Manage diabetes with the foods you love

Thursday, April 11, 2013 by: Sandeep Godiyal
Tags: diabetes, healthy foods, blood sugar

(NaturalNews) Every year, people continue to be diagnosed with the different types of diabetes. And since the major causes are not all the time organic, diabetes can be managed and can be reversed with a better lifestyle. And while most people see lifestyle management as an opportunity for starvation, a few see it as an effective way to minimize the effects of diabetes in the body.

Found below are food groups which still list food types ordinarily found in the menu and can be used as an alternative to the not-so healthy food choices for diabetics.

Food Group 1: Breads and grains

Best Options: Whole-grain flours, whole grain rice, cereals with whole-grain ingredients and minimal sugar content, whole-grain bread, baked potato, baked steak fries, and corn tortillas.

Bad Options: White flour, processed grains, cereals with a high amount of sugar and minimal whole-grain ingredients, white bread, French fries, and fried tortillas.

Food Group 2: Vegetables

Best Options: Fresh vegetables that are eaten raw or are lightly grilled, steamed, or roasted, frozen vegetables that are lightly steamed, fresh cucumbers, and fresh shredded coleslaw or cabbage.

Bad Options: Canned vegetables with a high level of sodium, cooked vegetables with a high amount of cheese, butter, or sauce, pickles with a high amount of sodium, and Sauerkraut which is not bad at all when taken in limited amounts if you have high blood pressure.

Food group 3: Fruits

Best Options: Frozen fruit and those that are canned in fruit juice, fresh fruits, low sugar to sugar-free jam and fruit preserves, applesauce with no sugar, 100% low carbohydrate juices, and 100% fruit juice.

Bad Options: Canned fruits in a high-sugar syrup, fruit rolls, regular preserves, jams, and jellies taken in large portions, sweetened applesauce, fruit punches, fruit drinks, sweetened sodas, and fruit juice drinks.

Food group 4: Meat and other proteins

Best Options: Meats that are stewed, grilled, broiled, or baked, meat parts with a low-fat cut like top sirloins, turkey bacon, low-fat cheese, skinless breast from chicken or turkey, fish that are steamed, grilled, broiled, or baked, steamed, sauteed, or soup-cooked tofu, and beans that are either stewed or baked.

Bad Options: Fried meat, slices of meat with high-fat cuts like the ribs, pork bacon, regular cheese, any kind of poultry with skin, fried fish and tofu, beans with lard.

Food group 5: Beverages

Best Options: Sparkling water whether flavored or not, light beer, minimal amount of wine, unsweetened tea, homemade or black coffee with minimal sugar or served with a sugar substitute like milk, hot chocolate, and sports drinks.

Bad Options: Regular soda, regular beer, dessert wines, and fruity-mixed drinks, sweetened tea, coffee with cream and sugar, chocolate drinks and flavored coffee, and energy drinks.

As you can see, the food groups above are those that we normally take every day. It even does not include the best options under the dairy, sweets, fats, and oil groups. The key word to focus on is alternative. If you want to eat something, settle for the alternative. It's not starvation, is it?

Sources for this article include:

http://www.helpguide.org/life/healthy_diet_diabetes.htm

http://www.rd.com/slideshows/10-diabetes-super-foods/

http://www.diabeticlivingonline.com



About the author:
Sandeep has written many health field articles for both Internet and print publication. He currently writing for insurancetips4u.co.

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