A Diabetic Diet: The Best & Worst Foods

In this article, Zulal Wellness Resort's experts discuss the best and worst foods to include in your diet if you suffer from diabetes.

One of the best ways to manage blood sugar levels effectively is to fill your diet with nutrient-rich whole foods. Here are a few of the top choices on the diabetic food list:

Foods high in fibre

Make it your goal to consume a minimum of 30g of fibre daily. This can be easily achieved by incorporating a variety of nutrient-rich foods into your diet. Think vibrant vegetables such as Brussels sprouts and artichokes, along with creamy avocados, juicy berries, and crunchy nuts and seeds. Pay special attention to chia seeds and flaxseeds, which are particularly rich sources of fibre.

Foods high in Chromium

Discover the essential role of chromium in supporting your body’s metabolism of carbohydrates and lipids. By incorporating foods rich in chromium into your diet, you can enhance your body’s glucose tolerance factor and maintain balanced blood glucose levels naturally. Chromium also plays a crucial part in insulin pathways, facilitating the transportation of glucose into our cells for energy production. While broccoli boasts the highest chromium content, you can also find this vital nutrient in raw cheese, green beans, brewer’s yeast, and grass-fed beef.

Magnesium rich foods

Magnesium contributes to the regulation of blood sugar levels by participating in glucose metabolism. Enhance your diet with magnesium-rich foods like spinach, chard, pumpkin seeds, almonds, yoghurt, and black beans to potentially alleviate symptoms associated with type two diabetes.

Healthy Fat Medium-chained fatty acids presented in coconut oil are known to help maintain stable blood sugar levels, acting as the body’s preferred energy source over sugar. Including coconut milk, ghee, and grass-fed butter in your diet can also assist in balancing blood sugar levels. Incorporate these nutritious fats into your meals and smoothies for added health benefits.

Clean protein 

Consuming protein-rich foods has a limited impact on your blood glucose levels and can aid in slowing down sugar absorption. Among the top sources of wholesome protein are wild-caught fish, rich in inflammation-reducing omega3 fats, grass-fed beef, organic chicken, lentils, eggs, and bone broth. Incorporating these clean protein sources into your diet can offer various health benefits.

Foods with a low glycaemic load

Foods with a high glycaemic index are converted into sugar more quickly after consumption than those with a low glycaemic index. For individuals managing diabetes, opting for low glycaemic foods like non-starchy vegetables, stone fruits, berries, nuts, seeds, avocados, coconut, organic meat, eggs, wild-caught fish, and raw pastured dairy is advisable.

There are also several foods that you can enjoy in moderation, provided they fit within your daily carbohydrate allotment. Here are a few examples of foods to consume in limited quantities:

• Nuts: Almonds, Pistachios, Walnuts, Macadamia Nuts, etc.
• Seeds: Chia Seeds, Flax Seeds, etc.
• Fruits: Apples, Berries, Oranges, Bananas, Pears, etc.
• Dairy products: Dairy Milk, Kefir, Cheese and Yogurt from Goats, Sheep.

Foods to avoid

As crucial as filling your plate with nutritious whole foods is the necessity of restricting foods that may cause spikes in your blood sugar levels. Here are some items on the diabetic and prediabetic food list that you should steer clear of, and these certain foods can adversely impact your blood sugar levels, instigate inflammation, and elicit immune responses. To naturally reverse diabetes, the initial step is to eliminate these foods from your diet:

Refined sugar

Refined sugar swiftly raises blood glucose levels, with soda, fruit juice, and other sugary drinks being the main offenders. These sugary forms are swiftly absorbed into the bloodstream, leading to significant spikes in blood glucose. While natural sweeteners like raw honey and maple syrup are preferable, they can still influence blood sugar levels, so it’s best to use them sparingly. Consider transitioning to stevia, a natural sweetener with a lesser impact on blood sugar.

Grains

Grains, particularly those containing gluten like wheat, are packed with carbohydrates that quickly turn into sugar after eating. Gluten can trigger inflammation in the intestines, messing with hormones such as cortisol and leptin, and causing blood sugar spikes. Give your body a break from grains for 90 days to let it heal. After that, reintroduce sprouted ancient grains slowly and in small portions to see how your body reacts.

Cow's milk

Standard cow’s milk and dairy products should be avoided, particularly for individuals with type one diabetes. Dairy from goats, sheep, or A2 cows—when they’re pasture-raised—can be beneficial for stabilising blood sugar. However, it’s best to steer clear of other types of dairy because the A1 casein found in conventional cow’s milk can be harmful to the body, causing an immune response like gluten.

Alcohol

Alcohol can dangerously increase blood sugar and lead to liver toxicity.

Hydrogenated oils

Remove hydrogenated and rancid oils from your diet, such as vegetable oil, soybean oil, cottonseed oil, and canola oil. These oils undergo heavy processing, subjected to high temperatures, and mixed with bleaching agents and artificial dyes. Consuming them has been associated with various health issues, including diabetes.