Diabetes is a serious issue throughout the United States, one that can lead to many health complications. Choosing healthy foods for diabetic seniors won’t reverse diabetes overnight. Still, it can decrease your risk of diabetic complications or even diabetes itself.
Can Food Cure or Prevent Diabetes?
It’s easy to get caught up in the fads and social media claims of a quick fix, with many promising to cure or prevent diabetes altogether. If it were that easy, our society wouldn’t be in this predicament, with about 1 in 9 individuals diagnosed and undiagnosed diabetes across all ages.
For example, water fasting and drinking aloe vera smoothies won’t treat type 1 diabetes. Such approaches can even be risky for people already showing severe complications of type 2 diabetes.
Getting the correct diagnosis is the first step when deciding your treatment options. Nowadays, even people with prediabetes are encouraged to make lifestyle changes or undergo treatment to prevent the onset of diabetes.
Healthy Foods for Diabetic Seniors
Lifestyle changes are crucial for successfully managing diabetes, with the idea being to keep blood sugar levels within the normal range. Staying active, eating healthy, and maintaining a healthy weight can help manage and prevent diabetes and its complications.
A healthy meal for diabetes will be rich in vegetables, fruits, healthy proteins, and low in calories. Some of the best foods to eat to help prevent and manage diabetes include:
Leafy Green Vegetables
Leafy greens are low in calories and digestible carbs but rich in vitamins and antioxidants, which can help diabetes patients reduce cellular damage and inflammation.
The vitamin C in leafy greens also helps to protect the eyes and heart. Examples of healthy leafy greens for diabetes include broccoli, spinach, cabbage, collard greens, and kale. Patients may eat these vegetables in salads, soups, and side dishes.
Whole Grains
Whole grains are fibrous, nutritious, and slow absorbing, thus keeping blood glucose levels low. Examples of wholesome grains for diabetes include whole grain bread, whole grain pasta, millet, buckwheat, bulgur, quinoa, and brown rice.
However, you’ll need to be cautious here, as some sources of whole grains are still high in digestible carbs and may increase your blood sugar levels. You may need to combine them with lower GI foods or look for alternatives, like noodles for diabetics.
Eggs
Eggs improve insulin sensitivity, reduce inflammation, and regulate blood sugar levels. Eating eggs may also reduce the risk of stroke in susceptible individuals.
Interestingly, despite their cholesterol content, eggs may not increase heart disease risk for most people. If you’re uncertain, talk to your doctor to determine whether eggs are a good addition to your diet.
Fruits
Citrus fruits like oranges, grapefruits, and lemons are low in carbs and rich in vitamins and minerals, which help diabetes patients manage their blood sugar levels.
Other beneficial fruits for diabetes patients include apples, avocados, berries, pears, and plums.
Fatty Fish
The omega 3 fatty acids in fish promote heart and brain function. They also help control blood cholesterol and improve sugar regulation in diabetes patients.
Any type of fish will provide you with some omega 3 fatty acids. Oily fish gives you the most omega 3, including options like sardines, salmon, and tuna. Lean fish, like cod, are much lower in omega 3s, but are useful as a low calorie source of protein.
Nuts
Most nuts are fibrous and low in carbs, making them beneficial for diabetes patients. Studies show that regular nut consumption improves blood glucose levels and reduces the risk of heart disease. Healthy nuts include walnuts, almonds, cashews, peanuts, and pistachios.
Probiotic Yogurt
Probiotics are bacteria resident in the human gut that aid digestion and provide many health benefits. Some studies show that the intake of probiotic yogurt can lower cholesterol levels in type 2 diabetes patients, reducing the risk of heart disease. Diabetes patients should go for plain yogurts containing no sugar.
Foods to Avoid If You Have Diabetes
Heavy Carbohydrates
Carb-rich foods elevate blood sugar levels, and people with diabetes should consume them moderately. Patients can pair them in small amounts with healthy fats and protein to reduce the blood sugar impact.
Processed Meats
Processed meats should be avoided almost entirely, including additions like bacon, hot dogs, and even salami. They all tend to be high in sodium, preservatives, and other unhealthy chemicals that are risk factors for heart diseases.
Processed meats might also raise your heart disease risk, which is another reason to steer clear of them.
Sugary and Salty Foods
Sugar-containing foods cause spikes and crashes in blood sugar levels blood insulin balance. Salty foods raise your blood pressure and can cause complications with diabetes.
Alcohol and Tobacco
More than moderate alcohol consumption increases type 2 diabetes risk. Smokers are around 30% to 40% more likely to develop diabetes, so you may want to reduce or eliminate alcohol or tobacco use.
What is Diabetes?
Diabetes itself is an endocrine disease causing higher than normal sugar levels in the blood. It is related to insulin, a hormone that regulates blood sugar levels. Diabetes occurs when the body is not producing enough insulin to regulate blood sugar or when blood sugar is unresponsive to insulin action.
There are several types of diabetes, and the kind of diabetes determines the course of treatment.
General diabetes symptoms include frequent urination, increased hunger and thirst, weight loss, blurred vision, and sores that refuse to heal. Uncontrolled blood sugar levels from diabetes can lead to complications affecting vital organs such as the kidneys, eyes, and nerves.
Types of Diabetes
Type 1 Diabetes
Type 1 diabetes occurs when the body is not producing sufficient insulin to mop up the sugar in the blood. It is an autoimmune condition in which immune cells attack pancreatic beta cells that produce insulin.
A person with this type of diabetes will take regular insulin shots via a pump or injection. Also known as juvenile-onset diabetes, Type 1 diabetes can cause complications like nerve damage, ketoacidosis, cardiovascular problems, and hypertension.
Type 1 diabetes is caused by
- Genetic factors
- Autoimmune reactions
- Viral infections
Type 1 diabetes symptoms include
- Unplanned weight loss
- Uncontrollable hunger and thirst
- Frequent urination
- Fatigue and lethargy
- Blurred vision
Treatment of type 1 diabetes involves taking insulin shots to replace what the body fails to produce. If you have type 1 diabetes, people may advise you to change your diet. Yet, diet isn’t a risk factor for type 1 diabetes like it is for type 2. Similarly, you can’t cure type 1 diabetes with dietary changes.
Type 2 Diabetes
Type 2 diabetes is the most common type of diabetes. In Type 2 or maturity-onset diabetes, the body does not respond to the action of available insulin. The cells cannot take up insulin and are insulin-resistant, leading to sugar build-up in the blood. People with this type may or may not need to take insulin shots, depending on the severity of their condition.
Type 2 diabetes may be caused by
- Genetics
- Obesity
- Lifestyle factors (poor diet, sedentary living, etc.)
Type 2 diabetes symptoms include:
- Increase hunger and thirst
- Frequent urination
- Slow-healing sores
- Recurring infections
- Fatigue
- Blurred vision
Treatment of Type 2 diabetes involves lifestyle modifications and antidiabetic drugs. Some patients may also need to add insulin shots to their treatment.
Gestational Diabetes
Some women become less sensitive to insulin action when they are pregnant. Women who are overweight before pregnancy have a higher risk of developing gestational diabetes. Half of the women who have this type of diabetes develop type 2 diabetes later in life.
Gestational diabetes may not present symptoms till the doctor performs a test. Some women may experience increased thirst and urination in some cases. Treatment of gestational diabetes involves regular blood sugar monitoring and lifestyle changes. Some pregnant women may also require insulin shots to stabilize their blood sugar levels.
Prediabetes
Prediabetes is when an individual has high blood sugar levels but is not elevated enough to reach a diabetes diagnosis. It is also known as borderline diabetes, and people with this condition carry a higher risk of getting Type 2 diabetes.
Key Takeaway
Watching what you eat is an effective way of managing diabetes, and eating right helps keep blood sugar, cholesterol, and insulin at healthy levels. People with diabetes and those at risk should consult a nutritionist to help them devise a suitable dietary plan for their individual needs.
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