• The right food choices will help you control your blood sugar level
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Today is World Diabetes Day, a day to raise awareness for both type 1 and type 2 diabetes. This year’s theme is "the nurse and diabetes".
When managing diabetes and pre-diabetes, the eating plan is a powerful tool. What you eat is closely connected to the amount of sugar in your blood. The right food choices will help you control your blood sugar level.
Below are foods that can help control your blood sugar levels:
High-fiber carbohydrates
Foods that are rich in fiber can help you feel full for longer, preventing hunger pangs that might lead to snacking on foods that will spike high blood sugar.
Eggs
The egg is one of the foods which are full of proteins. The protein will help keep you full without affecting your blood sugar. Protein not only slows digestion, but it also slows glucose absorption. This is very helpful if you have diabetes.
Pumpkin and pumpkin seeds
Brightly coloured and packed with fiber and antioxidants, pumpkin is a great choice for blood sugar regulation. In fact, pumpkin is used as a traditional diabetic remedy in many countries.
Beans and lentils
Beans and lentils are rich in nutrients, such as magnesium, fiber and protein, that can help lower blood sugar.
Leafy greens
Green vegetables are highly nutritious and have very low digestible carbs. Therefore, eating leafy greens is highly recommended for diabetics as they maintain blood sugar levels.
Chia seeds
Eating chia seeds may help benefit blood sugar control. Studies have linked chia seed consumption to reductions in blood sugar levels and improvements in insulin sensitivity.
The writer, Lucy Chege is a registered and licensed nutritionist based in Kenya, proficient in medical nutrition therapy.
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