Control your blood sugar levels by making these three food swaps

Can you believe that an estimated 86 million people in the United States alone have prediabetes - a condition in which your blood sugar levels are elevated, but not high enough for type 2 diabetes diagnosis? Well, it's true.

Furthermore, about 29 million Americans have type 1 or type 2 diabetes - and eight million of them don't even know it. While there's no magic way to prevent prediabetes or type 2 diabetes, there are food swaps that you can make to help avoid both conditions. On the other hand, type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease that can't be prevented with healthy eating.

Whether you're trying to avoid prediabetes or type 2 diabetes or are diagnosed with one of these conditions, the following three food swaps will help you keep your blood sugar levels in a healthy range.

Three food swaps for healthy blood sugar levels

#1: Eat brown rice instead of white
In general, brown rice is better than white because whole grains contain fibre, vitamins and minerals whereas processed carbs don’t. One landmark study of 200,000 people found that brown rice is particularly good for your insulin and blood sugar levels. According to the study, replacing just one-third of your daily serving of white rice with brown rice can lower your risk of type 2 diabetes by 16%. Other studies have found that brown rice promotes healthier blood sugar and insulin levels than white rice.

 
#2: Choose fibre-rich carbs over processed carbs
Not only do carbs that are high in fibre keep your blood sugar levels in check, they can also lessen blood sugar spikes caused by other carbs. Dieticians recommend that people with diabetes eat 25 g to 50 g of fibre per day, which is much more than the 15 g that most people consume. If you’re struggling to reach your fibre quota, add more whole grains, brown rice, quinoa, barley and oats to your diet. Vegetables and beans are also great sources of fibre.
 
#3: Season your food with spices instead of salt
How you season your food can affect your diabetes risk. One study on spices that are common in the Mediterranean diet found that all of them – oregano, parsley, sage, cumin and basil – can help lower your blood sugar levels and boost insulin production. That’s a double win when it comes to diabetes!
 
Getting your blood sugar levels under control is as simple as making these three dietary changes!

Tags: blood sugar levels