Keeping a list of healing foods for diabetics handy helps you choose the best foods to regulate blood glucose levels and ward off complications such as heart disease. Your diet should provide the highest quality of nutrients and a minimal amount of the types of calories that can make your diabetes worse. Consult your doctor or a diabetic dietitian before changing your diet.
Vegetables and Fruits
These plant foods are rich in vitamins, minerals, fiber and antioxidants. Some vitamins, such as A, C and E, found in vegetables and fruits are also antioxidants, which fight free-radical cell damage in your body. The higher the levels of antioxidants in your body, the better able it is to withstand the metabolic changes caused by diabetes, according to Maureen Keane, a certified nutritionist, and her coauthors in "What to Eat If You Have Diabetes."
Foods Rich in Soluble Fiber
Foods packed with dietary fiber are essential on a diabetic meal plan. Soluble fiber reaches the colon without being broken down. In the colon, bacteria ferment soluble fiber and create products, such as short-chain fatty acids, which enter the blood stream. When short-chain fatty acids reach the liver, they suppress cholesterol production. Some of the best sources of soluble fiber include apples, barley, carrots, citrus fruits, carrots, oats, peas and psyllium.
Fish
Not only is fish a good source of protein, helping to create, repair and maintain cells and tissue in your body, but it also is rich in healthy fats. Omega-3 essential fatty acids reduce inflammation, which plays a role in the development of insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes. Inflammation also increases your risk of complications of diabetes, such as heart disease and stroke. The richest sources of omega-3 fats are coldwater fish such as salmon, halibut, mackerel, herring and sardines. However, if you are pregnant and have diabetes, consult your doctor before increasing your fish intake.
Soy Foods
These foods, which are staples in vegetarian and vegan diets, are also healing foods for diabetics. Soy is the only plant source of complete protein, providing you with all nine essential amino acids, and it does not increase blood glucose levels. Soy foods might also improve insulin function and fasting insulin levels, according to a United Kingdom study published in "Diabetes Care" in October 2002. Soy products include tofu, soy beverages, miso and tempeh. Whenever possible, choose brands fortified with other nutrients such as calcium, iron and vitamin D.
References
- "What to Eat If You Have Diabetes"; Maureen Keane et al; 2007
- American Diabetes Association: Diabetes Meal Plans
- MayoClinic.com: Dietary Fiber --- Essential for a Healthy Life
- "Diabetes Forecast"; "How Inflammation Affects Insulin Resistance"; March 2011
- "Diabetes Care"; "Beneficial Effects of Soy Phytoestrogen Intake in Postmenopausal Women With Type 2 Diabetes"; Vijay Jayagopal et al; December 2002
