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Monthly Archive: June 2017

Low-Carb Snack Ideas For People With Diabetes


Naturally reversing diabetes is easier said than done. Because it requires a total lifestyle change, it is important to select smart between-meal munchies to keep your blood glucose levels stable all throughout the day.

Making wise food choices is integral in warding off the complications of diabetes. You must have an understanding of food fundamentals (especially carbohydrates) and how they affect your blood sugar.

Before you decide what to snack on, read the two steps you need to take in order to choose a low-carb snack that you can enjoy.

Use The Glycemic Index

The American Diabetes Association recommends to check the glycemic index (GI) of the food you want to eat. The GI measures how much a certain food can raise your blood sugar level.

Pure glucose has a GI rank of 100. For diabetic patients, it is important to stick to “Low-GI” foods with a ranking of 55 and less. A few examples are oatmeal, legumes and non starchy vegetables.

Ratings between 56 to 69 are considered “Medium-GI”. They include whole wheat, pita bread and rye.

Count The Carbs

After choosing low-GI or medium GI foods, count the number of carbohydrates that you are about to eat.

According to the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, diabetes-friendly snacks should only contain fifteen to thirty grams of carbs. You can easily identify food carbohydrate content by checking the nutrition label on the packaging.

Choosing low-GI foods and counting carbohydrates are crucial steps for naturally reversing a condition of high blood glucose levels, and you will surely notice health improvements.

Food preparation is certainly another issue when it comes to managing diabetes. Below are just a few simple and on-the-go healthy snack ideas that can help manage your blood sugar levels.

Trail Mix

Avoid store-bought trail mix as they usually contain added sugar and salt. You can create a healthier version by mixing the five ingredients below. This recipe yields to 16 servings (1/4 cup per serving).

1 cup pumpkin seeds
1 cup roasted peanuts
1 cup roasted or raw almonds
1/2 cup raisins
2 ounces dark chocolate chips

You can also add other options such as walnuts, sunflower seeds and hazelnuts. Just make sure you are not allergic to any of them.

Popcorn

Air-popped popcorn is a great snack option. Making it at home assures you that there are no additives, but buying the pre-popped kind is fine. Just make sure that the nutrition facts are clear regarding sugar and any unhealthy trans fats.They are usually disguised as hydrogenated oils in the ingredients list.

Greek Yogurt

Greek yogurt is widely used as a salad dressing. But many people choose it as a snacking option for good reasons.

It is a great source of calcium and protein, and contain less than twenty grams of carbohydrates per serving.

Preparing this is easy too. You can simply buy unsweetened Greek yogurt, add some chopped nuts and sliced fruits and you just prepared yourself a healthy and fiber-rich snack.

Middle Eastern Snacks

You can prepare a cup of vegetable mix of sliced raw carrots, broccoli and bell pepper. Toss a few green olives if you want to add some flavor to it. As for the dip, you can include a 1/3 cup of hummus.

The fat and protein in the hummus will keep you satiated while the fiber from the vegetables will prevent your blood sugar levels from spiking.

Healthy Chips

You can make healthy chips ahead of time and store them in ziplocks. Simply bake different kinds of vegetables that you have at home. This will prevent you from eating too much sodium, preservatives and trans fats found in the potato chips bought at a store.

Crispy kale chips are quite popular nowadays too. Simply toss some kale leaves on a baking sheet, drizzle with some olive oil, add a pinch of salt and pepper, and heat them inside the oven until crisp.

You can bake large batches to last you for a week. The best part about this is the process usually takes less than an hour.

There are also low-sodium chip alternatives sold in stores. Always aim for a product that contains 140 mg of sodium per serving or less.

Diabetes treatments are not simple at all and they require you to stay on top of your food choices. Avoid eating large amounts of carbohydrates to prevent your blood glucose from spiking, this is the rule number one.

Since most of the foods sold in stores contain carbs, you need to be careful with your choices so that the efforts you put in staying healthy are not wasted.