Healthy eating habits for Diabetics

Diabetes and diet tip#1: Be smart about sweets
Eating for diabetes doesn’t mean eliminating sugar. But in order to get the most enjoyment out of sweets, it is best to save them for special occasions. After all, they are called treats for a reason. If you have diabetes, you can still enjoy a small serving of your favorite dessert now and then. The key is moderation.

How to include sweets in a diabetes-friendly diet
Eating sweets at a meal adds extra carbohydrates. Because of this it is best to cut back on the other carb-containing foods at the same meal. Carbohydrate-rich foods include all flour products (i.e. bread, tortillas, crackers), rice, cereal, fruit, juice, potatoes, corn, etc. This will help you keep your blood glucose levels on track. Just keep in mind that these carbohydrate-rich foods have many nutrients your body needs, so don’t substitute too often.

Tricks for cutting down on sugar
There are many ways to reduce your sugar consumption. Here are a few suggestions:

Make healthy substitutions. Substitute sparkling water for soda, a bowl of frozen fruit instead of ice cream, one slice of your favorite cheese instead of cake, a piece of fruit instead of pie.
Clear your kitchen of sweets and don't purchase them. Instead, you can enjoy a dessert when you are away from home.
Split dessert with a friend when out and enjoying a treat.
Slowly savor each bite when you do eat a treat.
Reduce or eliminate the amount of sugar called for in recipes.
Your definition of sweet may change
As your eating habits become healthier, and you eat fewer sweets, your taste buds may shift. Foods that you used to love may seem too sweet. Instead healthier foods may become what you crave.

Diabetes and diet tip#2: Balance your carbs
Carbohydrates have a big impact on your blood sugar levels, but you don’t have to avoid them. You just need to be smart about what types of carbs you eat and how you balance them in the rest of your diet.

Simple vs. complex carbs
Carbohydrates include simple sugars and complex starches and fibers. Your body breaks down carbohydrates into glucose (blood sugar), which is the fuel for your cells.

Simple carbohydrates: Includes fruits and some vegetables, which in their natural form offer vitamins, minerals, and fiber. Simple carbs also include processed and refined foods, or “empty carbs,” with little nutritional value, such as soda, candy, snack foods, and white products such as white flour and white rice.
Choosing healthy carbs
Complex carbohydrates (also called slow-release carbs): Found in starchy vegetables, legumes, and whole grains such as whole grain brown rice, millet, quinoa and steel cut or rolled oats. Complex carbs take longer to digest, which helps you stay full longer and keeps your blood sugar level more even.

Tips for balancing carbohydrates
Eat brown rice instead of white rice, steel-cut oats instead of processed cereals or instant oatmeal, or whole-grain bread instead of white bread.
Balance your meals with all the food groups and make veggies the largest part of the meal. Eating carbs along with protein or a little fat helps reduce the impact on your blood sugar levels.
Reduce how much soda and juice you drink. Switch to water or mineral water with a little juice mixed in instead.
Eat sweet potatoes or winter squash instead of white potatoes.
Choose a bran muffin over a croissant or pastry.
Why fiber matters
Fiber, also called roughage or bulk, is the part of plants that your body can’t digest. Fiber is found in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, beans, nuts and seeds. In general, the more natural and unprocessed the food, the higher it is in fiber.

Fiber’s role in preventing and controlling diabetes:

Improves your blood sugar control and thus may reduce the risk of diabetes.
Fiber intake is associated with a lower risk of heart disease.

Sent by U Banerjee, North Point