Limit fish like shark, swordfish, and tilefish, as these have a higher risk of mercury contamination. The American Diabetes Association (ADA) echoes these recommendations for people with diabetes. The ADA also notes that it's best to grill, broil, or bake fish, as breaded and fried fish packs extra carbs and calories.
Fish is a good food for people with diabetes. Protein provides some of our energy needs and omega 3 may help our heart health. Low levels of vitamin D are common in people with diabetes, so including fish in the diet is a good way to add to your dietary vitamin D intake.
Tuna, halibut, and fish with omega-3 fatty acids
Since protein doesn't impact blood sugar levels, it doesn't have a GI ranking and won't raise blood sugar levels. Protein also increases satiety, so relying on protein to feel full instead of bread, rice, or pasta may be a good way to manage your blood sugar.
A high intake of fatty fish like salmon and sardines has been shown to help improve blood sugar regulation.
The American Diabetes Association recommends choosing whole grain bread or 100 percent whole wheat bread instead of white bread. White bread is made from highly processed white flour and added sugar. Here are some delicious and healthy breads to try: Joseph's Flax, Oat Bran and Wheat Pita Bread.
A 5-ounce can of tuna provides around 20 grams of protein and no carbs, which makes it a great snack option if you have diabetes. Additionally, tuna provides small amounts of omega-3 fatty acids, which have been shown to help manage diabetes due to their potential to lower inflammation and improve blood sugar control.
Exercise is a fast and effective way to lower your blood sugar levels. Exercise can lower your blood sugar for 24 hours or more after you've finished. This is because it makes your body more sensitive to insulin. Physical activity causes the body to demand glucose for energy.
Choose Grilled Fish instead of Fried Fish
In addition, fried food is often wrapped in a breading of flour, which is rich in carbohydrates and causes glycemic peaks. For these reasons, you can enjoy a delicious dish greatly reducing the negative effects by choosing Fish and Chips with grilled cod instead of fried.
Is steak OK for diabetics? If you're choosing cuts of meat with less marbling, steak can certainly fit into a diabetes-friendly diet in moderation.
Sweet potatoes have a sterling nutritional profile, making them a great food for people with diabetes. Here's how to start incorporating them into your diet. Sweet potatoes are one of the most popular foods for diabetes at Everyday Health, and with good reason.
Fried Chicken Restaurants
In general, poultry is a smart choice while following a diabetes-friendly diet—except when it's breaded or dipped in flour and fried. This version adds not just carbs but saturated fat and calories as well to menu items at restaurants like KFC (Kentucky Fried Chicken) and Popeyes.
Though prawns are known to be high in cholesterol levels, this cholesterol does not increase the cholesterol levels in our bodies. Having 150 grams of prawn per week in your diabetes diet plan is okay.
The AHA recommends eating 2 servings of fish per week, where 1 serving equals 3.5 ounces of cooked fish, or about ¾ cup of flaked fish. Furthermore, they emphasize eating fatty fish like Shrimp, Salmon, and Tilapia, because these choices are especially high in omega-3 fatty acids.
But there is one food that stands alone as the best snack for lower blood sugar: nuts. Nuts are delicious, nutritious and incredibly versatile as far as snack foods go. Plus, they can be stored at room temperature (or in the freezer for longer periods of time) and are great for grab-and-go snacks.
Lemon juice significantly lowered the mean blood glucose concentration peak by 30% (p < 0.01) and delayed it more than 35 min (78 vs. 41 min with water, p < 0.0001).
Drinking water not only fights dehydration, it can also help your body get rid of excess glucose. If you're living with diabetes, you should drink plenty of fluids — about 1.6 liters (L) or 6.5 cups per day for women; and 2 L or 8.5 glasses per day for men.
So people reduce their carb intake, go on a low carbohydrate diet, and focus on eating healthy fats and (in many cases) too much protein. But what this solution crucially fails to address is insulin resistance, which is the true cause of those high blood glucose numbers.
Potatoes are a versatile and delicious vegetable that can be enjoyed by everyone, including people with diabetes. However, because of their high carb content, you should limit portion sizes, always eat the skin, and choose low GI varieties, such as Carisma and Nicola.
High in fiber and protein, beans are digested slowly in your body, making them great for managing blood glucose levels in a type 2 diabetes diet.
Sweet potatoes are one of the best types of potato for people with diabetes, as they are low-GI and contain more fiber than white potatoes. Sweet potatoes are also a good source of calcium and vitamin A. Carisma potatoes, a variety of white potato, are another lower-GI option.