If you are trying to get your blood sugar under control or maybe you know you've been doing too much quarantine snacking and what you are eating needs a makeover instead of concentrating on what not to eat let's concentrate on what to add to your diet to help with blood sugar levels and inflammation.
Inflammation is the root cause of blood sugar levels being too high and can be from eating too much sugar but can also be from chronically high stress levels, pain in the body, and being overweight. We don’t want chronic inflammation to turn into anything but at the same time it is tricky to deal with. The problem is that chronic inflammation is often "invisible," since it does not show telltale physical signs the way acute inflammation does, like when you sprain your ankle.
So how can you prevent or reduce inflammation you cannot necessarily see or feel? The only way to really detect chronic inflammation is to have an evaluation by your doctor. He or she will review your symptoms, have blood work done and perform a physical exam. At Healing Arts, we test for chronic inflammation using muscle testing to identify chronic inflammation and suggest specific lifestyle changes to our patients. Otherwise, the best approach is to prevent conditions related to chronic inflammation. It goes back to the basics: maintaining a healthy weight, choosing a good diet, mindfulness, getting plenty of sleep, meditation and exercising regularly which are also steps to treat diabetes. So whether you are preventing diabetes, getting insulin resistance under control, trying to reverse pre-diabetes or treat diabetes your goals are the same.
Even though these are basic steps it can be overwhelming so start with just one change and once that feels doable then start with another change and go from there.
When trying to get your blood sugar under control add these foods into your diet to help. Food can truly be medicine and these can help you heal.
Extra virgin olive oil. This type of olive oil offers great taste plus type 2 diabetes-friendly monounsaturated fat. "Extra virgin" means the oil is minimally processed, which protects its more than 30 antioxidant and anti-inflammatory plant compounds. Drizzle it on salads, and use it to sauté meat and veggies.
Kale. This is one of healthiest vegetables. One cup delivers 206% of your daily requirement for vitamin A, 134% of your vitamin C requirement, and 684% of your recommended intake of vitamin K. It’s also a top source of lutein and zeaxanthin, which may help prevent eye issues that are common with type 2 diabetic patients. Add chopped kale to soups and salads, or juice it. You can also tear the leaves into 2-inch pieces, spritz with olive oil, and bake until crisp for a bowlful of kale chips. However, f you have a thyroid condition do not eat kale.
Nuts. Yes, they're high in calories, but these are calories well-spent. Most kinds have about 170 calories per ounce, along with heart-healthy monounsaturated fats, protein, and fiber. And nuts can help stabilize blood sugar. Reach for a small handful of nuts instead of potato chips. Sprinkle them on oatmeal, yogurt, or salads for added crunch.
Salmon. Rich in omega-3 fatty acids, fatty fish such as salmon may protect against chronic inflammation and diseases related to chronic inflammation including type 2 diabetes and pre-diabetes. I recommend eating omega-3-rich fish only once a week though because of the risk of mercury toxicity. To get real health benefits from omega-3 fatty acids it’s best to get it in supplement form from a supplement company testing for mercury to make sure the omega-3 is safe.
Cinnamon. A spice that will lower blood sugar and tastes great to add into your diet. Sprinkle on top of baked sweet potatoes, oatmeal or anything else you want. For more info on other healing abilities of cinnamon, read here.
Broccoli. Is one of the most beneficial vegetables from the cauliflower family. Broccoli contains high quantity of sulforaphane that helps in regulating blood sugar and calming blood pressure. Apart from being anti-diabetic vegetable, broccoli also helps in detoxification of body.
Buckwheat. The dietary fiber and resistant starches contained in buckwheat make it a superfood for diabetics. Since it takes the body a longer time to break down the complex carbohydrate, blood sugar levels rise evenly, preventing drastic spikes in blood sugar. There is also a compound in buckwheat groats called D-chiro-inositol, which helps to lower elevated glucose levels. Buckwheat is also anti-inflammatory because of the rutin it contains, which is an antioxidant. Antioxidants can help protect the body from damage caused by free radicals, which can cause oxidative stress and form inflammation, affecting blood sugar levels as well as triggering a variety of diseases.
Buckwheat is usually found as raw “buckwheat groats” or in flour form. Both are highly nutritious staples to keep in your kitchen since there can be used in numerous ways. It's easy to add cooked groats to stews, soups or salads. Have a bowl of buckwheat for breakfast instead of oatmeal and use buckwheat flour in muffins and breads. Buckwheat pancakes are one of my favorites!
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