Do you want to prevent type 2 diabetes, or are you already diagnosed with the disease? Either way, it’s helpful to introduce foods that have a low glycemic load and are nutrient-dense.
Diabetes: the bad and the good
There’s no other way around it: a diabetes diagnosis is not good news. Healthy eating can support blood-sugar management. A licensed medical team can help you make a plan that fits your health needs.
Type 2 diabetes prevention & recovery foods
Nutrition expert and best-selling author Joel Fuhrman, MD, warns against diets that recommend grains or meat as major pieces. What you really want to be getting, he says, are foods that are rich in nutrients and have a low glycemic load (GL). Those same foods work well for prevention.
Greens
Green vegetables, including leafy greens such as kale and cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, are critical to avoid diabetes and to recover from it, notes Dr. Fuhrman. “A recent meta-analysis found that greater leafy green intake was associated with a 14% decrease in risk of type 2 diabetes,” he says. “One study reported that each daily serving of leafy greens produces a 9% decrease in risk.”
Non-starchy vegetables
Another element you want to add to your plate is vegetables that aren’t in the green category but are also not starchy. Examples include eggplants, peppers, mushrooms, and onions. Note that all of these items are very safe for your blood sugar levels. They are also all high in phytochemicals and fiber.
Anything but soda
When choosing your drink, you want to stay away from any sugary drinks, including soda and any other beverages with sugar or corn syrup listed in their ingredients. Drinks with a lot of sugar in them are associated with a higher risk of diabetes. “In the Nurses’ Health Study II, women who drank one or more sugar-sweetened beverages per day had an 83 percent higher risk of type 2 diabetes,” explains the Harvard School of Public Health, “compared to women who drank less than one sugar-sweetened beverage per month.”
Beans
Beans are a great source of carbohydrates. Eating beans lowers the risks of colon cancer as well as diabetes.
Nuts
Nuts are anti-inflammatory and can asist with weight loss. The Nurses’ Health Study determined that participants who ate at least five servings of nuts weekly decreased their risk of diabetes by 27%.
Fruit
Fruit is high in nutrients, antioxidants, and fiber. By having three or more servings of fruit daily, you decrease your risk by 18%.
Help with recovery
If you are living with type 2 diabetes, a licensed medical team can discuss care options that fit your health needs.