Diabetic Diet Food List – What to Consume and Avoid

Diabetes mellitus, or simply Diabetes — is a type of metabolic disease wherein an individual has high blood sugar. There are 2 main reasons why this is occurring: the right amount of insulin — a hormone responsible in carb and fat metabolism regulation — is not being produced by the body; or the body does not respond to insulin.

Diabetics need to maintain their blood sugar levels should be close to normal. Diet is a huge factor to make this happen. Diabetics needs to be aware of the right food that they need to eat. These foods should be high in nutrients and low in calories and fat.

There are several foods that diabetics should avoid. Among these are the following:

Foods with Saturated fats.

Some examples of foods with saturated fats are pork, beef, bacon, bratwurst, hot dogs, pork rind (chicharon), dairy products with high fat content. Avoid eating processed foods especially those with margarine.

Foods that are high in cholesterol.

Cholesterol is a killer when it comes to heart health. This is also bad for people with Diabetes. Diabetics should watch out for foods that have high cholesterol content. Foods such as shellfish, innards (liver and the likes), egg yolks, and chicken skin should be avoided.

Here are some of the food groups that diabetics should have:

Foods rich in fiber.

Fiber rich foods are good for digestion; they are also recommended for diabetics because they can control blood sugar levels. Fiber can be found on certain foods such as raspberries, banana, orange, raisins, barley, bran, popcorn, brown rice, lentils, pecans, artihokes, and peas.

Good carbohydrates.

Too much carbohydrates can lead to a high blood sugar levels. However, there are foods that contain good carbohydrates. These foods can help diabetics maintain their blood sugar levels. Some foods that have good carbohydrates are whole grains, fruits, vegetables, bran, and legumes.

Foods with good fats.

If there is such a thing as good cholesterol, there is also good fat. These foods mono and poly saturated fats that help lower cholesterol. It is recommended to have moderate anounts of these food types. some examples are almonds, olives, avocado, and walnuts.

Foods with Omega-3.

Omega-3 rich food promotes the health of the heart and reduces fats in the blood. Omega-3 can be found in certain kinds of fish which include tuna, halibut, cod, salmon, and mackerel.

Top Natural Low Fat Foods

here are many low fat foods sold in groceries and food stores these days. In fact, they are always seen in print and TV commercials. Although these foods claims to be low in fat, most of them are really processed foods. We are aware that processed foods is just secondary to natural foods when we are talking about nutrition. It is still best to consume natural foods for optimum health benefits. Remember, when the food remains closest to its natural state, it is much more nutritious.

What most people forget about when changing their diet is that they should not just focus on low fat foods. They also need to be careful with the amount of calories and sugar that they take in. Low fat does not automatically mean low calories and sugar. For example, it is easy to assume that banana will be beneficial for your health since this is a fruit. However, there is high amount of sugar in it so it has to be eaten in moderation too.