Diabetes: Reverse Your Diabetes With a Clear and Concise Step by Step Guide: (Diabetes, Diabetes Diet, Diabetes free, Diabetes Cure, Reversing Diabetes) (3 page)

All three possess the capability to block the inflammation causing compounds in your body. This lowers the risk of diabetes.

Here are some excellent sources of omega-3 fatty acids:

• EPA:
  Mackerel, Salmon, Tuna, Sardines, Shark, Sea bass
  
• DHA:
  Wild Salmon, Tuna, Mackerel, Shark, Sardines, Omega-3 enriched eggs
  
• ALA:
  Walnuts, Flaxseeds, Soybean oil, Canola oil, Omega-3 enriched eggs, Flax oils, Sardines
  

And now let us talk about the
ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acids
. So, what is the recommended ratio?

It is important to understand that omega-6 fatty acids, if consumed in large quantities produce arachidonic acid which elevates the inflammation in your body.
Omega-6 fatty acids are therefore considered to be pro-inflammatory while omega-3’s are anti-inflammatory
. Anything that is pro-inflammatory is BAD for diabetics.

The traditional hunter gatherer diet or the Eskimo diet maintained a ratio of 1:1. This has increased at an alarming rate today. The processed and prepackaged food has made matters worse. Although it is highly recommended that you cut down on excessive consumption of omega-6 fatty acids, what matters most is that you are consuming a great source of omega-3 fatty acids every day.

Your best bet for fast food should be veggies and fruits
: Fruits and vegetables constitute the perfect fast food.

Hungry? That packet of instant noodles will still take two minutes, just grab an apple and take a bite!

The fiber in veggies and fruits can bind to the cholesterol and therefore, facilitate flushing it out of the bloodstream. The recommended intake of fruits and veggies for an adult male or a teenage boy is around nine servings. Women and teenage girls should aim at a minimum of seven servings. Try increasing your intake of veggies and fruits by adding one extra serving every week. The next chapter is focused on specific foods that you should or should not eat. Do read that before getting started.

Eliminate prepackaged and processed food from your diet
: I cannot emphasize the importance of eliminating refined carbohydrates, processed and pre-packaged food from your diet. These are simply empty calories that lead to a number of health problems including diabetes and obesity.

Since all frozen meals, breakfast bars, canned fruits, biscuits, margarine, juices with added sugar, pasta, white rice, white bread, white flour, cookies, cakes, fried meals, etc. are all refined and processed – these should be eliminated from your diet. I understand that it is not realistically possible to eliminate these foods completely from your diet. However, I would still recommend that you consume them with caution – as sparingly as possible!

Eat at regular intervals
: It is important to understand that you only need to reduce 7% of your body weight in order to dramatically reduce the risk of diabetes. The best approach that works with diabetics is:

• Keeping track of what your eat and
  
• Following a regular eating schedule
  

Here are some things that you can do to ensure that you have a regular eating schedule:

Never miss breakfast.
For diabetics, it is the most important meal of the day. A good, healthy and nourishing breakfast is recommended for balancing your blood sugar levels and maintaining energy.

Eat regular, small meals six times in a day
. Frequent eating ensures that you keep a check on your portion size and also eliminate the risk of hypoglycemia.

Work on your calorie intake
. You must ensure that the amount of calories you consume in each meal as well as the calories that you consume each day are the same. This has a direct impact on maintenance of blood glucose levels.

Eat slowly and stop when you are full
. People who eat hastily almost always tend to overeat.

When it comes to keeping track of what you eat,
nothing beats a food journal
. People who maintain a food journal shed weight twice as fast as people who don’t. They can even maintain their slim self, solely through their food journal.

Writing down what you eat helps your recognize whenever you cheat on your calories and helps you make mindful, sensible, and smart food choices. As you write down the how, why and what of eating, you may realize that with you, overeating is always a result of stress. So, may be that is an area that we need to work upon!

The diabetic lifestyle involves a number of dietary changes. Foods are measured on a scale known as
glycemic index.
Glycemic index ranks food between 1 and100. This is based on the spike they produce in blood sugar. Foods with glycemic index 50 or lower are generally recommended for diabetics.

Here are some foods that are recommended for diabetics:

APPLES
:

‘An apple a day keeps the doctor away.’ This saying is absolutely true as apples contain antioxidants that help in lowering LDL cholesterol levels. Regular consumption of apples lowers the risk of diabetes by 23%

The high fiber in apples reduces the risk of many other diseases too!

Granny Smith apples are considered the best for diabetics owing to their low sugar content.

CARROTS
:

Carrots are really low in carbohydrate content. In fact, because of the low glycemic index, five baby carrots are considered as ‘free food’ since the number of calories required to consume them is more than the number of calories in carrot itself.

The high beta carotene content in carrots can help in lowering the risk of type 2 diabetes – even in individuals with genetic predispositions.

BROCCOLI
:

The vitamin C content in broccoli is even more than that present in oranges. Vitamin C is very important in diabetics since it helps in strengthening the potentially damaged blood vessels. Vitamin C also helps in wound healing, which is a must! It also helps in eliminating sorbitol from the blood. Excess sorbitol can damage blood vessels. Adequate amount of vitamin C intake can diminish the chances of getting impacted by diabetes. The only downside is that this can impact the accuracy of blood glucose tests.

AVOCADO
:

Acknowledged for its heart healthy unsaturated fat content, this food helps in improving your cholesterol levels and lowering the risk of heart diseases. Research suggests that consumption of unsaturated fats lowers the risk of diabetes by 25%. The Oleic acid found in avocados has been linked to causing a reduction in triglyceride levels. Avocados also help you process glucose more efficiently.

Blueberries
:

Diabetics shy away from fruits due to the amount of sugar content in them. Blueberries, however, are rich in antioxidants which aid in preventing cancer as well as other lifestyle disorders including diabetes. Consumption of two or more servings of blueberries per day can lower the risk of developing diabetes even without considering risk factors such as age, weight, etc. The high fiber content in blueberries goes a long way in managing blood sugar spikes.

ASPARAGUS
:

Asparagus contains an antioxidant termed as glutathione which reduces the impact of diabetes on the body. Research suggests that consumption of antioxidants is strongly linked to easing the impact of diabetes on the body. Antioxidants even promote the production of insulin.

BEANS
:

Consumption of at least one cup legumes everyday increases the body’s ability to control blood sugar and lower blood pressure. The high fiber content in beans diminishes the impact of many diseases including diabetes. People consuming beans and legumes demonstrate lower fasting blood glucose sugar level.