How to cure Diabetes

Healthy Eating Tips to Prevent, Control, and Reverse Diabetes

Diabetes is on the rise, yet most cases are preventable and some can even be reversed. Taking steps to prevent and control diabetes doesn’t mean living in deprivation; it means eating a tasty, balanced diet that will also boost your energy and improve your mood. You don’t have to give up sweets entirely or resign yourself to a lifetime of bland food. With these tips, you can still take pleasure from your meals without feeling hungry or deprived.

TAKING CONTROL OF DIABETES

Whether you’re trying to prevent or control diabetes, the most important thing you can do is to lose a little weight. Losing just 5% to 10% of your total weight can help you lower your blood sugar, blood pressure, and cholesterol levels. Losing weight and eating healthier can also have a profound effect on your mood, energy, and sense of wellbeing.

It’s not too late to make a positive change, even if you’ve already developed diabetes. The bottom line is that you have more control over your health than you think.

WATCH OUT BELLY FAT

Not all body fat is created equal. Your risk is higher if you tend to carry your weight around your abdomen as opposed to your hips and thighs, as a lot of belly fat surrounds the abdominal organs and liver and is closely linked to insulin resistance and diabetes. You are at an increased risk of developing diabetes if you are:

• A woman with a waist circumference of 35 inches or more
• A man with a waist circumference of 40 inches or more

Calories obtained from fructose (found in sugary beverages such as soda, energy and sports drinks, coffee drinks, and processed foods like doughnuts, muffins, cereal, candy and granola bars) are more likely to add weight around your abdomen. Cutting back on sugary foods can mean a slimmer waistline as well as a lower risk of diabetes.

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT HEALTHY EATING DIABETES

While exercise is important, what you eat has the biggest impact on weight loss and controlling diabetes. But a diabetes diet doesn’t have to be complicated. Your nutritional needs are virtually the same everyone else, so no special foods are necessary. You just need to pay attention to some of your food choices—most notably the carbohydrates you eat.

MYTHS AND FACTS ABOUT DIABETES AND DIET

Myth: You must avoid sugar at all costs. Fact: You can enjoy your favorite treats as long as you plan properly and limit hidden sugars. Dessert doesn’t have to be off limits, as long as it’s a part of a healthy meal plan.

Myth: You have to cut way down on carbs. Fact: The type of carbohydrates you eat as well as serving size is key. Focus on whole grain carbs instead of starchy carbs since they’re high in fiber and digested slowly, keeping blood sugar levels more even.

Myth: You’ll need special diabetic meals. Fact: The principles of healthy eating are the same—whether or not you’re diabetic. Expensive diabetic foods generally offer no special benefit.

Myth: A high-protein diet is best. Fact: Studies have shown that eating too much protein, especially animal protein, may actually cause insulin resistance, a key factor in diabetes. A healthy diet includes protein, carbohydrates, and fats. Our bodies need all three to function properly. The key is a balanced diet.

Eat more

• Healthy fats from raw nuts, olive oil, fish oils, flax seeds, whole milk dairy, or avocados
• Fruits and vegetables—ideally fresh, the more colorful the better; whole fruit rather than juices
• High-fiber cereals and breads made from whole grains or legumes
• Fish and shellfish, organic, free-range chicken or turkey
• High-quality protein such as eggs, beans, milk, cheese, and unsweetened yogurt

Eat less

• Trans fats from partially hydrogenated or deep-fried foods
• Packaged and fast foods, especially those high in sugar, baked goods, sweets, chips, desserts
• White bread, sugary cereals, refined pastas or rice
• Processed meat and red meat from animals fed with antibiotics, growth hormones, and GMO feed
• Low-fat products that have replaced fat with added sugar, such as fat-free yogurt

Eating a diabetic diet doesn’t mean eliminating sugar altogether, but like most of us, chances are you consume more sugar than is healthy. If you have diabetes, you can still enjoy a small serving of your favorite dessert now and then. The key is moderation.

Reduce your cravings for sweets by slowly reduce the sugar in your diet a little at a time to give your taste buds time to adjust.

Hold the bread (or rice or pasta) if you want dessert. Eating sweets at a meal adds extra carbohydrates so cut back on the other carb-heavy foods at the same meal.

Add some healthy fat to your dessert. Fat slows down the digestive process, meaning blood sugar levels don’t spike as quickly. That doesn’t mean you should reach for the donuts, though. Think healthy fats, such as peanut butter, ricotta cheese, yogurt, or nuts.

Eat sweets with a meal, rather than as a stand-alone snack. When eaten on their own, sweets cause your blood sugar to spike. But if you eat them along with other healthy foods as part of your meal, your blood sugar won’t rise as rapidly.

When you eat dessert, truly savor each bite. How many times have you mindlessly eaten your way through a bag of cookies or a huge piece of cake? Can you really say that you enjoyed each bite? Make your indulgence count by eating slowly and paying attention to the flavors and textures. You’ll enjoy it more, plus you’re less likely to overeat.

Reduce soft drinks, soda and juice. For each 12 oz. serving of a sugar-sweetened beverage you drink a day, your risk for diabetes increases by about 15 percent. Try sparkling water with a twist of lemon or lime instead. Cut down on creamers and sweeteners you add to tea and coffee.

Don’t replace saturated fat with sugar. Many of us replace healthy sources of saturated fat, such as whole milk dairy, with refined carbs, thinking we’re making a healthier choice. Low-fat doesn’t mean healthy when the fat has been replaced by added sugar.

Sweeten foods yourself. Buy unsweetened iced tea, plain yogurt, or unflavored oatmeal, for example, and add sweetener (or fruit) yourself. You’ll likely add far less sugar than the manufacturer.

Check labels and opt for low sugar products and use fresh or frozen ingredients instead of canned goods. Be especially aware of the sugar content of cereals and sugary drinks.

Avoid processed or packaged foods like canned soups, frozen dinners, or low-fat meals that often contain hidden sugar. Prepare more meals at home.

Reduce the amount of sugar in recipes by ¼ to ⅓. You can boost sweetness with mint, cinnamon, nutmeg, or vanilla extract instead of sugar.

Find healthy ways to satisfy your sweet tooth. Instead of ice cream, blend up frozen bananas for a creamy, frozen treat. Or enjoy a small chunk of dark chocolate, rather than a milk chocolate bar.

Start with half of the dessert you normally eat, and replace the other half with fruit

WAY TO REDUCE UNHEALTHY FATS AND ADD HEALTHY FATS

1. Instead of chips or crackers, snack on nuts or seeds or add them to your morning cereal. Nut butters are also very satisfying.
2. Instead of frying, choose to broil, bake, or stir-fry.
3. Avoid saturated fat from processed meats, packaged meals, and takeout food.
4. Vary your diet with free range chicken, eggs, fish, and vegetarian sources of protein.
5. If you choose to eat red meat, try to look for “organic” and “grass-fed”.
6. Use cold-pressed extra-virgin olive oil to dress salads, cooked vegetables, or pasta dishes. Use coconut oil for stovetop cooking.
7. Commercial salad dressings are often high in calories and trans fat so create your own with extra virgin olive oil, flaxseed oil, or sesame oil.
8. Add avocados to sandwiches and salads or make guacamole. Along with being loaded with healthy fats, they make for a filling and satisfying meal.
9. Enjoy full-fat dairy in moderation and choose organic or raw milk, cheese, butter, and yoghurt when possible

Exercise can help you manage your weight and may improve your insulin sensitivity.  An easy way to start exercising is to walk for 30 minutes a day (or for three 10-minute sessions if that’s easier). You can also try swimming, biking, or any other moderate-intensity activity that has you working up a light sweat and breathing harder so that diabetes reversed.