Eating Advice

#diabetes, #diabetes food, #diabetes what to eat,

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Are you confused with what to eat and what not? Me too! There are so many websites with conflicting points of view. It seems that in the end the only ones you can trust are the various health authorities from which ever country you live.

One thing noticed is that foods made for diabetics are not wise to eat as they contain ingredients we cannot eat.

Don’t use diabetic foods or drinks. They offer no benefit to people with diabetes. They will still affect your blood glucose levels, contain just as much fat and calories as the ordinary versions, can have a laxative effect and are expensive. quotation from www.diabetes.org.uk. 

One thing important learned is that we must not skip meals. Something I had a habit of doing as I ate mainly 2 meals a day. But now a change to three as this is what is advised.

Eat regular meals
Avoid skipping meals and space your breakfast, lunch and evening meal out over the day. This will help control your appetite. (Quote from the above source)

Subsidiary information

You might be surprised to learn that coconut oil is a helpful dietary addition to the diabetic’s diet.
A study done in 2009 at the Garvan Institute of Medical Research in Australia found that a diet rich in coconut oil protected against insulin resistance. By ingesting just ½ to 1 tablespoon of coconut oil prior to meals and snacks, many diabetics find relief from their blood sugar fluctuations and resulting symptoms, allowing them to return to a healthy lifestyle free of pinpricks and medications.

Can I eat Grapes? 

• Grapes have long been classified as a low glycemic index (GI) food, with GI values ranging between 43-53. But having a low GI value is not necessarily the same as having blood sugar benefits. In the case of grapes, recent studies have shown that the low GI value of grapes is also a good indicator of this fruit's blood sugar benefits. Better blood sugar balance, better insulin regulation, and increased insulin sensitivity have now been connected with intake of grape juices, grape extracts, and individual phytonutrients found in grapes. Source WHFoods.com

• Everyone with diabetes should follow a low-fat, high-fibre diet including plenty of green vegetables.
• Until fairly recently, sugar was banned altogether, and fruit was also forbidden because it contains a lot of sugar.
• Nowadays, however, we know that fat is probably even more harmful than sugar. Fats in the blood cause hardening of the arteries, which people with diabetes are prone to anyway.
• It is therefore especially important for people with diabetes to avoid eating too much fatty foods.
• To return to your question, as a general rule, people with diabetes should not eat more than two or three pieces of fruit a day.
• One portion of fruit can be measured as the amount you can hold easily in one hand.
• In other words, your father can eat two or three handfuls of fruit a day – and some of this amount – or all of it – can be grapes.  NetDoctor

Can I eat Bananas?

Bananas are a fascinating fruit in terms of their carbohydrate and sugar content. Even though bananas are a fruit that tastes quite sweet when ripe—containing 14-15 grams of total sugar—bananas receive a rating of low in their glycemic index (GI) value. GI measures the impact of a food on our blood sugar. This low GI value for bananas is most likely related to two of their carbohydrate-related qualities.

Bananas are a very good source of vitamin B6 and a good source of manganese, vitamin C, potassium, dietary fiber, potassium, biotin, and copper. WhFoods

Can I eat Kiwifruit?

Our food ranking system also qualified kiwifruit as a very good source of dietary fiber. The fiber in kiwifruit has also been shown to be useful for a number of conditions. Researchers have found that diets that contain plenty of fiber can reduce high cholesterol levels, which may reduce the risk of heart disease and heart attack. Fiber is also good for binding and removing toxins from the colon, which is helpful for preventing colon cancer. In addition, fiber-rich foods, like kiwifruit, are good for keeping the blood sugar levels of diabetic patients under control.

Kiwifruit also passed our food ranking test as a good source of the mineral potassium. WHFoods

Can I eat Tomatoes?

They are very healthy and have many minerals.  WHFoods

 Can I eat Oats?

Studies also show that beta-glucan has beneficial effects in diabetes as well. Type 2 diabetes patients given foods high in this type of oat fiber or given oatmeal or oat bran rich foods experienced much lower rises in blood sugar compared to those who were given white rice or bread. Starting out your day with a blood sugar stabilizing food such as oats may make it easier to keep blood sugar levels under control the rest of the day, especially when the rest of your day is also supported with nourishing fiber-rich foods. WHFoods

Can I eat Rye? (Bread)

Rye and other whole grains are a rich source of magnesium, a mineral that acts as a co-factor for more than 300 enzymes, including enzymes involved in the body's use of glucose and insulin secretion.

The FDA permits foods that contain at least 51% whole grains by weight (and are also low in fat, saturated fat, and cholesterol) to display a health claim stating consumption is linked to lower risk of heart disease and certain cancers. Now, research suggests regular consumption of whole grains also reduces risk of type 2 diabetes. (van Dam RM, Hu FB, Diabetes Care). 

Rye bread may be a better choice than wheat bread for persons with diabetes. A study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that bread made from wheat triggers a greater insulin response than rye bread does. WHFoods

Can I eat Barley? 

Barley may be an even better breakfast choice than oats for persons with Type 2 diabetes. In a study conducted by the Agricultural Research Service at the Diet and Human Performance Laboratory in Beltsville, MD, barley was much more effective in reducing both glucose and insulin responses than oats.

Glucose responses were reduced after test meals by both oats and barley, although more by barley (29-36% by oats and 59-65% by barley). Insulin responses after test meals were significantly reducedonly by barley (44-56%). Interestingly, whether the oats or barley was consumed in the form of meal, flakes or flour had little effect. What seems to have been responsible for barley's significantly greater effectiveness in reducing both glucose and insulin responses is barley's soluble fiber content. The barley used in the study (a cultivar called Prowashonupana) contains more than 4 times the soluble fiber of common oats. WHFoods

Can I eat Brown Rice?

The difference between brown rice and white rice is not just color! A whole grain of rice has several layers. Only the outermost layer, the hull, is removed to produce what we call brown rice. This process is the least damaging to the nutritional value of the rice and avoids the unnecessary loss of nutrients that occurs with further processing.

Manganese helps produce energy from protein and carbohydrates and is involved in the synthesis of fatty acids, which are important for a healthy nervous system. 

Brown rice and other whole grains are a rich source of magnesium, a mineral that acts as a co-factor for more than 300 enzymes, including enzymes involved in the body's use of glucose and insulin secretion.

Fiber also helps out by keeping blood sugar levels under control, so brown rice is an excellent grain choice for people with diabetes. WHFoods

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Diagnosed with Diabetes

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Check out : Links below
Eating well with Type 2 diabetes. (Diabetes.UK pdf download)
Healthy eating with diabetes  (NHS-UK pdf download)

The sources that are most helpful are:
www.diabetes.org.uk/
http://www.diabetes.co.uk/
http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Diabetes/Pages/Diabetes.aspx
http://www.diabetes.org.uk/documents/catalogue/eating_well.pdf

Subsidiary link
How coconut oil may regulate insulin