Diabetes is a chronic condition of the body that causes blood sugar levels to rise. Glucose is the body’s primary energy source, which is obtained by our body from the carbohydrates in foods.
Approximately 1.4 million American people are diagnosed with diabetes each year.
A good diabetes diet plan can help a person in maintaining the sugar level of the individual body. But unfortunately, every single person’s body reacts differently to a diet plan. Individuals suffering from diabetes should try to keep the track of their carbs and calories consumption.
Consulting a dietitian can help you develop a healthy diet plan. The plan helps you control your blood sugar (glucose) and manage your weight which can be helpful in avoiding other chronic diseases as well.
Diabetes Symptoms and Treatments : What to know
Types of diabetes
In simple words so far, diabetes is a chronic (long-lasting) health condition that affects how our body turns food into energy and utilizes it.
There are mainly three types of diabetes: Type 1, Type 2, and Gestational Diabetes
- Type 1 Diabetes : This type of diabetes is thought to be caused by an autoimmune reaction, where body attacks to itself that stops our body from making insulin causing Type-1 diabetes.
- Type 2 Diabetes : Our body stops using insulin properly causing blood sugar level to rise from normal. You may not notice any symptoms, but it is advice to keep your regular health checkup routine. Type 2 diabetes can be prevented or delayed with some healthy lifestyle changes including healthy diet plan and following exercises to loose weight.
- Gestational diabetes: This type of diabetes mostly develops in pregnant women who have never had diabetes. It can be harmful for a pregnant women as well as her child, leading to type-2 diabetes later in life.
If you’re suffering from diabetes, it is a difficult task to maintain the taste and sugar level at the same time.
A person with diabetes can enjoy a healthful diet that helps manage their blood sugar levels. In this article, we will be sharing some good advice and a healthy diet plan.
There are many foods that can taste best and help you control your blood sugar and stay healthy.
Include the food listed below in your diabetes diet plan to manage your sugar level.
5 foods to help lowering sugar level
Avocado is packed with vitamins, nutrients, and healthy fats. If you are suffering from type 2 diabetes, adding avocado to your diet plan can help you to lose weight, lower cholesterol, and increase insulin sensitivity.
Avocado also helps in weight loss since it contains high fibers, about 4.6 grams. The healthy fats found in avocado can help you feel full for longer.
Because of these properties found in Avocado, they can help you to control your sugar levels.
Good sources of healthy fats include:
- nuts, like almonds, cashews, and peanuts
- olive oil
- olive, avocado, and flaxseed oil
- seeds, like sesame or pumpkin seeds
2. Green Leafy Vegetables
Adding green leafy vegetables to your diet plan can help you manage diabetes. spinach, kale, cabbage, lettuce, broccoli, cauliflower, and collard greens are the powerhouse of nutrients and vitamins such as vitamin C.
3. Chia Seeds
Chia seeds contain a good amount of fibers which are helpful for people with diabetes. They are high in fiber and low in digestible carbohydrates. The fiber that contains chia seeds can lower blood sugar levels by slowing down the food processing and absorbing rate throughout the body.
Broccoli is one of the best-recommended food on the list. It is also the most nutrient-dense vegetable.
Eating broccoli sprouts helps in lowering the blood sugar level. It also contains essential nutrients like vitamin C and magnesium which are helpful in managing sugar levels.
Adding protein to your diet is essential as these are needed in large amounts to maintain health and vital functions of the body.
The American Diabetes Association recommends eating fish as a protein source at least twice a week.
Here are some good sources of protein to include in your diet plan.
- lean meat
- chicken or turkey without the skin
- nuts and peanuts
- dried beans and certain peas, such as chickpeas and split peas.
- meat substitutes, such as tofu.
Here is the 7-days diabetes meal plan with 1500 calories to help you manage your diabetes.
7-Day Diabetes Meal Plan
|Day 1||Day 2||Day 3||Day 4||Day 5||Day 6||Day 7|
|Breakfast||A bowl of oats with apricots/berries and 1-2 roughly chopped walnuts as garnishSkim Milk: 300 ml||Green Salad: 100 gmPita Bread: 1Hummus: ¼ cup||Avocado-Egg Toast: 2 eggs, 50 gm avocado-fat plain Greek yogurt: 50 gmRaspberries: 50 gm||Steel Cut oats cooked in milk: 100 grapple, chopped: 1/2 medium almond chopped: 2 Tbsp.||Old-Fashioned Oatmeal: 100 gmPlum, chopped: 1 medium walnut, chopped: 3 tbsp||Oatmeal: 100 gmUnsweetened applesauce: ½ cupHard-boiled egg: 2||Bagel Avocado Toast: 1Milk: 300 ml|
|Mid-morning||Plum: 1Pistachios||Blueberries: 30 gm-fat plain Greek yogurt: 50 gm||Orange: 1 medium||Orange: 1Blueberry: ½ cup||Greek yogurt: 1/2 cup strawberries: 1/2 cup||Blueberries: 30 gmMuesli: 2 Tbsp.Non-fat plain Greek yogurt: 50 gm||Pistachios: 1/2 cup Plum: 1|
|Lunch||Zucchini Noodles with Quick Turkey Bolognese: 1 serving thick slice whole-wheat baguette, toasted||Mushroom-Sauced Pork Chops: 1 serving brown rice: 100 gmSteamed Fresh Green Beans with olive oil and a pinch each of salt and pepper: 50 gm||Cucumber, white bean & tomato salad with basil vinaigrette: 100 gmSeeded crackers: 8Hummus: 30 gm||Chicken Sausage & Peppers: 2 cups brown rice tossed with virgin olive oil and no-salt-added Italian seasoning: 1 cup||Tuna, White Bean & Dill Salad: 300 grange: 1 medium humus: 1/4 cup||Vegetable soup: 100 gm whole-wheat crackers: 7Tuna fish on romaine lettuce: 150 gm||Veggie Hummus Sandwich: 2|
|Evening Snack||Apple sliced: 1Peanut butter with a pinch of cinnamon: 1 tbsp.||Apple: 1Peanut butter: 1 tbsp.||Watermelon: 100 gmApple: 100 gm||Popcorn tossed in olive oil and salt: 2 1/2 cups||Apple sliced: 1 medium peanut butter with a pinch of cinnamon: 1 Tbsp.||Seeded crackers: 6Hummus: ¼ cup||Apple: 1 medium peanut butter with a pinch of cinnamon: 1 tbsp.|
|Dinner||Roast Chicken with Parmesan-Herb Sauce: 1 serving of salad greens dressed with citrus vinaigrette: 200 gm||Spinach & Egg Scramble: 2 eggs, 20 gm spinachOrange: 1Raspberry: 20 gm||Smoky Maple-Mustard Salmon: 100 green beans: 80 gmWhole-Wheat Couscous: 50 gm Olive oil: 2 tsp.Sliced almonds: 1 Tbsp.||Chipotle ranch egg salad wraps: 1Seeded cracker: 10Hummus: ¼ cup||One-Pot Garlicky Shrimp & Spinach: 250 gmWhole-Wheat Couscous: 50 gm||Pork Paprikash: 100 gmBrown rice: 50 gm whole-wheat baguette, toasted: 1||Mushroom-Sauced Pork Chops: 150 gmSteamed Fresh Green Beans with olive oil and a pinch each of salt and pepper: 50 gm|
Although the list of foods is long, these are some best foods that you can add to your diet list to maintain a healthy diet plan for diabetes. It is also recommended to add foods to your diet according to your health condition. Hence, you should always consult your healthcare expert or an expert nutritionist before making a dietary choice.