Beyond Dieting: Healthy Eating Habits For Diabetes Patients

Healthy eating habits play an important role in diabetes management. They help to control blood sugar levels and prevent diabetes complications such as obesity, heart diseases, hypertension, etc. They are not only restricted to dieting. There are many more habits that can help you make healthy food choices and manage your diabetes more effectively. 

Some Healthy Eating Habits for Diabetes Patients:

Plan Your Meals

You should plan your meals properly if you have diabetes. The diabetes plate method is an excellent method to include a balanced proportion of all the nutrients, ensuring that you eat a healthy and nutritious diet. You may also inculcate the following food habits to plan your meals better. 

• Eat a healthy and fulfilling breakfast. It will help to regulate your blood sugar levels and control your cravings.
• Eat a nutritious lunch. Pack it from your home to avoid eating outside. 
• Pack a small snack box with nuts, seeds, yoghurts etc. It will help you avoid eating packaged foods.
• Eat at regular intervals of time. Plan your meals in advance, so you do not miss any meals.    
• Avoid or limit eating outside and cook your food at home. It will ensure that you do not add more sugar or salt to your diet and stick to your meal plan.

Eat Healthy Carbohydrates

All carbohydrates raise blood sugar levels in the body. However, you cannot eliminate carbohydrates from your diet altogether. Carbs are important to provide energy to your body. Therefore, it is important to eat healthy carbohydrates and avoid carbs that can worsen your diabetes. 

• There are three types of carbohydrates: sugars, starch and fibres. Sugars and starch impact blood glucose levels, but fibres do not. Therefore, eat carbs that contain high amounts of fibre such as whole grains and fruits. 
• Avoid highly processed foods that contain added sugars such as packaged foods, baked goods, sugary drinks etc.
• Avoid eating white rice and white bread as they are low in fibre.
• Include healthy carbohydrates in your diet such as whole grains, starchy and non-starchy vegetables, fruits, legumes, etc.
• Try to fill about a quarter of your plate with carbohydrates. According to the diabetes plate method, this is the ideal quantity of carbs for diabetics.  

Avoid Salt 

Sodium can increase the risk of hypertension, heart diseases and strokes. Therefore, you should try to consume as little salt as possible.

• Avoid eating processed and packaged foods. They contain high amounts of sodium.
• Cut down the amount of salt you put in your food. Instead, use herbs and spices to flavour your foods such as paprika, black pepper, mixed herbs, rosemary, thyme, etc.
• Remove the salt-shaker from your dining table. It will ensure that you do not put extra salt on your food.

Make More Room For Fruits And Vegetables

Fruits and vegetables are rich in vitamins and minerals and provide all the essential nutrients to your body, making them highly beneficial for people with diabetes. 

• According to the diabetes plate method, you should try to fill at least half of your plate with non-starchy vegetables and salad. 
• You can include fruits in your diet as snacks. This will also serve the purpose of eating healthy snacks. 
• Eat whole fruits but avoid drinking fruit juices. They have a high glycemic index and contain fructose that can worsen your diabetes health.

Say Yes To Healthy Fats

Fats are essential to provide energy to the body. However, if you have diabetes, you should eat healthy fats and avoid saturated and unhealthy fat. They can increase the levels of bad cholesterol in the body and lead to obesity and heart diseases. 

• Include healthy fats such as olive oil, avocado oil, oily fish, nuts and seeds.
• Avoid saturated fats found in baked goods and processed meat.

Avoid Red And Processed Meats

While you are cutting down on carbs, it is possible that you might end up eating more red and processed meat. However, this is unhealthy and can cause heart diseases and cancer. 

• You may substitute red meats with lean meats such as chicken, fish, turkey and eggs.
• You may also swap these meats with plant-based proteins such as beans, lentils and peas. They are also highly rich in fibre, making them highly beneficial for diabetes patients.     

Read Food Labels

Reading food labels before buying foods is a very healthy food habit that you must inculcate to manage your diabetes effectively. Food labels give a lot of information about sugar content, sodium content and other nutrients such as potassium, vitamins, etc. It will help you make healthy food choices and avoid foods that can hamper your diabetes health. 

Consume Alcohol Moderately

Alcohol is rich in calories. Therefore, it is advised to consume alcohol in a moderate quantity. You should also avoid drinking alcohol on an empty stomach if you take any insulin or diabetes medication, as it may lead to a condition of hypoglycemia. 

That said, when it comes to altering a diet, especially if you are diabetic, it is crucial to consult your healthcare expert or dietician. 

References

1. https://www.diabetes.org.uk/guide-to-diabetes/enjoy-food/eating-with-diabetes/10-ways-to-eat-well-with-diabetes
2. https://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/managing/eat-well.html
3. https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/conditionsandtreatments/diabetes-and-healthy-eating
4. https://www.narayanahealth.org/blog/10-tips-for-healthy-diet-with-diabetes/
5. https://www.diabetes.org/nutrition/healthy-food-choices-made-easy