5 Best Foods to Eat to Prevent Or Manage Diabetes

That pumpkin spice Frappuccino sure is looking devilishly good. But if you’re already on a sweets streak this holiday season, you might want to keep an eye on your sweet tooth cravings before it’s too late.

Approximately 1.5 million Americans are diagnosed with diabetes every year. Type 2 diabetes specifically is a disease caused by our lifestyle choices. What you eat can either promote or prevent diabetes.

Diabetes, if unmanaged, may give rise to devastating complications – even death. However, many of these complications can be avoidedwith the right lifestyle and dietary changes. If you are already a diagnoseddiabetic, there are steps you can take to supplement your blood sugar loweringmedications.

Here are some dietary choices you can make to prevent or manage diabetes:

High nutrient, low glycemic load foods are the best group of foods for diabetics. Food from this group may even help prevent development of diabetes in the first place.

1. Green vegetables

Green vegetables are the most essential additions you needto make in your regular diet to prevent and manage diabetes. Eating more leafy greens decrease your risk for diabetes by 14%.

2. Non-starchy vegetables

Eggplant, onions, garlic, mushrooms, and peppers, are important building blocks of a diabetes prevention and management diet. These foods almost don’t affect blood glucose and are loaded with phytochemicals and fiber.

3. Beans

These are your ideal carbohydrate source. Beans are low in glycemic load because of their abundant fiber, moderate protein, as well as resistant starch and carbohydrates. Consuming beans and legumes regularly has been scientifically found to reduce and oranges risk of developing both diabetes and colon cancer.

4. Nuts and Seeds

Nuts are also low in glycemic load. They help promote weightloss, and have anti-inflammatory effects that may prevent insulin resistance. A study found a 27% drop in risk for diabetes in nurses who snacked on more than5 servings of nuts per week, and among the nurses who already were diagnosed with diabetes, the same quantity, their risk for developing heart disease dropped by47%.

5. Fresh fruit

Fruits are packed with nutrients and are healthier choicesfor when the sweet cravings kick in. Consuming three servings of fresh fruitdaily is associated with decreasing diabetes risk by 18%. For those who already have diabetes, choose low sugar fruits such as kiwi, berries, melon, and oranges, to keep glycemic effects at a minimum.

Read Food Revolution’s original article here to see more dietary advice for preventing and managing diabetes.