By Use these foods in your meals and snacks to get you through any blood sugar slumps
I’m very passionate about diabetes, as my mum developed the disease a few years before she passed away from pancreatic cancer. Type two diabetes, as our doctor specified, manifests from poor dietary choices over time and can be managed without medication through nutrition. When she was diagnosed, mum was overweight and wasn’t happy with how she looked and felt. However, when I put her on a modified fasting regime & got her to do a walk every morning on an empty stomach. Thankfully, she quickly lost 14 kg and became much healthier. Although she was not happy about giving up sweets, mum knew these were the dietary causes that created the problem she now had. My story ends in sadness, as mum developed pancreatic cancer and eventually passed away. I feel very strongly about enforcing this critical message to others unaware of how dangerous it is to leave your blood sugar up to chance. Those negative food choices over time (and overeating, mind you) without exercise will slowly develop into disease. Maybe not now, but there is a big chance it may happen as you become older. To manage blood sugar for health and longevity purposes, you must use food as a tool that can help you make the necessary changes for a better life. It’s not about eliminating foods like carbs and sweets. There is a time and place for your treats — but to control how we feel and our energy levels, we must regulate the peaks and plummets with food — by making the most intelligent choices. No magical foods will do this for you; it’s a combination of eating the right things, such as snacks, and main meals, which will help stabilise your blood sugar, and either manage or eliminate your chances of developing type two diabetes. Here’s a list of some of the best blood-stabilising foods that might help you lose weight!
One: Nut butter of all kinds
Does this surprise you at all? If you love peanut butter as much as I do, there is no harm in having a spoonful as a snack! Peanut butter is good for the heart as it’s filled with healthy fats, and if you want to use it in conjunction with a carb source (such as rice cakes), it can slow the absorption of sugar, which will help to prevent that negative spike. Try eating peanut butter on a banana or apple if you like some fruit. Also, I love spreading peanut butter on some sourdough (as sourdough is also good for the gut).
Two: Oatmeal
One of my favourite items to use in baked muffins, biscuits and an excellent warm breakfast every morning — is oatmeal. These excellent whole grains contain both resistant starch and beta-glucans, which helps promote a healthy gut, balance your blood sugar and lower the unhealthy type of cholesterol. A study published in 2021 states that eating oat beta-glucans lowers your blood sugar and insulin response to carb-containing meals for people with or without diabetes.
Three: Broccoli
Using non-starchy veggies with every meal is a great way to boost your fibre intake and the nutrient content of your meals. Broccoli deserves big applause because it’s packed with nutrients such as magnesium, vitamin C, and sulforaphane. Sulforaphane has cancer-fighting properties, and it’s found in a lot of cruciferous veggies. Why not add broccoli to your chicken or seafood meal, or eat it alongside some plant-based protein like tofu in a stir fry? I love to add lemon juice, salt and olive oil to my broccoli. It tastes incredible with this flavour combination.
Four: Nuts
Nuts are such an excellent, satisfying and portable snack. Nuts are a great source of mono and polyunsaturated fats that promote heart health and help reduce cholesterol. You also get the added benefit of Omega three and six fatty acids. A small handful of nuts when you are peckish goes a long way, and they are both low in carbs and high in nutrient value, so you won’t experience any blood sugar surges.
Five: Unsweetened Greek Yogurt
You could use yogurt in conjunction with many of these other alternatives here (that includes broccoli!). It helps boost your protein intake, and yogurt can lower the glycemic load of foods like oats and fruit-based smoothies. I must also highlight the excellent gut bacteria yogurt contains, so do watch out for that indication on the package you purchase.
Six: Berries
Why not add berries to your yogurt or oatmeal as an added snack? Berries are one of the best fruit sources to have if you are trying to manage blood sugar. Berries are rich in antioxidants, which help your cardiovascular and cognitive health. According to a review written for the Advances in nutrition, Eating a diet high in antioxidants helps lower your heart disease risk and reduces hypertension.
Key take away
These mentioned above are just some of the many portables, nutritious and delicious food alternatives you can use to control your blood sugar and boost the nutrient value of your diet. It’s essential to start eating foods that will benefit your health and eliminate your risk of developing the disease as often as possible. I wish my mum had followed a plan like this long before she developed diabetes. I dare say that perhaps she might be alive right now, and I could see her wonderful smiling face again. Keep your face smiling for as long as possible in the beautiful place you have chosen to occupy. Your health is your wealth.
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