A balanced diet and physical activity are integral parts of living a healthy life. A diabetes diet should include nutritious and healthy food options which should be followed regularly to avoid any imbalance in the lifestyle. The diet followed by diabetes patients is highly advisable for almost every person to live a healthy life as it helps the human body to maintain the sugar level in a good range. Furthermore, the diet includes fruits, vegetables and all healthy grains. Therefore, it is essential to start taking small steps to live a healthy and longer life. Having a balanced diet and regular exercise can help us to:
- Maintain sugar level, cholesterol and other major risks related to diabetes.
- Maintaining a healthy weight helps to lose weight.
- Prevent and slow down the diabetes problem.
- Stay active and energetic.
It is often considered that a diabetes patient needs to give up all the joyful and tasty food choices but not anymore. Instead of giving up on food that satisfies your taste buds, you should have a small portion of it. The key benefit of having a diabetes diet is having a variety of healthy food from various food groups.
The key food groups to include in your diet are:
1.Loading Healthy Carbohydrates:
The process of digestion includes the breakdown of sugars (simple carbs) and complex carbs (starch). Therefore, focusing on nutritious carbohydrates is very important. The healthy carbs include:
- Fruits such as oranges, guava, melons, berries, melons, apples and grapes.
- Vegetables including tomatoes, beans, baby corn, broccoli and cabbage as non-starchy vegetables.
- On the other hand, starchy vegetables include potatoes, carrots, turnips and sweet potatoes.
- Grains include oats, wheat, rice, barley and cornmeal.
2.Protein Rich Food:
A protein-rich food is required even if you are not a diabetic patient. It includes lean meat, fish, eggs, chicken and yoghurt, Furthermore, you can have cereal and mixed dal for bringing the balance required for healthy eating. You can also include dairy products if you prefer veg in your diet.
3.Good Fats:
Good fats are an important source of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. These fats help to lower cholesterol levels. There are many fish options which are good for the heart. Fish like salmon, mackerel, tuna and sardines have high levels of omega-3 fatty acids, which can prevent heart disease. Healthy fats also include avocado, nuts, olive and peanut oils. These are definitely good sources of fats but keep a note that they are high in calories.
Limit Unhealthy Foods:
- You must avoid fried foods and other foods that are high in saturated and trans-fat.
- Avoid food that is high in cholesterol such as high-fat dairy and animal protein.
- Processed foods are a welcome to unhealthy lifestyle as it includes unhealthy fats.
- Avoid the consumption of extra salt. It is important to neglect salt in case of high blood pressure.
Switch to a Healthy Lifestyle:
- Cooking your food by yourself is the best option to avoid any unnecessary kind of flavours, you can also control the amount of sugar and salt in your food.
- Prepare a proper meal routine. Stick to a schedule which includes breakfast, lunch, evening snacks and dinner.
- Counting your carbs is very important. As it was mentioned earlier that carb loadings are essential but excessive intake leads to an increase in fat percentage in the body.
- Eating the right amount of food to control weight. Additionally, if you are concerned about your obese body then you must consult your healthcare team for a perfect diet.
- Adding colours to your diet is very important. Therefore, choose leafy vegetables and fruits to stay healthy.
- If you are craving tea and coffee then try artificial sweeteners or sugar-free capsules.
- Staying active and energetic is very important and you must exercise and walk on a regular basis.
- A diabetes patient should avoid taking stress as it increases the sugar level.
- Taking your diabetes medicines is very important. Consult your doctors whenever you are appointed by the clinic or the hospital.
Adopting a nutritious diet plan is the best way to control your sugar level and avoid any complications related to diabetes. You can definitely customize your diet as per your goals. Also, consuming low-fat dairy products can reduce the risk of low bone mass in the future. In addition to diabetes management, a diabetes diet offers other benefits. It offers a good number of fruits, vegetables and grains which is essential in our day-to-day lives. Furthermore, following such a diet helps to reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases and certain types of cancer.
