! The right diet for diabetics must be rich in fruits, nuts, whole grains and vegetables.! !

A diabetes diet or MNT (medical nutrition therapy) for diabetes should also be low in fats and calories even as it packs natural nutrients.! ! The chief aim of a diabetes diet is to help control blood sugar levels. This is done to prevent large uctuations in blood sugar levels and also to manage body weight more e"ectively. Therefore, the right diabetes diet should signicantly lower blood sugar and reduce the risks of cardiovascular, kidney and related diseases associated with diabetes.! ! A diabetes diet is not a restrictive diet. Rather, it is simply a selection of healthful foods that can help lower blood sugar levels and improve insulin sensitivity. This means that the foods that make up a diabetes diet are highly recommended for diabetics and non-diabetics alike.! ! Nuts! Nuts are excellent sources of essential nutrients like magnesium, potassium, phosphorus, copper, selenium, folate, vitamin E and vitamin B2. They are also rich in proteins, bers and natural antioxidants.! ! Antioxidants like vitamin E and selenium can protect the insulin-producing beta cells of the pancreas from oxidative destruction. However, the most important reason for including nuts in a diabetes diet is their low glycemic index.! ! With their high-ber content and low glycemic index, nuts can reduce insulin resistance in type 2 diabetes patients.! ! In addition, nuts contain unsaturated fats, essential fatty acids such as linoleic acid and omega-3 fatty acids. Because of the type of fats and fatty acids they contain, nuts generally have hypolipidemic properties.! ! By improving the bodys lipid prole, nuts can reduce the risks of coronary heart diseases especially in diabetics. This protection has been conrmed by multiple clinical trials demonstrating that nuts can indeed

lower serum LDL (low-density lipoprotein) cholesterol level.! ! Lastly, nuts improves satiety and reduces craving for carbohydrates. Therefore, it can help reduce caloric intake and prevent binge eating.! ! By reducing the intake of simple sugars and processed foods, nuts can help diabetics avoid spikes in blood sugar levels and allow the body to e#ciently use insulin.! ! Nuts That Can Lower Blood Sugar Level! Almond! Walnuts! Peanuts! Brazil nuts! Pecans! Cashews! Macadamia nuts! ! Vegetables! Vegetables make a wide class of edible plant parts with varying nutritional value. Generally, vegetables are rich in minerals and vitamins especially vitamins A, B6 and K. In addition, vegetables also contain ber, carbohydrates, proteins and fats.! ! Besides these nutrients, vegetables also contain a variety of phytochemicals with di"erent medicinal properties.! ! Vegetables can help reduce the risks of type 2 diabetes and the cardiovascular problems associated with it. Therefore, they are recommended for diabetics to help achieve better blood sugar controls.! ! However, all vegetables are not equal. Some contain antinutrients and toxins like oxalic acid and cyanide. These are usually removed during cooking but food processing can also destroy some of the nutrients in vegetables.! ! Dietitians recommend non-starchy vegetables for better glycemic control.! !

Starchy vegetables (like potatoes, peas, corn and lima beans) can increase the glycemic loads of diets. Because they contain more carbohydrates than non-starchy vegetables, these vegetables can raise blood sugar level.! ! Best Vegetables for Improved Glycemic Control! Onion Onion is a rich source of antioxidants that can protect the pancreas from oxidative destruction. It also contains nutrients (such as vitamins A, B1, B3, B6, C and D) benecial to diabetics. More importantly, it is an excellent source of chromium, a trace mineral proven to help reduce blood glucose. In addition, onion improves the bodys response to insulin. Therefore, it can also reduce insulin resistance.! Artichoke Artichoke is commonly included in diabetes diets because of its mild hypoglycemic properties. The phytochemical in artichoke responsible for lowering blood sugar is cynarine. In addition, it has one of the highest antioxidant capacity among vegetables. Lastly, artichoke can help improve lipid prole by increasing HDL cholesterol level while reducing LDL level.! Celery Celery is a low caloric vegetable with high ber content. Therefore, it can contribute to weight loss even as it improves insulin sensitivity. In addition, it can help lower cholesterol levels and reduce the overall acidity of the body.! ! Dietary Fiber! Dietary ber is the term used to describe the edible parts of plants made up of non-digestible carbohydrates and lignins that reduce absorption in the gastrointestinal tract.! ! Fiber can be soluble or insoluble. Soluble ber dissolves in water. Once dissolved it slows down the movement of food through the gut and it is readily fermented. The fermentation causes gas and bloating.! ! On the other hand, insoluble ber does not dissolve in water. Instead, it absorbs water and forms into a bulk. Insoluble ber is inert and speeds the movement of food through the gastrointestinal tract.! ! Sources of dietary ber includes fruits, fruit skins and fruit juices; nuts and seeds; vegetables; whole grain foods and bran; and root tubers.!

! Dietary bers act by 3 main mechanisms: bulking, viscosity and fermentation. Of these, the rst 2 are of importance to blood sugar control.! ! Fibers bind to bile acid and reduce its absorption. This lowers cholesterol levels in the blood and can help reduce the complications of diabetes. However, bers also have direct e"ects on blood sugar level. For example, soluble bers can regulate the absorption of sugar, prevent spiking sugar levels and, therefore, control insulin response to high sugar levels.! ! Studies have shown that the consumption of insoluble bers can reduce the risk of diabetes.! ! How these bers protect against diabetes is unknown but one study showed that resistant starch (a type of insoluble ber) can increase insulin sensitivity in non-diabetics, people with developing insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes patients.! ! How Dietary Fibers Help Diabetics! Reduce appetite and promote satiety by increasing the volume of ingested food without increasing its caloric content or glycemic index! Absorb water to turn into a viscous gel that protects carbohydrates from being broken down to simple sugars by stomach enzymes! Reduce the absorption of carbohydrates and fats by speeding their passage through the gastrointestinal tract! Delay the absorption of glucose! Reduce blood sugar and insulin levels! Prevent wide variations in blood sugar levels! Lower total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol levels! ! Whole Grains! Whole grains are recommended for diabetics in place of rened grains. Unlike rened grain that contains only endosperm, whole grain is also made up of cereal germ and bran.! ! While whole grain contains about the same amount of carbohydrate as

rened grain, it has a smaller surface area. Therefore, the enzymes responsible for breaking down carbohydrate make lower amounts of simple sugars from whole grains.! ! In addition, whole grain contains a signicant amount of dietary ber. This means that whole grains are digested at slower rates. Therefore, they do not cause spikes and wide uctuations in blood sugar and insulin levels.! ! Di"erent studies have conrmed these benets of whole grains and their superiority over rened grains.! ! In one study, whole grain consumption produced lower fasting insulin levels than rened grains. Furthermore, whole grains reduced insulin resistance especially in participants who were obese and those who su"ered from type 2 diabetes.! ! Therefore, whole grains reduce the risks of type 2 diabetes. They also reduce the risks of cardiovascular complications because they lower the levels of triglycerides and LDL cholesterol.! ! Examples of whole grains that can help lower blood sugar levels are oat, wheat, barley, rye, millet and brown rice.! ! Lemon Juice and Vinegar! Vinegar is a weak acid obtained from a variety of sources including fruits, honey, malt and rice.! ! Vinegar is commonly used in food preparation to pickle and avor foods. Eating foods prepared with vinegar increases satiety. Therefore, vinegar can reduce caloric intake and the amount of foods consumed because it increases the feeling of fullness.! ! Vinegar also has a direct e"ect on blood glucose levels. In fact, before hypoglycemic drugs were introduced, diabetics used vinegar to reduce the symptoms of type 2 diabetes.! ! Di"erent studies support the use of vinegar in this way. By adding a little vinegar to food, vinegar can reduce the amount of sugar released from

carbohydrates. This e"ect has been demonstrated both in diabetics and non-diabetics.! ! Lastly, vinegar can also reduce the serum levels of triglycerides and cholesterol. Therefore, vinegar can reduce blood pressure and the cardiovascular complications associated with diabetes.! ! Lemon juice also shares most of the anti-diabetic e"ects of vinegar although it is not as e"ective. Like vinegar, lemon juice contains antioxidants that can protect the pancreas from oxidative damage.! ! Other fruits and fruit juices may provide similar benets. However, care should be taken because fruits contain high sugar levels. However, if the acid content is high enough, a fruit may provide an overall positive benet.! ! Therefore, fruits with high acid and high ber contents are especially recommended for diabetics.! ! Besides lemon, other fruits that may help lower blood sugar levels include sour cherries, sour apples, strawberries, grapefruit, cranberries, pomegranate and kiwi.! ! Oily Fish and Lean Meats! Fish rich in omega-3 fatty acids are good for the heart and can help reduce cholesterol levels.! ! Examples of such sh are cod, halibut and tuna. These sh have lower total fat than poultry and meat. However, lean meats have low fat contents too and are, therefore, recommended for diabetics.! ! The protein in lean meats can also reduce the absorption of carbohydrates. In addition, meat is an excellent source of chromium, a trace mineral proven to improve glycemic control.