Balancing your blood sugar levels is key to feeling your best every day. Over time, if your blood sugar levels remain too high, it can multiple health risks, including pre-diabetes, heart problems and more. Whether you’re managing diabetes, pre-diabetes, or simply want to avoid those mid-day energy crashes, the foods you eat play a significant role in your health and the way you feel. Learn which foods to include in your diet and which to avoid to help you keep your blood sugar in check.
FOODS TO EAT
Healthy carbohydrates that are rich in fibre are great for your diet, since they help balance blood sugar levels by slowing the absorption and release of sugar or glucose into your bloodstream. Our bodies also digest high-fibre foods more slowly, meaning that there is a more moderate rise in blood sugar. This includes foods such as whole grains (e.g. brown rice, whole oats), pulses (e.g. beans, lentils), fruits and vegetables, and dairy (e.g. unsweetened yogurt or milk).
FOODS TO AVOID
Foods in the simple carbohydrates category are foods you should try to avoid or only consume occasionally, since they are an immediate source of energy and can spike up blood sugar levels. They also do not keep you full for very long and can cause weight gain over time. This includes foods with sweeteners like sugary drinks, energy drinks, cakes, and biscuits. You should also avoid highly refined carbohydrates, which are mostly sugars and processed grains that can lead to sharp spikes in blood sugar and boost triglyceride levels (fat/lipid levels). This includes foods such as packaged cereals, white bread, pasta, white rice, and sweets.
It is not only the foods you eat, but the combination of food you eat that can cause a spike in blood sugar levels. Specific food pairings and balanced meals can help balance blood sugar levels. Avoiding highly refined carbohydrates can be challenging, so if you do eat those, it’s important to pair those with protein, fibre, and fats. An example of this would be eating toast and pairing it with an egg for protein, spreading butter or margarine for fat, and adding lettuce for fibre. This combination helps moderate blood sugar spikes, ensuring a more balanced blood sugar level and balanced diet.
FOODS TO EAT
Whole grains like brown rice and whole oats
Pulses like beans and lentils
Fruit and vegetables
Dairy
FOODS TO AVOID
Sugary drinks like energy drinks and fizzy drinks
Sweets and dessert like cake and biscuits
Starchy foods like wite bread, pasta and white rice
Persistently high blood sugar levels can lead to diabetes and other health complications, therefore it is important to eat foods rich in fibre and avoid highly refined carbohydrates to ensure balanced blood sugar levels and overall wellbeing.
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