Diabetic Diet Guidelines

Dietary modification is the first-line of defence against the damaging effects caused by diabetes. Eating the right foods and taking quality supplements is not enough, if you want to optimize control.

Minimize Sugar Spikes After Meals

The diabetic diet guidelines begin with minimizing sugar spikes after meals. Carbohydrates result in a sharp rise in blood sugar levels. This is quickly followed by a rise in insulin levels.

The more insulin that's released, the greater the chance for developing insulin resistance - the hallmark of type 2 diabetes.

Here are some suggestions for minimizing sugar spikes:

1. Eat Soluble Fiber: Soluble fiber interferes with carbohydrate absorption from the intestines into your bloodstream. By limiting absorption, less sugar enters the blood and prevents spikes. We suggest supplementing with psyllium husk or beta-glucan 10 to 20 minutes before each major meal. Both of these soluble fibers come in powder form and mix well with water.

2. Take Chromium Polynicotinate: Diabetic diet guidelines most direct people to take chromium polynicotinate, a trace mineral that enhances the effect of insulin. With chromium present, cells don't needs as much insulin to uptake glucose. The more sensitive the cells are to insulin, the less is released into the blood.

Take 500 mcg of chromium polynicotinate with each major meal.

3. Try Coffee Berry & Cinnamon: Cinnamon is well known by naturopathic doctors for its positive effects on blood sugar. The problem is that whole cinnamon contains oils that prevent it from working.

The best suggestion is to take 200 mg with each meal of a water-based cinnamon extract free from the oils. Cinnamon works better with the herb coffee berry. Coffee berry inhibits the conversion of glycogen (stored sugar) to blood glucose, thus helping to minimize spikes. About 50 mg of coffee berry with each meal should do the trick.

4. Eat Complex Carbohydrates: Complex carbs have less effect on blood sugar spikes. Foods like oatmeal, bran, wheatgerm, and whole grain breads take longer to breakdown to glucose. The long it takes to breakdown carbs to glucose, the less insulin is released. A word of warning: all carbohydrates, complex or not, eventually become glucose and will raise blood sugar levels. We suggest cutting the servings breads and cereals in half.

5. Drink Apple Cider Vinegar: Drinking apple cider vinegar can also help to lower blood sugar levels. Supplement with 1 ounce before meals heavy in carbohydrates. 

Restore Insulin Sensitivity

The diabetic diet guidelines would not be complete without learning how to restore insulin sensitivity. When the cells in yourbody become resistant to insulin, hyperglycemia (high blood sugar) sets in.

We suggest the following to help restore insulin sensitivity:

1. Take Lipoic Acid 

2. Glucose (blood sugar) destroys the insulin receptors sticking out from cell membranes. Without the receptors, insulin cannotwork.

Lipoic acid is a naturally occurring antioxidant that protects insulin receptors. We suggest taking 200 to 300mg/day of R-lipoic acid (the "R" form is more potent).

3. Take MORE Chromium

Fasting blood glucose levels were also lowered during a 2 month follow-up period. Foods rich in chromium include (in order of most to least):

Egg yolk

Brewer's yeast.

Apples

Spinach

Oranges

Reduce Oxidative Stress

Excess blood sugar creates extreme levels of oxidative stress, one of the leading theories of aging. If not properly metabolized, blood sugar quickly transforms into highly reactive molecules that damage your body.

Reducers, also known as antioxidants, are foods that lower oxidative stress by mopping up reactive sugar metabolites.

Eating a wide variety of antioxidants from a wide variety of sources is a key step for beating diabetes.

The following foods are rich in reducers (antioxidants) and should make up a large part of diabetic diets:

1. Red beans 
2. Blueberries 
3. Cranberries 
4. Artichokes 
5. Pomegranate 
6. Green & black tea 
7. Cocoa (dark chocolate) 
8. Tart cherries 
9. Cruciferous vegetables (broccoli)

Every meal should contain 2-3 servings of reducers (antioxidants). And if you got to snack, eat only foods rich in antioxidants. 

Prevent Glycation

Glycation (defined as sugar molecules reacting with proteins to produce nonfunctional structures in the body) is a key feature of diabetes-related complications.

It's a dangerous reaction that compromises proteins throughout the body and is linked to nerve damage, heart attacks, strokes, and blindness.

Protectors are foods that can minimize the effectsof glycation:

1. Turkey 
2. Liver 
3. Tuna 
4. Chili peppers 
5. Lentils 
6. Chicken 
7. Lean red meat

Chili peppers added to marinades for chicken andfish is a great way to enhance diabetic diets. 

Support a Healthy Metabolic Rate

A healthy metabolic rate wraps-up our diabetic diet guidelines. Burning body fat and calories while resting is a great way to not only lose weight, but also improve blood sugar levels.

We suggest the following nutrients for restoring ahealthy metabolic rate:

1. Green Tea 
2. Brown Seaweed (fucoxanthin, bladderwhack)
3. Exercise (specifically muscle toning exercises)

Four Types of Diabetes Food

There are four types of diabetes food. A diet rich in foods that help to metabolize blood sugar, promote insulin sensitivity, reduce oxidative stress, and protect from glycation, is the best approach for controlling diabetes. However, sometimes food is not enough.

Food Type #1: Metabolizers

Diabetic diets should help to restore proper sugar metabolism. Excess blood sugar initiates a cascade of dangerous reactions that destroy the body and ultimately lead to disease. Metabolizers help to restore normal sugar metabolism. Add 2 servings each of 3 different metabolizers to all meals.

Food Type #2: Promoters

The hallmark of type 2 diabetes is insulin resistance. Insulin directs the uptake of blood sugars by the cells throughout your body. Foods that promote insulin sensitivity often succeed where traditional medications fail--breaking insulin resistance. A meal consisting of 6-7 ounces of lean red meat with 2-3 servings of dark greens provide high doses of insulin promoters.

Food Type #3: Reducers

Excess blood sugar creates extreme levels of oxidative stress, one of the leading theories of aging. If not properly metabolized, blood sugar quickly transforms into highly reactive molecules that damage your body. Cells and tissues are destroyed faster than they can be replaced. Reducers, also known as antioxidants, are foods that lower oxidative stress by mopping up reactive sugar metabolites.

Eating a wide variety of antioxidants from a wide variety of sources is a key step for beating diabetes.

Every meal should contain 2-3 servings of reducers. And if you really need a mid-day snack, eat foods rich in antioxidants.

Food Type #4: Protectors

It is crucial that diabetics understand the ways in which blood glucose causes damage. The most notorious process is glycation, the same process that causes food to brown in an oven. Glycation (defined as sugar molecules reacting with proteins to produce nonfunctional structures in the body) is a key feature of diabetes-related complications because it compromises proteins throughout the body and is linked to nerve damage, heart attack, and blindness. Protectors diminish the effects of glycation. Adding chili peppers to marinades for chicken and fish is a tasty meal rich in protectors.

Diabetes Food Types

We firmly believe that you can beat diabetes. If given the right tools, the human body can heal itself. And healing begins with the four types of diabetes food. Start eating metabolizers, promoters, reducers, and protectors today