RealAge Article
Rating
Eating for Better Blood Sugar - Page 2
By RealAge
Page 2 of 2
- Fish -- Because high blood sugar can put your heart health at risk, you'll want to do everything you can to protect your heart. And that means choosing healthful lean protein for your diet. Fish just happens to fit the bill and also brings the added benefit of heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids to the table.
- Low-fat dairy -- This is another good choice for lean protein. And new research suggests that higher dairy intake may help prevent type 2 diabetes onset!
- Nuts -- This is the snack that really satisfies. Next time you get a craving for potato chips, grab a handful of nuts instead -- preferably unsalted. Nuts fill you up with fiber and load you up on omega-3 fatty acids as well.
Fill your fridge -- and your tummy -- with these other tasty foods that will lower your blood sugar.
Subtract These Trouble Makers
Okay, you're adding great stuff to your plate. But something's gotta give, or your plate is going to spill over, along with your waistline. So here are the items you should be eating less of -- for the sake of your blood sugar:
- Refined grains -- White breads, white pasta, white rice, refined-flour pastries . . . they all get digested quickly by the body, sending your blood sugar on a roller-coaster ride. Switch to whole grains.
- Sugary foods -- Like refined flour, sugar is digested in a snap, flooding your bloodstream with glucose. Sugar is not completely off the table. Just make it the occasional treat, because the real goocher with sugar is the calories. (The YOU Docs have some myths and facts to share about sugar and diabetes.)
- Red meat -- Cutting back on the cow will reduce your intake of saturated fat -- the bad-for-your-heart kind that can pad your waistline. The YOU Docs recommend that everyone reduce red meat intake to one 4-ounce serving per week or less.
- Fried foods -- French fries, onion rings, and other fried foods are yet another source of saturated fat that you'll want to avoid. Plus, these are energy-dense foods, which means that you're likely to get more calories than your body needs -- another big no-no when it comes to blood sugar.
The bottom line is that eating too much of anything -- even healthful foods -- is bad news for your body. When you take in more calories than you need, your body has more blood sugar than it can use. (Watch this video for tips on choosing smart portion sizes.)
Print this blood-sugar-friendly shopping list for your next grocery store run.
