Foods that Control Diabetes
In addition to exercise a good diet can be extremely helpful in controlling diabetes. By eating the proper foods you can control your diabetes better.
It is true that sugar can be harmful to you if you have diabetes. However by itself sugar does not cause diabetes. The most common cause is from being obese. If you have diabetes you need to pay particular attention to the type of carbohydrates you eat. You need to pay attention to the ones high on the glycemic index.
The Glycemic index was created to measure how fast foods are metabolized in our bodies. The range is from one to one hundred. The higher the number on the scale the quicker it will turn into sugar. It is a way to monitor how much carbohydrates you can intake in a day.
Using the index as a guide is a great way to combat diabetes. Foods that control diabetes in this category are: Beans, Lentils, Whole grain bread, Brown rice, Sweet potatoes, and Some dairy products. There is a good variety of tasty foods that control diabetes by lowering the amount of sugar or glucose in your system. You can use this list as a base to build your diet from.
The less processing a food undergoes the better it is for you. Take for example fresh fruit or vegetables compared to juices. The whole food will be lower on the index than the juices. While you do not have to be a vegetarian, it can help reduce other problems associated with diabetes. Cardiovascular problems are common with diabetes and eliminating all animal products will greatly reduce cholesterol and other health problems from them.
In fact, the American Association on Diabetes recommends limiting many types of fat in your diet. Particularly Trans fats and saturated fats. Vegetables come in as foods that control diabetes on two levels; one they are nearly always low on the glycemic index and two they address common side issues like heart disease.
The best vegetables to consume are the fresh or frozen variety that contains no added sauces or salt. The darker in color the vegetable is the better. Cauliflower, Broccoli, Green Beans, Carrots, Chili and peppers.