If you suffer from diabetes , surely you know that a good diet is key to good control of said disease. You must be very careful with what you eat since your sugar level is higher than normal and the wrong food could cause a serious problem in your health. In Diario Feminine we provide you with a list of the best sugar-free foods for diabetics . Take note!
What is the diabetes?
We cannot plan a healthy and suitable food menu for diabetics without first knowing what exactly this disease consists of. Well, diabetes is a pathology of metabolism that is characterized by persistently or chronically presenting very high blood glucose levels .
It can develop for three fundamental reasons: the first one results from the inability (total or partial) of the pancreas to secrete the adequate amount of insulin (hormone that is responsible for glucose passing from the bloodstream to the tissues); the second of them may be due to the resistance of these tissues to the presence of insulin and the third consists of an increase in the production of glucose in the body .
As a general rule, three different types of diabetes are usually distinguished:
Type 1 diabetes : This is an autoimmune disease that usually cannot be prevented. A plant-based, non-processed diet can help keep it at bay.
Type 2 diabetes : It is often linked to obesity and metabolic syndrome and can be easily prevented by maintaining healthy lifestyle habits.
Gestational diabetes : appears during pregnancy . Once the mother has given birth, she can disappear or remain in time.
As we have already mentioned, following a series of nutritional guidelines and eating a balanced diet , you can live with diabetes without any problem.
Sugar-free foods that diabetics can eat
Here is a list of the best diabetic-friendly sugar-free foods :
Citrus
Fruits such as oranges, lemons or grapefruit are perfect to eat if you have diabetes as they are rich in fiber and vitamin C. Fiber helps regulate blood glucose levels, in addition to satisfying the appetite. It is recommended to consume whole and chewed fruits, since if they are consumed in the form of juice, their glycemic index would increase.
apples
Apples are rich in chromium, a mineral that plays a role in regulating blood glucose levels. Other chromium-rich foods include asparagus, eggs, and plums.
Plantain
The plantain is a great fruit for the intestinal flora . Helps with insulin resistance by tissues. You can cook it and let it chill for 24 hours to take full advantage of the benefits of the starch it contains, known as resistant starch. You can achieve these same effects with boiled potatoes .
All the vegetables
All vegetables are rich in fiber, which helps to modulate glycaemia since with its presence in our dishes the rise in blood sugar will go progressively if we include it for its fiber content. In addition, they provide satiety.
Blue Fish
Fish such as salmon, tuna or sardines are rich in omega 3 acids, really healthy fats that help reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes . They also lower blood pressure and lower triglyceride levels in the blood.
Walnuts
Eating a small handful of nuts a day is very good for your health . Its content in essential fatty acids can help control the level of glucose in the blood, in addition to being quite nutritious.
Cinnamon
This spice is an excellent option to sweeten foods as a substitute for sugar and especially for its anti-inflammatory effect, which is also important for diabetes. Some studies have shown that it can have an insulin sensitizing effect, especially in animals. More studies are still needed to prove its efficacy in humans.
Foods you should NOT eat if you are diabetic
The truth is that, nowadays, it is quite difficult to walk through the aisles of a supermarket and find sugar-free products. It is clear that if you are diabetic you should avoid industrial pastries, sweets and milk chocolates , but there are many other products that we consume on a daily basis that contain a large amount of sugar even if we do not know it.
The best thing you can do is read the labels . You can identify the presence of sugar with names such as glucose, sucrose, fructose, corn syrup, cane syrup, dextrose or maltose , among others.
These are some of the products that you should avoid at all costs:
Sauces
Pink sauce, barbecue sauce, mayonnaise, ketchup, mustard … All these sauces contain a large amount of sugar. Avoid accompanying your dishes with them! To dress your salads, for example, it is best to use the olive oil, vinegar and salt of a lifetime.
Bread
Did you know that for every slice of sliced bread you eat there are approximately 3 grams of sugar?
Energy drinks
Normally, marketing campaigns direct these types of drinks at athletes to make us think that they are very healthy. Mistake! A bottle can provide the maximum amount of sugar that a person should eat per day.
Yogurts or skimmed milk products with added sugars
Avoid skimmed or 0% fat. Normally, sugar is added to this type of yogurt to give it the flavor and texture that they have lost when the fat is removed. In fact, one of these yogurts includes half the added sugar that a person should consume per day. Better whole yogurts since dairy fat is healthy and satiating.
Frozen pizza
A frozen pizza can contain up to 20 grams of sugar . Does it surprise you? Although it is a salty product, they use harmful sauces and dressings both in their ingredients and in the dough. The dough itself is also made with refined white flour, which greatly raises the glycemic index.
Low quality turkey breast or ham
You must be especially careful when reading the labels of these products since some brands market them with a large amount of sugar (generally to enhance the flavor).
