When you have diabetes, your diet often focuses on controlling your blood sugar levels. However, it’s also important to make sure the foods you’re eating work towards preventing diabetes-related conditions such as heart disease. On top of your regular treatment, consider adding plenty of these heart healthy foods to your diet, whether you have type 1 or type 2 diabetes.
Find some Fatty Fish
In addition to bolstering overall health, fatty fish such as salmon, herring, sardines, and mackerel tout all of the benefits of omega-3 fatty acids. These fats, namely DHA and EPA protect the cells that line your blood vessels, and reduce markers of inflammation. This helps your arteries to function and can help prevent heart attack and stroke.
Get your Leafy Greens
These vegetables, like spinach and kale, offer plenty of vitamins and minerals. They are also low in digestible carbs, so they shouldn’t cause large spikes in blood sugar. What’s more, they boast large servings of Vitamin C, which some research has shown tends to be lower in diabetic people, requiring them to get a larger intake than non diabetics.
Always add Avocado
You may have heard avocado being propped up as a super food in recent years, and it’s for good reason. Avocado has less than a gram of sugar, minimal carbs, high fiber and a ton of healthy fat. This makes it the ideal snack for people with diabetes, as it’s not likely to cause a spike in blood sugar. In a 2019 study on mice, a fat molecule found only in Avocados was found to inhibit incomplete oxidation in the skeletal muscles and pancreas -- a process which may reduce insulin resistance.
Change it up with Chia Seeds
Chia seeds are similarly high in fiber and low in digestible carbs, making them an awesome choice for people with diabetes. They also offer plenty of protein (4.7 grams in two tablespoons.) The fiber in chia seeds is actually a viscous fiber, which means it can even work to lower your blood sugar by slowing down the rate at which food moves through your gut and is digested. Look up recipes for delicious “Chia Pudding'' which can be altered to incorporate some of the other health foods we mentioned, and to use the right amount of sugar for you.
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