Have you ever worried about your blood sugar and the possibility of becoming diabetic? Well, here are six simple things you can do to help keep your blood sugar levels normal and help prevent diabetes from becoming a part of your life.
- Eat a low fat, high fiber diet. Add to that plenty of raw vegetables and fruits, including vegetable juices. This can actually reduce your body’s need for insulin. How does this happen? Fiber helps prevent blood sugar spikes, as it is more slowly digested than simple sugars. A high fiber diet will also lower the level of fats in your blood, helping you to maintain a healthy weight.
- Get more protein from vegetable sources. Eat lots of legumes like kidney, black, and navy beans. Some grains are also high in protein. Try quinoa, which has the most protein of all the grains. Soy protein is a good choice, too. Soy could help keep the levels of good cholesterol high in type 2 diabetics.
- Avoid saturated fats. That goes for trans-fats and hydrogenated oils, too. These oils, usually found in fast foods, can increase your risk for getting diabetes. Instead, use healthy oils like olive, sesame, flax, safflower, walnut, and sunflower oils. They make excellent alternatives to other sources of fat and you might actually discover a new taste that you like. Keep in mind, however, some oils are better at retaining nutrients when heated. Other oils may be best only used for salad dressings and in baking.
- Don’t drink soft drinks or other beverages sweetened with sugar. One study published in the “Journal of the American Medical Association” studied the effects of soft drinks and the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. The researchers found that women who drank more than one sugar-sweetened drink a day increased their risk of getting diabetes twofold.
- Avoid smoking tobacco. Tobacco can constrict your blood vessels and reduce your circulation. It is very important to keep circulation healthy and robust, especially if you are already diabetic.
- Keep your rations of carbohydrates, proteins and fats balanced. Medical experts suggest that a diet consisting of 45% carbs, 40% healthy fats, and 15% protein can benefit people with insulin resistance. Others maintain that a ratio of 50% carbs, 30% fats and 20% protein is a good balance. The important thing to remember is that carbs should not make up the bulk of your diet.