In an era where diabetes is now a common condition, a healthy low carbon diet will be the only thing standing in the way to improving a diabetic condition. Limiting sugar and fat intake is crucial while consuming a low carbon diet
Diabetes is a disease caused by excessive sugar intake and low blood sugar level. The very common types of diabetics include; type1 and type 2 diabetes. Many people believe that diabetes is only caused by a high blood sugar level in your body. As true as that may be, low blood sugar levels can cause diabetes. One way to maintain an optimum blood sugar level can be achieved by following a low-carb diet. A low-carb diet would lower your risk of getting hypoglycemia. Nevertheless, a healthy low-carb diet means you consume a total amount of less than 130g in a day. Below are tips you need to consider when settling for a low-carb diet.
Avoid sugary foods with high fructose
Recent studies show fructose is more toxic to our health than normal sugar. By all means, DO NOT skip your breakfast. This is the most important meal of the day to help keep your blood sugar levels steady. It is best to avoid drinks manufactured using artificial sweeteners such as stevia. Instead of taking sweetened and carbonated drinks, take water. You will never go wrong with enough water in a diet.
What’s more, it is safe to consume whole fruits with naturally low sugars as snacks. Avoid tropical fruits like pineapples, mangoes, and bananas because of their high carbs. Instead, consume fruits in this category plums, lemon, clementines, peaches, etc.
Get plenty fiber
Fibers bring upon a feeling of early satiety. Additionally, natural fibers found in foods cannot be converted into sugars and therefore have a lower chance of raising your blood sugar levels. Plant sourced food has three carbs forms: starch, fiber, and sugars. Amongst the three, only starch and sugar can raise the blood sugar level. Carbs with low to moderate amounts include leafy greens, veggies, legumes, high fiber pieces of bread, and tortillas
Consume a variety of vegetables
Eat vegetables as often as you can! Green leafy vegetables will provide you with Vitamin C in plenty and fiber for roughages. As mentioned above, fibers bring upon early satiety. While vegetables are extremely important to maintain your low-carb diet, not all are healthy in this case. Avoid vegetables with excessive starch such as butternut squash, potatoes, and sugary foods, including beets, carrots, and the likes. With all said, focus on consuming vegetables such as; arugula, eggplant, broccoli, green beans, asparagus, etc.
Proteins
All your favorite proteins contain a tiny bit of carbs. Try to consume lean proteins that are low in saturated fats such as eggs, tofu, etc. most importantly, steer clear of meat that has been treated with sweeteners such as cured meat with honey. Proteins such as fish and other seafood would serve you well while providing you with the necessary nutrients.
Oils and fats
Avoid fatty foods like potato chips or deep-fried foods like chicken. These are full of cholesterol and pose a health hazard. For cooking, olive oil, corn oil, and canola are recommended because of their low or no cholesterol levels. Saturated f
Nevertheless, without effective planning, a low-carb diet becomes difficult to manage. Before you decide on the preferable diet, book an appointment with your nutritionist and get professional advice on how to go about this.
Carb counting
Carb counting is one of the many ways used to manage diabetes. Before diving into carb counting, people with diabetes should speak to their healthcare providers and nutritionist to dictate; the recommended daily intake of carbs, what foods are preferred, and whether carb counting is appropriate. Depending on your type of diabetes, people require a specific amount of carbs.
For people with type 1 diabetes
The strongest evidence propose that carb counting is the best way to monitor your blood sugar levels if you have type 1 diabetes. In this case, match the amount of insulin taken and compare it to the number of carbs provided in the diet. Though carb counting should not be used to replace medication as this might worsen the underlying condition. There is no strong research evidence that taking a healthy low-carb diet helps manage type 1 diabetes.
For people with type 2 Diabetes
The best way to deal with type 2 diabetes is to manage weight. Diabetes goes hand in hand with obesity and overweight. Ensure to work towards finding a way to lose weight to manage to avoid worsening type 2 diabetes. This means doing some physical exercise, trying a weight management diet with low carbs, and going for therapy to help focus and revisit your goals.
Side effects
Depending on the approach, a low-carb diet can have multiple side effects. Some of the common side effects include constipation and bad breath, a sign that the body is deficient in fiber. Good enough, these are provisional and wouldn’t last for long. Taking more water would help manage constipation cases while keeping you hydrated. Increasing fiber intake also keeps you out of the loop. Speak to a doctor or nutritionist if other symptoms are persistent side effects. In a few cases, diabetics develop allergies arising from their change of diet, while some are due to diabetic drugs.
Stay in close contact with your doctors to help you monitor your health and make adjustments where necessary. When need be, the diet should be changed from time to time to confirm its effectiveness. Health instructors shouldn’t just be at the beginning of your journey but all through to help you stick on course.
Conclusion
A healthy low-carb diet is suited to help moderate carbs from other foods containing sugars like milk, pasta, and other processed foods. This helps to prevent you from lifestyle diseases like obesity, heart diseases, diabetes, and blood pressure. However, there is not enough research to show the long-term effects of consuming a healthy low-carb diet. All said, pay attention to the quality of fats and protein you consume when you limit your carbs. Additionally, discuss with your health instructor the best diet for your condition and ensure to walk with them in your journey.
Sleep specialist
Using the acquired academic and professional experience, I advise patients with various complaints about mental health - depressed mood, nervousness, lack of energy and interest, sleep disorders, panic attacks, obsessive thoughts and anxieties, difficulty concentrating, and stress. In my free time, I love to paint and go on long walks on the beach. One of my latest obsessions is sudoku – a wonderful activity to calm an unease mind.
- Chickpeas vs. Garbanzo Beans: What’s the Difference? - April 19, 2024
- How to Manage or Improve Anxiety - September 21, 2023
- The birth of a company - July 29, 2023
