycemia. For instance, if you take insulin, your health care provider might suggest you take less insulin or eat a small snack with carbohydrates before, during, or after physical activity, especially intense activity.
You may need to check your blood glucose level before, during, and right after you are physically active. People with diabetes may have problems with their feet because of poor blood flow and nerve damage that can result from high blood glucose levels.
To help prevent foot problems, you should wear comfortable, supportive shoes and take care of your feet before, during, and after physical activity. Most kinds of physical activity can help you take care of your diabetes. Certain activities may be unsafe for some people, such as those with low vision or nerve damage to their feet.
Ask your health care team what physical activities are safe for you. Many people choose walking with friends or family members for their activity. Doing different types of physical activity each week will give you the most health benefits.
Mixing it up also helps reduce boredom and lower your chance of getting hurt. Try these options for physical activity. If you have been inactive or you are trying a new activity, start slowly, with 5 to 10 minutes a day.
Then add a little more time each week. Increase daily activity by spending less time in front of a TV or other screen. Try these simple ways to add physical activities in your life each day:. If you are sitting for a long time, such as working at a desk or watching TV, do some light activity for 3 minutes or more every half hour.
Aerobic exercise is activity that makes your heart beat faster and makes you breathe harder. You should aim for doing aerobic exercise for 30 minutes a day most days of the week. You do not have to do all the activity at one time. You can split up these minutes into a few times throughout the day.
Talk with your health care team about how to warm up and cool down before and after you exercise. Strength training is a light or moderate physical activity that builds muscle and helps keep your bones healthy.
Strength training is important for both men and women. Burning more calories can help you lose and keep off extra weight.
You can do strength training with hand weights, elastic bands, or weight machines. Try to do strength training two to three times a week. Start with a light weight.
Slowly increase the size of your weights as your muscles become stronger. Stretching exercises are light or moderate physical activity. When you stretch, you increase your flexibility, lower your stress, and help prevent sore muscles. You can choose from many types of stretching exercises.
Yoga is a type of stretching that focuses on your breathing and helps you relax. Even if you have problems moving or balancing, certain types of yoga can help. For instance, chair yoga has stretches you can do when sitting in a chair or holding onto a chair while standing.
Your health care team can suggest whether yoga is right for you. This content is provided as a service of the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases NIDDK , part of the National Institutes of Health. NIDDK translates and disseminates research findings to increase knowledge and understanding about health and disease among patients, health professionals, and the public.
Content produced by NIDDK is carefully reviewed by NIDDK scientists and other experts. English English Español. Diabetes Overview What Is Diabetes? Show child pages. Risk Factors for Type 2 Diabetes Show child pages.
Preventing Type 2 Diabetes Show child pages. Managing Diabetes Show child pages. Preventing Diabetes Problems Show child pages. In this section: What foods can I eat if I have diabetes? What foods and drinks should I limit if I have diabetes? When should I eat if I have diabetes?
How much can I eat if I have diabetes? What is medical nutrition therapy? Will supplements and vitamins help my diabetes? Why should I be physically active if I have diabetes? How can I be physically active safely if I have diabetes? What physical activities should I do if I have diabetes?
Eating well and being physically active most days of the week can help you keep your blood glucose level, blood pressure, and cholesterol in your target ranges lose weight or stay at a healthy weight prevent or delay diabetes problems feel good and have more energy What foods can I eat if I have diabetes?
The food groups are vegetables nonstarchy: includes broccoli, carrots, greens, peppers, and tomatoes starchy: includes potatoes, corn, and green peas fruits —includes oranges, melon, berries, apples, bananas, and grapes grains —at least half of your grains for the day should be whole grains includes wheat, rice, oats, cornmeal, barley, and quinoa examples: bread, pasta, cereal, and tortillas protein lean meat chicken or turkey without the skin fish eggs nuts and peanuts dried beans and certain peas, such as chickpeas and split peas meat substitutes, such as tofu dairy—nonfat or low fat milk or lactose-free milk if you have lactose intolerance yogurt cheese Learn more about the food groups at the U.
Eat foods with heart-healthy fats, which mainly come from these foods: oils that are liquid at room temperature, such as canola and olive oil nuts and seeds heart-healthy fish such as salmon, tuna, and mackerel avocado Use oils when cooking food instead of butter, cream, shortening, lard, or stick margarine.
Choose healthy fats, such as from nuts, seeds, and olive oil. Foods and drinks to limit include fried foods and other foods high in saturated fat and trans fat foods high in salt, also called sodium sweets, such as baked goods, candy, and ice cream beverages with added sugars , such as juice, regular soda, and regular sports or energy drinks Drink water instead of sweetened beverages.
Weight-loss planning If you are overweight or have obesity , work with your health care team to create a weight-loss plan. Meal plan methods Two common ways to help you plan how much to eat if you have diabetes are the plate method and carbohydrate counting, also called carb counting.
Plate method The plate method helps you control your portion sizes. Your daily eating plan also may include small snacks between meals. Portion sizes You can use everyday objects or your hand to judge the size of a portion.
Choose healthy carbohydrates, such as fruit, vegetables, whole grains, beans, and low-fat milk, as part of your diabetes meal plan.
Apple cider vinegar and plain vinegar have many health benefits. The resulting product contains less than 1 gram of carbs per tablespoon. According to a meta-analysis of six studies, including people with type 2 diabetes, vinegar has beneficial effects on fasting blood sugar levels and HbA1c Apple cider vinegar may have many other healthful properties, including antimicrobial and antioxidant effects.
But more studies are needed to confirm its health benefits. To incorporate apple cider vinegar into your diet, begin with 4 teaspoons mixed in a glass of water each day before each meal. Note that you may want to put 1 teaspoon per glass of water so that the taste is not as strong.
Increase to a maximum of 4 tablespoons per day. Apple cider vinegar may help improve fasting blood sugar levels, but more research is needed to confirm its health benefits. This is important because low insulin sensitivity can cause blood sugar levels to become too high.
A 1-cup serving of strawberries contains about Strawberries are low sugar fruits that have strong anti-inflammatory properties and may help improve insulin resistance. For its tiny size and low calorie count, garlic is incredibly nutritious.
One clove 3 grams of raw garlic, which is roughly 4 calories, contains 25 :. Research indicates that garlic contributes to improved blood glucose management and can help regulate cholesterol Although many studies that determine garlic is a proven healthy option for people living with diabetes include abnormal dietary amounts of garlic, the meta-analysis cited above only included servings from 0.
Research also indicates that garlic can help reduce blood pressure and regulate cholesterol levels Garlic helps lower blood sugar, inflammation, LDL cholesterol, and blood pressure in people with diabetes.
Summer squash has a soft peel that can be eaten. The most common types are zucchini and Italian squash. Like most vegetables, squash contains beneficial antioxidants. Squash also has less sugar than sweet potatoes, making it a great alternative. Research shows that pumpkin polysaccharides, which are also found in squash, improved insulin tolerance and decreased levels of serum glucose in rats Shirataki noodles are wonderful for diabetes and weight management.
These noodles are high in the fiber glucomannan , which is extracted from konjac root. In one study, glucomannan significantly reduced levels of fasting blood glucose, serum insulin, and cholesterol in rats with diabetes However, these noodles are typically packaged with a liquid that has a fishy odor, and you need to rinse them very well before use.
Then, to ensure a noodle-like texture, cook the noodles for several minutes in a skillet over high heat without added fat. The glucomannan in shirataki noodles promotes feelings of fullness and can improve blood sugar management and cholesterol levels.
Just as important as figuring out which foods you should include in a diet for diabetes is understanding which foods you should limit. This is because many foods and drinks are high in carbs and added sugar, which can cause blood sugar levels to spike.
Other foods could negatively impact heart health or contribute to weight gain. Refined grains like white bread, pasta, and rice are high in carbs but low in fiber, which can increase blood sugar levels more quickly than their whole grain counterparts.
According to one research review, whole grain rice was significantly more effective at stabilizing blood sugar levels after eating than white rice Not only are sugar-sweetened beverages like soda , sweet tea, and energy drinks lacking important nutrients, but they also contain a concentrated amount of sugar in each serving, which can cause blood sugar levels to spike.
Fried foods have a lot of trans fat , a type of fat that has been linked to a higher risk of heart disease. People with diabetes are generally advised to limit their alcohol intake.
This is because alcohol can increase the risk of low blood sugar , especially if consumed on an empty stomach. Most varieties of breakfast cereal are very high in added sugar. Some brands pack as much sugar into a single serving as some desserts. When shopping for cereal, be sure to check the nutrition label carefully and select a variety that is low in sugar.
Alternatively, opt for oatmeal and sweeten it naturally with a bit of fresh fruit. Candy contains a high amount of sugar in each serving. Processed meats like bacon, hot dogs, salami, and cold cuts are high in sodium, preservatives, and other harmful compounds. Furthermore, processed meats have been associated with a higher risk of heart disease The plate method is a simple and effective way to support healthy blood sugar levels without tracking or measuring your food.
It requires you to adjust your portions of certain food groups on your plate to create a nutritionally balanced meal. To get started, simply fill half your plate with non-starchy vegetables , such as leafy greens, broccoli, squash, or cauliflower.
One-quarter of your plate should consist of proteins , like chicken, turkey, eggs, fish, tofu, and lean cuts of beef or pork. The remaining quarter of the plate should contain a good source of carbohydrates, including whole grains , legumes, starchy vegetables, fruit, or dairy products.
Finally, be sure to pair your meal with a low calorie beverage to help you stay hydrated, such as water, unsweetened tea, black coffee, or club soda. The glycemic index can be an effective tool for maintaining blood sugar levels. If you use this method, stick to foods with a low or medium glycemic index whenever possible, and limit your intake of foods that have a high glycemic index.
You can find more information about the glycemic index and how to use it to improve blood sugar control in this article. Carb counting is a popular method used to manage blood sugar levels by monitoring the amount of carbohydrates you consume throughout the day. It involves tracking the grams of carbs in the foods you eat.
In some cases, you may also need to adjust your dosage of insulin based on the amount of carbs you consume.
The number of carbs you should eat for each meal and snack can vary quite a bit depending on factors like your age, size, and activity level. Therefore, a registered dietitian or doctor can help you create a customized plan for carb counting based on your needs.
But eating foods that help keep blood sugar, insulin, and inflammation in check can dramatically reduce your risk of complications. Just remember, although these foods may help manage blood sugar, the most important factor in healthy blood sugar management is following an overall nutritious, balanced diet.
Read this article in Spanish. Our experts continually monitor the health and wellness space, and we update our articles when new information becomes available. VIEW ALL HISTORY. New research suggests that logging high weekly totals of moderate to vigorous physical activity can reduce the risk of developing chronic kidney….
Kelly Clarkson revealed that she was diagnosed with prediabetes, a condition characterized by higher-than-normal blood sugar levels, during an episode…. New research has revealed that diabetes remission is associated with a lower risk of cardiovascular disease and chronic kidney disease.
Type 2…. Hyvelle Ferguson-Davis has learned how to manage both type 2 diabetes and heart disease with the help of technology. Diabetes supplies, such as continuous glucose monitoring CGM devices, can be expensive, which can be challenging for those on a budget.
But patient…. A Quiz for Teens Are You a Workaholic? How Well Do You Sleep? Health Conditions Discover Plan Connect.
Type 2 Diabetes. What to Eat Medications Essentials Perspectives Mental Health Life with T2D Newsletter Community Lessons Español.
Nutrition Evidence Based The Best Foods to Choose for People Living with Diabetes. Medically reviewed by Lisa Hodgson, RDN, CDN, CDCES, FADCES , Nutrition — By Erin Kelly — Updated on February 23, Best foods Foods to avoid Plan Sample menu Takeaway.
How we vet brands and products Healthline only shows you brands and products that we stand behind. Our team thoroughly researches and evaluates the recommendations we make on our site.
To establish that the product manufacturers addressed safety and efficacy standards, we: Evaluate ingredients and composition: Do they have the potential to cause harm? Fact-check all health claims: Do they align with the current body of scientific evidence?
Assess the brand: Does it operate with integrity and adhere to industry best practices? We do the research so you can find trusted products for your health and wellness.
Read more about our vetting process. Was this helpful?
Probably Nutrient-roch most Insulin release and regulation question when you Ultimate immune booster diabetes. Diet plays a significant role Nurrient-rich preventing and managing diabetes. Nutrient-dense foods are fiabetics rich in diabetixs for the number Targeted fat burning exercises for specific areas calories they contain. Diabeticw such as vegetables, fruits, whole grains, seafood, eggs, beans, peas, lentils, unsalted nuts and seeds, avocados, fat-free and low-fat dairy products, and lean meats are considered nutrient-dense. These foods provide vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients necessary for health with little added sugars, saturated fat, and sodium. Creating meals using nutrient-dense foods should be the cornerstone of your diabetes diet. One-third of a medium avocado 50 grams has 80 calories and contributes nearly 20 vitamins and minerals, making it an example of a nutrient-dense food choice.
0 thoughts on “Nutrient-rich meals for diabetics”