Fruits and vegetables are an indispensable element of any healthy diet – including diabetes diets. While they contain carbohydrates, the positive impact they can have on your overall well-being more than makes up for this. When you eat the right amount of produce and focus on adding the healthiest options to your diet, you’ll get nutrients, fiber, and much more.
In fact, veggies and fruits are so delicious and nutritious that they’re the focus of a month-long celebration – National Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Month, which occurs every June. Of course, this isn’t the only time you can reap the benefits that vegetables and fruits bring to the table. Whether you’ve found this article in June or any other time of year, keep reading for the ADS guide to fresh produce and diabetes.
The Health Benefits of Produce
Fruits and vegetables aren’t just full of nutrients – they’re nutrient-dense, which means they offer lots of minerals and vitamins but low calories. Along with this, the antioxidants they contain can help lower your risk of some chronic diseases, such as heart disease and cancer.
The USDA has acknowledged the health benefits of produce in its MyPlate program. That program, intended to help people eat a balanced diet, asks people to fill 50 percent of their plates with fruits and vegetables during meals. That’s equivalent to 1.5-2 cups of fruit and 2-3 cups of vegetables per day!
How Fruits and Veggies Fight Diabetes
If you have diabetes, following the keto diet or other fad diets that heavily restrict your carbohydrate intake might sound like a good idea. But that’s not necessarily the case – while it’s important to count carbs when you have diabetes, you still need to eat a balanced diet just like everyone else. And even though produce contains some carbs, its health benefits can help you keep your overall well-being in check.
Along with that, many fruits and veggies are high in fiber. That’s important to know if you have diabetes since fiber can help you control your blood sugar, lose weight, and reduce your levels of LDL (AKA “bad” cholesterol).
However, the way you consume produce matters if you have diabetes. Your best bet is to focus on fresh fruit or raw/cooked vegetables. Salty cooked or canned vegetables, sugar-packed jams and jellies, fruit juice, and other produce-based products can cause health problems if you aren’t careful.
10 Best Vegetables and Fruits for People with Diabetes
While it’s usually a good idea to add fruits and vegetables to your diet, some types of produce are exceptionally healthy for people with diabetes. You can’t go wrong with these options:
Leafy Greens
Spinach, collard greens, kale, and the like are more than a match for diabetes – they come packed with omega-3 fatty acids and minerals perfectly suited to boost insulin production and keep your blood glucose in check.
Berries
Despite their sweet taste, berries are relatively low in sugar. They also contain lots of nutrients and fiber, making them an ideal treat for people with diabetes.
Sweet Potatoes
Don’t let the name fool you – sweet potatoes boast a low glycemic index, meaning they won’t have a severe effect on your blood sugar level. That makes them an even better option than regular potatoes if you have diabetes.
Citrus Fruits
Oranges and other citrus fruits are full of fiber. Meanwhile, they’re chock-full of vitamin C – just make sure to eat them raw instead of drinking orange juice.
Broccoli
It’s hard to overstate how healthy broccoli is for people with diabetes. This veggie is low in calories and full of vitamins, fiber, and antioxidants.
Apples
Eating one of these fruits a day might not keep the doctor away, but it certainly won’t hurt – the anthocyanins that apples contain can help give insulin production a lift. Try to eat smaller apples, and don’t forget to include them when counting carbs.
Asparagus
Asparagus contains quite a bit of protein, but this vegetable’s health benefits don’t stop there. You’ll also get a heaping helping of fiber and vitamins from a serving, including 18% of your suggested daily amount of vitamins C and E.
Red Onion
These onions come with layers of diabetes-fighting benefits. They’re low in calories, deliver essential vitamins, and have antioxidant properties.
Cherries
The anthocyanins contained in cherries may help lower your blood sugar, and they’re full of vitamins, calcium, and fiber. Perhaps best of all, it’s easy to add them to all kinds of recipes for a quick health boost!
Zucchini
The magnesium, zinc, and vitamin B included in zucchini can all help keep your blood glucose levels under control. This veggie can also improve your eye health, which is especially important due to the vision-related complications associated with diabetes.
Fun Ways to Increase Your Produce Intake
Eating right shouldn’t be a chore! Use these tips to have fun while adding more produce to your diet:
Find ways to “sneak” vegetables into recipes you already enjoy.
Stop by your local farmer’s market and see what they have available.
Liven up your breakfast with the addition of a half of a banana or berries.
Plant a vegetable garden in your backyard – you’ll get fresh veggies and physical activity!
Cut vegetables like broccoli or peppers up ahead of time and package them for use when you need a quick fix.
Try new vegetables and fruits regularly. Explore the produce aisle and get creative!
Enjoy National Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Month with ADS
There’s no better time than the present to balance your diet by eating more fruits and veggies, and that’s true no matter what month it is. That’s why we here at ADS celebrate National Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Month all year long!
To maximize the health benefits associated with fresh produce, you should make sure you have a diabetes strategy that’s working for you. That means you’ll need to check your blood sugar regularly, get the insulin dosage you need, and find a reliable supplier for diabetes supplies.
ADS can ship insulin, glucose meters, and other products directly to you – if you’re interested, take a look at all the diabetes supplies we have available!
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Everyone needs to eat right as a critical part of their overall health – but that’s especially true for people with diabetes. Building a diabetes diet can be a challenge however by understanding what makes foods healthy, taking time to learn about various nutrients and what they do can benefit you in so many ways.
One commonly overlooked but crucial nutrient is folic acid. The human body needs this vitamin and its counterpart folate to perform all kinds of different tasks. But while folic acid deficiencies can have serious health consequences, getting enough folic acid can help improve your health in several different ways. In this article, you’ll learn all about folic acid and how it can help you live with diabetes.
The Basics of Folic Acid
A type of B vitamin, folic acid is found in certain foods and supplements. Your body uses folic acid in various functions, such as:
Cellular division
Helping red blood cells mature
Converting homocysteine to methionine
Creating, fixing, and adding methyl groups to DNA
Despite the importance of these tasks, your body can’t supply folic acid on its own. That means this vitamin needs to come from your diet. Of course, not everyone gets enough folic acid, but a significant deficiency could have serious consequences. These can include congenital disabilities, increased risks of some diseases, and megaloblastic anemia.
Folic Acid vs. Folate: What’s The Difference?
Folic acid is actually an artificial, man-made product. This vitamin is a synthetic version of folate, a similar B vitamin that occurs naturally in many foods.
Many people assume folic acid and folate are the same thing. Still, folic acid and folate are different nutrients and have minor differences in their effects. That said, their differences are mostly negligible, so you can combine both folic acid and folate when determining your dietary intake of either vitamin.
Folic Acid Benefits For Everyday Health
Getting enough folic acid in your diet has some significant perks. Folic acid supplements and foods with folate are commonly used to prevent congenital disabilities. In fact, concerns about folate deficiency and congenital disabilities have led to policies focusing on folic acid supplementation for pregnant women.
That is just one way folic acid and folate can improve your health. These nutrients may also:
Increase the likelihood of live births in women using assisted reproductive technology
Lower inflammatory markers
Fight chronic kidney disease
Reduce the side effects of some medications, including methotrexate
Foods With Folic Acid and Folate
As a vitamin found in nature, folate appears in many different plant and animal foods – including some that may already be part of your diabetes diet. Look for this vitamin in broccoli, avocado, some leafy greens (including kale and spinach), eggs, citrus fruits, and beef liver.
Meanwhile, folic acid often gets added to foods as part of the manufacturing process. They are prevalent in foods like cereal and bread since countries like the United States require their grain products to get fortified with folic acid to cut down on folate deficiency. You can also consume folic acid in the form of dietary supplements.
Folic Acid Intake Guidelines
Since the body absorbs folic acid and folate differently, any method of measuring these vitamins needs to be flexible enough that it can account for these differences. Enter Dietary Folate Equivalents, or DFEs – a unit of measure developed with this conundrum in mind. One mcg of DFEs equals either 1 mcg of folate, and equaling 0.5 mcg of folic acid supplements consumed on an empty stomach, or 0.6 mcg of folic acid consumed along with food.
Generally speaking, adults need to get roughly 400 mcg of DFEs every day. That amount rises significantly for women who are pregnant or breastfeeding, however. Pregnant women should get 600 mcg of DFEs daily while breastfeeding women should get 500 mcg of DFEs.
Cut Down On Diabetes Symptoms and Complications With Folic Acid
Along with the health benefits listed above, folic acid can help you manage and even avoid diabetes. Notably, research suggests that consuming a folic acid supplement every day may lower your likelihood of gestational diabetes. It can also help you with these diabetes symptoms and complications:
High Blood Sugar
One of the most significant steps you can take to manage diabetes is closely monitoring your blood sugar and taking action based on this information. Fortunately, folic acid supplements might enhance people’s ability to control their blood sugar.
Insulin Resistance
Another common concern among many people with diabetes is their bodily resistance to insulin. As it turns out, there’s also evidence that folic acid can possibly lower insulin resistance levels in people with diabetes.
Neuropathy
The term “diabetic neuropathy” refers to a type of nerve damage caused by elevated blood sugar levels. Since folic acid is linked to enhanced blood sugar control, it’s no surprise that it can also lower your neuropathy risk.
Alzheimer’s Disease
Several studies suggest that diabetes comes with a heightened risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. Low folate levels – or even levels on the low end of “normal” – may further increase your risk. On the other hand, folic acid supplements may enhance brain function in people with Alzheimer’s disease.
Mental Health Problems
The stress associated with diabetes management can result in issues related to mental health. Though folic acid can’t eliminate this source of stress, it could make it easier for you to deal with it. People who have depression often have lower folate levels than people who don’t have this condition. Research indicates that folic acid supplements can help control depressive symptoms when taken alongside antidepressants.
Heart Disease
One of the most infamous diabetes complications is heart disease, so it’s essential to do everything you can to reduce your heart risk. A review of 30 studies and with over 80,000 people determined that folic acid supplements could reduce heart disease risk by 4 percent and stroke risk by 10 percent.
Manage Diabetes With Folic Acid
Since most adults in the United States already get enough folic acid, you may not need to make any dietary changes or start taking supplements. If you are concerned about your folic acid intake, talk to a Registered Dietitian and your healthcare team before changing your diabetes diet. And whenever you need glucose meters, testing supplies, and other products to manage diabetes, make this easy for yourself by shopping online at ADS!
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It’s no overstatement to say that diabetes can have a significant impact on your overall health. If you’ve been diagnosed with this condition, you’ll need to change your diet and set up an exercise routine to keep it under control. Otherwise, you’ll be at risk of short-term symptoms like extreme hunger and thirst and frequent urination. That’s not even mentioning long-term complications such as heart disease, nerve damage, and vision problems.
These effects of diabetes are relatively well-known, but you might not know that diabetes can affect the quality of your sleep. Whether you tossed and turned through the night or slept like a baby before your diabetes diagnosis, keep reading for crucial info on diabetes and sleep.
The Link Between Diabetes and Sleep
We’ve known that diabetes can impact people’s sleep for at least a decade now. In 2012, a research team looked into connections between sleep disturbances (including difficulties falling asleep, trouble staying asleep, and oversleeping) and diabetes. Their research found a clear link between the two and made it clear that sleep deprivation can be a diabetes risk factor.
Even if you have diabetes, your sleep may or may not be affected by the disease. That’s because the impact diabetes can have on rest is tied to symptoms that not everyone experiences. These symptoms are more likely to affect your rest:
People with high blood sugar levels may need to urinate more frequently than usual. As a result, they might have to wake up to go to the bathroom during the night.
Excess blood glucose can drain water from your tissues. That can make you dehydrated, meaning you might need to get up and get a glass of water late at night.
Low blood sugar symptoms can affect your sleep, too. These symptoms include sweating, shaking, and dizziness.
Sleep Disorders in People with Diabetes
In addition to the impact these symptoms can have on your sleep schedule, certain sleep disorders are seen more commonly in people with diabetes. These include:
Sleep Apnea
When you have sleep apnea, your breathing repeatedly stops and starts multiple times per night. This is the most common sleep disorder for people with diabetes – particularly type 2 diabetes, as it can be exacerbated by excess weight.
Symptoms of sleep apnea include snoring and daytime sleepiness. Common risk factors are obesity and a family history of sleep apnea. To manage this condition, you may need to use a CPAP (a special mask) and weight loss can help, as well.
Restless Leg Syndrome
As its name suggests, the defining trait of restless leg syndrome (RLS) is a relentless need to move your legs. Since it’s most common during the night, it can make falling asleep or staying asleep difficult.
Things like high blood glucose levels, thyroid disorders, and kidney problems can increase your RLS risk. It has been found that tobacco use or iron deficiency can also trigger the syndrome. If you think you might have RLS, let your healthcare team know.
Insomnia
If you have a rough time falling or staying asleep, there’s a good chance you have insomnia. High levels of glucose and stress can increase your likelihood of experiencing this condition.
To treat insomnia, start by considering sources of stress in your life and working from there. Professional medical advice can help you deal with insomnia, as well.
Improve Your Sleep with These Tips
While diabetes can affect your sleep, poor sleep can also make it more challenging to manage this disease. Not getting enough rest can affect your hormones and can increase the likelihood that you’ll overeat to gain energy. That can cause you to gain weight, making diabetes management more complicated – and potentially making your sleep problems even worse.
To avoid this vicious circle, you’ll need to do what you can to improve your sleep habits. A few simple steps can help:
Make an environment where it’s easy to sleep. If you haven’t bought a new mattress lately, it might be time for an upgrade. Along with that, keep your bedroom at a relatively cool temperature.
Don’t do anything stimulating before bed. That can include exercise, caffeinated drinks, and even basic housework. If you have to exercise at night, consider a slow yoga routine.
Set a sleep schedule and stick to it. By following this schedule all week long (including weekends), you’ll essentially train yourself to get tired when you need to sleep. Also, it is recommended to not take naps after 3 pm and for no longer than 20 minutes.
Consider using white noise. If outdoor noises can wake you up easily, white noise may help you tune them out. You can generate white noise by turning on a fan or downloading a white noise app for your smart device.
Cut out digital distractions. Texting and web browsing before bed can keep your mind active long after you put your phone down. Along with that, the glow from screens may wake you up. If you have to read something before bed, make sure it’s in a paper book or on an e-reader with an unlit e-ink screen.
Don’t drink before bed. Even if alcohol helps you unwind, it may wake you up in the middle of the night.
Monitor your blood sugar closely. By controlling your blood glucose levels, you’ll reduce diabetes symptoms and their effects on your sleep patterns. To do this, you’ll need a reliable glucose meter and other diabetes testing supplies. You can purchase all these items and more from ADS!
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When you’re trying to manage diabetes and keep diabetes symptoms under control, one of the most effective steps you can take is following a diabetes diet. Chances are, your healthcare team has already mentioned certain foods you should include in this diet. These recommendations might consist of fruits, vegetables, and certain types of meat.
But have you ever wondered why these food categories could help you fight diabetes? The answer is simple: foods in these groups tend to be “nutrient-dense.” If you’re unfamiliar with the concept of nutrient density, read on for our guide – and a list of nutrient-dense superfoods that can turbocharge your diabetes diet.
What is Nutrient Density?
People can’t eat an infinite amount of food on a given day. That may seem like a fairly obvious statement, but it means that you and everyone else need to make choices about what you eat to get the nutrients you need. Even if two different food items have similar amounts of calories, they could have radically different effects on your overall health. This is the case because they have differing amounts of vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients.
The concept of nutrient density refers to a food item’s nutritional content compared to its calorie count. Highly nutrient-dense foods are packed with vitamins and minerals while containing relatively few calories. On the flip side, foods with low nutrient density have lots of calories but limited nutrients. They also tend to be high in saturated fats and sugars.
Some foods with low nutrient density (more commonly known as “junk foods”) include candy, white bread, chips, ice cream, and soda. Excessive amounts of these foods can wreak havoc on anyone’s diet. Still, it’s imperative to avoid them if you have diabetes since they could make your diabetes symptoms worse. The good news is that many foods with higher nutrient density levels can help you keep your diabetes diagnosis under control.
Try These Nutrient-Dense Foods
Are you looking for nutrient-dense foods to add to your diabetes diet? Your healthcare team can help, but it may be a good idea to consider these amazing superfoods:
Beans and Peas
Beans are delicious, affordable, and packed with nutrients. Focus on eating these types of beans to manage your blood sugar while getting lots of fiber, protein, iron, zinc, and folate:
Kidney beans
Pinto beans
Garbanzo beans
Lima beans
Black beans
Black-eyed peas
Split peas
Lentils
Blueberries
Many items in the produce section are great for your health, but few fruits can match blueberries in terms of nutritional value. Though vegetables can have higher levels of vitamins and minerals, these berries make up for this with the antioxidants they contain. Some of these antioxidants can cross the blood-brain barrier, allowing them to protect your brain – studies show that blueberries may boost memory in older people. Furthermore, in another study blueberries appeared to lower obese individual’s with metabolic syndrome their LDL or “bad” cholesterol levels. These berries could play a role in fighting cancer, too.
Dark Chocolate
Living with diabetes doesn’t have to mean giving up dessert – especially when you treat your sweet tooth to dark
chocolate! When it has a high cocoa percentage and you eat it in moderation, dark chocolate can be much more nutritious than you might think. Studies have shown that dark chocolate is one of the most antioxidant-rich foods! As a result, dark chocolate has health benefits similar to those associated with blueberry consumption. Furthermore, research suggests that eating this chocolate at least five times a week could lower your heart disease risk by 57 percent.
Garlic
Garlic can do much more than add flavor to your meals. When you add garlic to your diet, you’ll benefit from its high amounts of calcium, manganese, selenium, copper, potassium, and vitamins C, B1, and B6. Meanwhile, it contains sulfur compounds like allicin, which could lower your blood pressure and LDL cholesterol. As if that’s not enough, studies show that garlic has various cancer fighting properties too.
Kale
Leafy greens, in general, are great for diabetes management, but nothing beats kale. This veggie is chock-full of fiber, vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and beneficial bioactive compounds. Kale is high in vitamin C, A and vitamin K1. It also contains large amounts of vitamin B6, calcium, potassium, magnesium, manganese and copper. Kale may be even healthier than spinach because of its lower amount of oxalates. These are substances that can bind to certain minerals in your intestines and prevent them from being absorbed by your body.
Salmon
You may have heard that fish are a good source of protein for people with diabetes. But that doesn’t mean that all fish are equally nutritious – and salmon is one of the best options out there. This type of fish is exceptionally high in omega-3 fatty acids, and eating it can reduce your risk of certain serious diseases. Along with essential fatty acids and protein, eating salmon will give you many B vitamins, potassium, magnesium, and selenium. It is recommended to eat fatty, omega 3 rich fish at least once or twice a week for good health.
Sardines
Sardines are another type of fish that’s packed with heart healthy omega-3 fatty acids. They’re also a uniquely
nutrient-rich option since they’re customarily eaten whole – including their organs. Because of this, sardines offer small amounts of almost every nutrient you could need. (But be sure to exercise caution when purchasing sardines – canned sardines can be high in sodium. Instead, try to find water-packed sardines with packaging that uses the term “low sodium.”)
Support Your Nutrient-Dense Diet With Diabetes Supplies
Once you’ve built a diabetes diet that focuses on nutrient-dense foods like these, you’ll need to watch your blood sugar levels to make sure it’s working as intended. That means having reliable access to glucose meters, continuous glucose monitors, and diabetes testing supplies. If you need a trustworthy supplier of these items and many others, choose ADS to get the job done!
Complications related to diabetes can affect all sorts of organs in the human body, including the eyes, kidneys, and heart. But did you know that this disease could also affect your biggest organ of all – that is, your skin? If you don’t take diabetes management seriously, you could fall victim to all sorts of skin-related complications.
Fortunately, there are many ways to enjoy having glowing skin, whether you have diabetes or not. One step that can help improve your skin health is eating right. Check out the ADS guide to building a diet that takes both diabetes and skincare into account, along with all the other skin health tips you need.
How Can Diabetes Affect Your Skin Health?
There’s a good chance that you’re already aware of the most infamous diabetes complications – a category that includes heart disease, blindness, nerve damage, and many other conditions. What you may not know is that skin-related diabetes complications are just as common. In fact, these complications can serve as the first warning sign of diabetes or prediabetes, so paying close attention to your skin health is vital.
Like other diabetes complications, skin problems linked to diabetes usually result from uncontrolled blood sugar levels. If you’ve already been diagnosed with diabetes but have started noticing skin problems, it may indicate that you need to make changes to your diabetes treatment regimen. Contact your physician to discuss.
Some diabetes complications related to the skin include:
Itchy patches on the skin, usually brown, yellow, or reddish in color
Hard, thick skin, especially on the backs of hands and fingers
A dark band of skin that feels like velvet
Skin infections
Open wounds or sores, particularly on the feet
The sudden appearance of reddish-yellow bumps that look like pimples
Unusually itchy, dry skin
A large number of skin tags, most common areas for growth include on the eyelids, neck, armpit and groin.
The Four Best Nutrients for Healthy Skin
When you’re working to manage diabetes, it’s crucial to make sure you’re eating a nutritious diet. That also applies to skin health – and many of the foods that help fight diabetes also contribute to glowing skin! By eating foods rich in these four nutrients, you’ll reap the benefits of improved skin health and enhanced diabetes control.
Vitamins
Foods high in vitamins C, E, A, K, and B complex are just what you need to keep your skin healthy! The vitamins and antioxidants found in colorful fruits and veggies do a fantastic job of preventing dry skin, protecting against free radical damage, and making wrinkles less visible.
Vegetables like carrots, sweet potatoes, beans (including red, black, and pinto beans), peppers, artichokes, kale, tomatoes, broccoli, and spinach are chock-full of vitamins. The same is true for all sorts of fruits, including plums, grapes, berries, and kiwi. Just be sure to include these foods while counting carbs!
Essential Fatty Acids
Weight loss can be highly beneficial when you’re controlling diabetes. But while cutting down on fat is often a good idea, you shouldn’t eliminate fat from your diet – especially since some fats are healthier than others. Reasonable portions of essential fatty acids can help your skin maintain its vital oil barrier.
The best strategy is to focus on foods with unsaturated fats like Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids. Omega 3 fatty acids can be found in cold-water fish (like sardines, mackerel, and salmon), walnuts, flaxseed, and olive oil. Meanwhile, you’ll get Omega 6 fatty acids from various cooking oils, poultry, nuts, seeds, and grains.
Minerals
Selenium. Studies show that selenium may help lower your risk of skin cancer, along with improving your skin’s elasticity. But this isn’t the only mineral that can boost your skin health, either. Some excellent dietary sources of selenium are the whole grains found in cereals and brown rice, eggs, seafood, and garlic.
Copper promotes elastin development. Whole grains can also help you get extra copper, and the same is true for eating nuts and seeds, avocados, green leafy vegetables, beans, and shellfish.
Zinc. Zinc is a well known mineral for healthy skin. Zinc is necessary for collagen formation and plays an important role in wound healing. Zinc is found in meat, poultry, nuts, beans, dairy foods and whole grains.
Water
You may not usually think of water as a nutrient, but it fits the definition of this category – and staying hydrated is essential to good skin health. Getting at least half a gallon (or eight to ten glasses) of water a day can help your skin look young and stay moist.
Drinking water isn’t the only way you can get this indispensable nutrient. You can also drink beverages like green or black tea, along with eating the right portion sizes of water-packed foods like peaches, celery, and (of course) watermelon.
For a consultation on how to keep your skin healthy while living with diabetes please contact our Certified Diabetes Educator for more details.
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Just about everyone who has diabetes has heard about the dangers associated with carbohydrates – and for a good reason. When you don’t closely monitor your carb intake, it can seriously affect your blood glucose level. In turn, that could eventually make you more likely to experience severe complications of diabetes down the line.
But not all carbs have the same effects on your body. When consumed in reasonable portions, some carbohydrates play a vital role in maintaining your health. Fiber is a crucial carb for people with diabetes since it can actively make it easier to manage this condition. For much more information on fiber and diabetes, read on.
The Basics of Fiber
It’s easy to assume that all carbohydrates are basically the same thing. Still, there’s more to know about this nutrient category than this implies. First, it’s necessary to understand that there are three basic types of carbs – sugar, starches, and fiber. Unlike sugars and most starches, the body doesn’t digest dietary fiber. Still, this carb comes with many benefits, including improvements to your digestive health.
Because of this, it might be surprising to learn that most people don’t get enough fiber each day. In fact, most adults in the United States only get half their daily recommended fiber intake. Do you suspect you might fall into this category? In that case, it’s time to talk to your healthcare team about adding more fiber to your diabetes diet.
Know These Types of Fiber
There are two basic subgroups of fiber, both of which come with unique benefits. Soluble fiber can dissolve in water, creating a gel-like material in the process. This type of fiber is most closely associated with reduced blood glucose and cholesterol. You can find soluble fiber in legumes, certain fruits (including apples and citrus fruits), carrots, barley, oats, and psyllium.
On the other hand, insoluble fiber does not dissolve in liquid. You need this form of fiber to help waste travel smoothly through your digestive system. Many foods include insoluble fiber, such as beans, nuts, some vegetables, wheat bran, and whole-wheat flour.
Fighting Diabetes with Fiber
Though fiber is a crucial part of anyone’s diet, people with diabetes should put extra emphasis on eating enough fiber daily. That’s because fiber can assist in handling diabetes in several ways. Fiber can help you:
Control your blood sugar. While other carbohydrates can cause blood sugar to spike, that’s not the case for fiber – after all, your body doesn’t absorb it. Fiber can slow the rate at which you absorb other carbohydrates, making it easier to stay in range.
Feel full throughout the day. Weight management plays an essential role in handling diabetes. Since fiber goes through the stomach slowly, it can help you stay full for longer, making it easier to avoid overeating.
Keep your heart healthy. Some of the worst complications of diabetes are related to heart disease. Fiber can cut down on the amount of cholesterol and fats you absorb, which can lower your cholesterol and triglyceride levels.
Adding More Fiber to Your Diabetes Diet
Chances are, you’ve heard the phrase “an apple a day keeps the doctor away.” But to get the fiber you need, you’d have to add five more apples to your everyday diet. Six apples contain about 30 grams of fiber, and the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2020-2025 encourage adults to get 22 to 34 grams of fiber daily.
Obviously, you don’t need to eat half a dozen apples each day to reach your fiber requirements. Instead, keep these tips in mind:
Focus on Whole Grains
When shopping for bread, rice, pasta, and other grains, look for products that list whole grains as the first or second ingredient. Two slices of whole-wheat bread and a cup of cooked brown rice both contain four grams of fiber. (A word of warning: if an item is advertised as “multigrain” or “100-percent wheat,” it probably isn’t whole-grain.)
Get The Day Started Right
Not all cereals are good sources of whole grains, and even some whole-grain cereals are full of unneeded sugars. Instead, try cereals like Fiber One (which has 14 grams of fiber per half-cup) and Raisin Bran (which has 7.5 grams of fiber per cup). Otherwise, consider eating oatmeal with berries and nuts or avocado toast with chickpeas.
Load Up on Legumes
Beans aren’t just a fantastic source of fiber – they also come with a ton of nutritious plant-based protein. Add a quarter-cup of kidney beans to a green salad for three grams of fiber, or eat a cup of canned minestrone soup for five grams of this nutrient. Other legumes, like peas and lentils, are also great for adding fiber to your diet.
Eat Fruits and Vegetables
A good diabetes diet should include lots of produce, and the fiber found in many fruits and veggies is a big reason for that. You’ll get five grams of fiber in a cup of cooked carrots and four grams in a cup of strawberries.
Consider Chia Seeds
Chia seeds and flaxseed make it easy to add fiber to almost anything. A tablespoon of flaxseed contains three grams of fiber, while an identically-sized serving of chia seeds comes with five grams. Just mix them into smoothies, soups, cereals, and other dishes for a quick dose of fiber!
Take It Slow
If your current diet doesn’t include much fiber, getting more of this nutrient is wise. However, you should make a point of introducing fiber gradually and drinking lots of water while you do! You could run into digestive issues like gas, bloating, diarrhea, and constipation if you don’t.
Enhance Your Diabetes Management With Fiber – And ADS
With our advice, you’ll be ready to add fiber to your diabetes diet the smart way and reap the health benefits associated with this nutrient. While you’re making improvements to your diabetes management strategy, why not take a moment to think about how you’re getting diabetes supplies? If you could use a reliable supplier of insulin, glucose meters, and any other diabetes-related products, you can’t go wrong ordering from ADS.
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Eating a healthy diet is a massive part of any effective diabetes management strategy. If you have diabetes, your research into dietary health may have led you to the idea that eating more small meals over the course of the day is healthier than the “standard” three large meals.
That sounds logical enough on the surface – after all, many people with diabetes need to eat snacks to keep their blood sugar in check. However, the truth is more complicated than this may suggest. In this article, you’ll find a complete explanation of scheduling your diabetes diet, along with the foods you should make sure to include as part of your everyday meals.
What the Research Says About Meal Scheduling
It’s “common knowledge” that eating a larger number of smaller meals can help you lose weight, but that doesn’t mean it’s true. A University of Ottawa study determined that dividing calories between six meals instead of three doesn’t have any notable impact on weight loss. Instead, it seems like this can make people more likely to overeat.
Another study, published by the New England Journal of Medicine, focused on the relationship between meal frequency and type 2 diabetes. This study found that eating three meals a day is the best option for blood glucose management. When you consider both studies, it’s clear that making significant changes to your dietary schedule probably isn’t the best idea.
Healthy Snacks Can Still Help
While it’s best to stick to the three main meals when managing diabetes, that doesn’t mean you should only eat at these times. Quite a few people with diabetes have found that small snacks help keep their blood sugar in range throughout the day. When you put some thought into your snacking plan, snacks can even lower your likelihood of overeating during meals.
The key to successful snacking is to avoid overindulging in carbohydrates. Your exact needs may vary, but for most people, the ideal diabetes snack contains no more than 15 grams of carbs. That way, you’ll get a quick energy boost without putting yourself at risk of binge-eating.
Putting Your Diabetes Diet Together
Now that you know when to eat, the follow-up question is obvious: what foods should your diabetes diet include, and what foods should it omit? The easiest way to start planning a diabetes diet is to look at foods in terms of the categories they fall into:
Focus on Fruits and Veggies
Though they count as a source of carbs, fresh fruits and raw/cooked vegetables contain lots of fiber and nutrients that can help keep your diabetes in check. Just be sure to include them while counting carbs, and look for options that are high in fiber.
Get the Protein You Need
Most protein sources are fine for people with diabetes, but lean protein
s (including meat, fish, poultry, tofu, and dairy) are ideal. Meanwhile, plant-based protein sources contain nutrients and fiber, so add some of these proteins to your diet.
Make Sure to Eat Nutritious Complex Carbs
Instead of avoiding carbohydrates entirely, your best option is to focus on eating controlled portions of carbs that are high in nutritious value. These are often found in whole-grain foods like brown rice and oatmeal.
Steer Clear of These Foods
When you’re planning a diabetes diet, knowing what to avoid is just as important as knowing what you should eat. Unhealthy fats, oils, and sweets are at the top of the list when it comes to foods you shouldn’t normally bother with, but processed grains aren’t far behind. And while produce is usually a great option, salty canned vegetables, fruit juice, fast food and other products in this vein can cause more trouble than you might expect.
Some Good Snack Ideas from the American Diabetes Association
(Include about 15-20 grams of carbohydrates)
⅓ cup of hummus and 1 cup raw fresh cut vegetables
1 small apple and 1 slice reduced fat cheese
3 cups light popcorn
½ turkey sandwich made with 1 slice whole wheat bread and 2 slices of lean turkey
¼ cup of low fat cottage cheese and ½ cup light canned fruit or fresh fruit
ADS Can Help You Manage Diabetes
The process of planning a diabetes diet can be overwhelming, but you don’t need to follow fad diets or make massive changes to your meal schedule to stay healthy. Instead, eat three balanced meals a day, along with small, healthy snacks when you need them. Finally, don’t make any significant changes to your diet without talking to your healthcare team first! You can also contact Halle Elbling, ADS’s Registered Dietitian Nutritionist and Certified Diabetes Care and Education Specialist with any questions.
Creating a healthy diet is an essential part of diabetes management, but it isn’t enough to control diabetes on its own. You’ll also need reliable access to high-quality diabetes supplies like insulin, glucose meters, and testing supplies. Advanced Diabetes Supply is a leading national supplier of all diabetes testing supplies – take a look at everything we can send to you today!
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If you’ve recently been diagnosed with diabetes, it’s essential to start building your diabetes management strategy right away. Along with a diabetes diet and regular exercise, blood glucose tests are a crucial element of any attempt to keep diabetes symptoms under control.
Still, there are some things you’ll need to know before your first blood sugar test. Here, you’ll learn when you should check your blood sugar and much more about blood glucose testing.
The Importance of Blood Sugar Tests
When you’re trying to manage diabetes, every decision matters – countless factors can play a role in your ability to live with this disease. These include everything from what you eat, to how much physical activity you get, to whether or not you smoke. Because so many things can have positive or negative effects on your diabetes management, having some way to keep track of everything is crucial.
Blood sugar numbers are the most effective way to see how lifestyle changes have impacted your diabetes. By testing your blood sugar levels, you can get regular updates on the effectiveness of your approach to diabetes management. You’ll also be able to make changes if something isn’t working, lowering your likelihood of running into serious complications later on.
Blood Sugar Testing 101
There are two blood sugar testing methods you need to know about:
Blood sugar self-tests, and
The Hemoglobin A1C test.
For now, we’ll focus on the first method. When testing your blood sugar, you’ll need to use a blood glucose meter. These devices can quickly measure the amount of sugar contained in a single drop of your blood, making them valuable tools for people with diabetes.
That said, no two blood glucose meters work identically. You’ll need to read the instructions that come with your meter to make sure you’re using it correctly – if you get confused, your healthcare team will be able to help. Some meters can also automatically store blood sugar test results; if yours doesn’t, it’s important to write down your results manually so you can share them with your healthcare team later on.
When to Test Your Blood Sugar
Generally speaking, people with diabetes can benefit from checking their blood sugar regularly. But based on things like the medications you use to control diabetes and the type of diabetes you have, your ideal testing schedule could look very different from someone else’s.
If you have type 1 diabetes, there’s a good chance that you’ll need to test your blood sugar more often than people with other types of diabetes. The same holds true for people who have type 2 diabetes but need to take insulin to manage this condition. On the other hand, people who have type 2 diabetes but don’t need insulin may be testing their blood sugar much less often. Still, it’s important to note that people in this category should still have access to a glucose meter.
Many people with diabetes find that some good times to test their glucose levels are:
Immediately after waking up
Right before a meal
Two hours after the start of eating a meal
Just before bed
To make sure your blood sugar testing schedule is as close as possible to your individual needs, make sure to work with your healthcare team when setting it up.
When you’re dealing with unusual circumstances, keeping an extra-close eye on your glucose levels can go a long way. Remember this when:
You’ve come down with any sort of illness
Your blood glucose levels are out of range more often than normal
You plan on getting an abnormally high amount of exercise
Meanwhile, you might not need to test your blood sugar as often as you have been if you’ve successfully managed your diabetes for a long time. Your doctor will inform you if and when this is the case – don’t cut down on testing without their OK.
Know Your Target Blood Glucose Levels
No matter how diligent you are when testing your blood sugar and recording your results, it won’t help if you don’t know what you’re aiming for. To give you a head start, many people with diabetes strive for these goals:
Before a meal: 80-130
Two hours after eating: Under 180
These numbers are just meant to give you a sense of what common target numbers look like. Ask your healthcare team what your target readings are!
How to Respond to High or Low Readings
If your readings are significantly higher than your target level, you’re dealing with something called “hyperglycemia” – put simply, high blood sugar. If you don’t take care of this condition, it can eventually cause severe damage. Hyperglycemia can be treated by drinking a glass of water and if you feel alright, taking a walk. Also, you might have to make changes to what you ate in your meals. If exercise and changes in your diet do not work, your doctor may change the amount of your medication or insulin or possibly the timing of when you take it. However, let your healthcare team know if this happens to you three or more times within two weeks.
It’s not a good idea to keep your blood sugar as low as possible, either – that’s called “hypoglycemia,” and it poses significant dangers of its own. If your blood sugar levels are under 70, respond by consuming fast-acting carbs, like glucose tablets, fruit juice, or (non-diet) soda. Also, contact your physician of frequent daily occurrences of hypoglycemia.
What Sets the Hemoglobin A1C Test Apart?
It may be confusing for people who are good at keeping up on their daily blood sugar tests to learn that you need to get another blood glucose test multiple times each year. However, getting Hemoglobin A1C tests is a necessary part of your approach to diabetes management. What does this test measure? The CDC explains that when sugar enters your bloodstream, it attaches to hemoglobin, a protein in your red blood cells. Everyone has some sugar attached to their hemoglobin, but individuals with higher blood sugar levels have more. The A1C test measures the percentage of your red blood cells that have sugar-coated hemoglobin.
Unlike self-monitoring tests, the A1C test is designed to help you and your healthcare team keep track of your average blood glucose levels over the last 3 months. This test can also help determine the medications you need and the ideal dosage of these medications.
Additionally, the results of A1C tests are different from the results of “normal” glucose tests. Your healthcare team will find an A1C goal number that fits your situation; for many people with diabetes, the goal is a result under 7 percent. You’ll need to get an A1C test at least twice a year, with additional tests necessary if your results are above your goal or your treatment methods change.
Find Glucose Testing Supplies You Can Trust
A successful blood glucose testing plan starts with knowledge of how often you should check your blood sugar. But to do so, you’ll have to get reliable equipment and supplies.
ADS can provide everything you need to test your blood glucose levels. Choose us for blood glucose meters, testing supplies, and much more. It’s easy to get started – just visit our online shop to see what we have available!
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Plants of all shapes and sizes are a cornerstone of any successful diabetes diet. That includes vegetables, fruits, and plant-based protein sources – but have you ever thought about the role herbs can play in diabetes management? While you may not eat these plants on their own, they can still add health benefits to other foods you eat.
However, it’s important not to go overboard. Some herbs can help with diabetes, but they shouldn’t be the sole step people take to treat this condition. Whether you’re curious about the possibility of treating diabetes naturally or just want to add some flavor to your diabetes diet, here’s what you need to know about diabetes and herbs.
Don’t Rely on Herbs Alone
In any discussion of herbs and diabetes, the topic of natural medicine is never far behind. There’s a good reason for that: herbs can have notable health benefits when added carefully to a diabetes treatment plan. As part of this, they can reduce diabetes side effects, replace nutrients a patient lacks, and even lower glucose levels and insulin resistance.
That said, it’s crucial to remember that the use of herbs for diabetes management has its limits. While herbs can lower some people’s reliance on insulin, trustworthy naturopathic doctors and herbalists will never ask their patients to take herbal products instead of insulin. If your pancreas cannot produce the insulin you need, regular insulin therapy is the only way you can keep living a healthy life. Be sure to work with your healthcare team and discuss any herbs or natural remedies you are taking along with your diabetes medications. And remember the best way to manage your diabetes is to take your prescribed medications, and make healthy lifestyle changes like losing weight, increasing exercise and sticking to a healthy and balanced diet.
The Best Herbs for Diabetes
Here are some herbs and natural remedies that may help in the treatment of type 2 diabetes:
Cinnamon. Several scientific studies have supported links between cinnamon and improved diabetes management. Consuming half a teaspoon of this spice each day can possibly help your blood sugar, triglyceride, and cholesterol levels.
Aloe Vera. You most likely are aware of the uses of this plant for the skin however it may help lower levels of both fasting blood glucose and hemoglobin A1C levels. Aloe vera is used as a juice and can even be added to smoothies.
Bitter melon. While this plant may sound like a bitter pill to swallow, its health benefits are worth the trouble. Bitter melon extract was found to help reduce fasting blood glucose levels.
Ginger. This herb has been used for thousands of years in traditional medicines. It has been found that ginger may reduce insulin resistance in people with type 2 diabetes. Use it fresh in cooking, or brew it in a tea.
Psyllium. Fiber is excellent for people with diabetes – including this plant fiber, often found in fiber supplements and bulk laxatives. It can lower your blood sugar and your cholesterol.
Keep These Cooking Tips In Mind
Follow these tips when buying and using herbs in the kitchen:
Herbs should always be fresh when you purchase them. Steer clear of herbs that are wilted or discolored.
Store herbs on the top shelf of your refrigerator – since heat rises, this is usually the warmest part of the fridge. To keep them moist, wrap them in a damp paper towel.
Don’t wash herbs before storing them. Instead, wash them right before using them.
When recipes call for dry herbs, it’s easy to use fresh herbs instead. In most cases, you can swap 1 teaspoon of dried herbs for 1 tablespoon of fresh herbs.
Tender herbs (including basil and cilantro) should be added just before a meal is done cooking. On the other hand, robust herbs (like rosemary and thyme) can stand up to longer cooking times.
While freezing herbs can damage their quality, you can still use frozen herbs in cooked dishes. Try freezing rosemary, thyme, oregano, sage, parsley, tarragon, dill, and chives.
Know Which Herbs to Use
If you haven’t used herbs and spices while cooking before, it can be hard to determine which herbs go best with which foods. To make this easier, use our “cheat sheet” while you get started.
Manage Diabetes with Herbs – And Supplies from ADS
When you combine the health benefits of natural herbs with the diabetes supplies you already rely on every day, it’s easy to take your diabetes management efforts to the next level. Along with increasing your herb intake, you can make it simpler to live with diabetes by ordering your supplies right here at ADS. We sell insulin, diabetes testing supplies, glucose meters, and more – get started by placing your first order today!
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It’s a good idea for people with diabetes to eat lots of vegetables, and one of the best veggies for diabetes is asparagus! Learn why asparagus is a diabetes superfood and how you can add it to your diabetes diet.
Did your parents constantly tell you to “eat your veggies” when you were younger? You might not have enjoyed hearing this as a child, especially if you were a picky eater – but there’s a good reason why it’s such a classic piece of advice. Increased vegetable intake can improve just about anyone’s health, and that’s especially true for people living with diabetes. Veggies are a nutritious source of carbohydrates, and they often come packed with valuable fiber, nutrients, and vitamins.
There’s no denying that asparagus is one of the healthiest vegetables out there, whether you have diabetes or not. And if you are living with diabetes or are trying to reduce your diabetes risk, there’s reason to believe this delicious vegetable can help! Read on to find out what makes asparagus so amazing.
Asparagus May Help Fight Diabetes
According to a study published in the British Journal of Nutrition, adding asparagus to your diet might help you keep diabetes symptoms under control. This study, performed at Pakistan’s Karachi University, looked at rats with diabetes. Half of the rat population received asparagus extract for a month, while the other half received glibenclamide, a drug used to treat type 2 diabetes. The result: Small amounts of the asparagus extract appeared to help with blood sugar control. More significant amounts had the same effect – and the benefit of increased insulin production.
Better yet, this study supports previous research done on the topic of asparagus and diabetes. Another study, which appeared in the British Medical Journal in 2006, found that asparagus consumption was linked to an 81-percent increase in the body’s ability to use glucose.
Even More Asparagus Health Benefits
On its own, the link between asparagus and improved diabetes control would be enough of a reason to put this vegetable on your plate. But the health perks of asparagus don’t stop there! When you make a point of eating asparagus regularly, you’ll also get:
High levels of folate. One 5.3-ounce serving of asparagus delivers 60 percent of your recommended daily allowance of folacin. The vitamin folate is important for making red blood cells and for cell division.
Low in calories and with countless nutrients. Asparagus boasts fiber, thiamin, vitamins A, B6, and K – just to name a few.
Good source of antioxidants. Asparagus is rich in Vitamins C and E, and the antioxidants called flavonoids and polyphenols.
Antioxidants have been shown to prevent the accumulation of free radicals and may reduce chronic disease.
Can improve digestive health. Asparagus is high in insoluble fiber which adds bulk to stool and supports regular bowel movements. It also contains small amounts of soluble fiber, which dissolves in water and forms a gel like substance in the digestive tract.
Lots of minerals. While asparagus is known for its iron and copper content, you’ll also get a bit of potassium, calcium, phosphorus, and manganese from this vegetable. Since it can help lower blood pressure, potassium is vital for treating diabetes.
Asparagus Nutritional Values
Are you looking for the nutritional values for asparagus? Here they are:
Serving size
1 cup
Calories
27
Protein
3 grams
Carbohydrates
5 grams
Fat
0 grams
Cholesterol
0 milligrams
Sodium
3 milligrams
Potassium
271 milligrams
Dietary Fiber
3 grams
Protein
6 percent DV
Vitamin A
20 percent DV
Vitamin C
12 percent DV
Iron
16 percent DV
Vitamin B6
5 percent DV
Adding Asparagus to Your Diabetes Diet is Easy
If you’re like many people, eating more vegetables is easier said than done – especially if you have bad memories of eating asparagus as a kid. Still, if you take the time to prepare it right, asparagus can be as delicious as it is nutritious.
Give one of these ideas a try:
Add asparagus spears to soups, omelets, casseroles, and pasta.
Serve steamed asparagus with some parmesan and olive oil drizzled on top.
For extra protein and a unique flavor, eat asparagus along with pistachios or other nuts.
Make a healthy, delicious appetizer by grilling asparagus stalks with onions and macadamia nut oil.
Try stir-frying asparagus, along with sesame seeds, pepper, ginger, and garlic for added flavor.
Control Diabetes with Asparagus – And ADS
Whether asparagus is already one of your favorite vegetables or you haven’t eaten it in years, it’s always a bright idea to use this veggie the next time you cook dinner. When you do, you’ll be able to appreciate how it’s helping you manage your diabetes!
Along with eating a healthy diet, a crucial part of diabetes management is ensuring you have the diabetes supplies you need. Whether you use insulin, glucose meters, continuous glucose monitors, or other supplies, you can count on ADS to ship them to you as quickly and reliably as possible!
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Why You Should Celebrate National Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Month Year-Round | ADS
Fruits and vegetables are an indispensable element of any healthy diet – including diabetes diets. While they contain carbohydrates, the positive impact they can have on your overall well-being more than makes up for this. When you eat the right amount of produce and focus on adding the healthiest options to your diet, you’ll get nutrients, fiber, and much more.
In fact, veggies and fruits are so delicious and nutritious that they’re the focus of a month-long celebration – National Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Month, which occurs every June. Of course, this isn’t the only time you can reap the benefits that vegetables and fruits bring to the table. Whether you’ve found this article in June or any other time of year, keep reading for the ADS guide to fresh produce and diabetes.
The Health Benefits of Produce
Fruits and vegetables aren’t just full of nutrients – they’re nutrient-dense, which means they offer lots of minerals and vitamins but low calories. Along with this, the antioxidants they contain can help lower your risk of some chronic diseases, such as heart disease and cancer.
The USDA has acknowledged the health benefits of produce in its MyPlate program. That program, intended to help people eat a balanced diet, asks people to fill 50 percent of their plates with fruits and vegetables during meals. That’s equivalent to 1.5-2 cups of fruit and 2-3 cups of vegetables per day!
How Fruits and Veggies Fight Diabetes
If you have diabetes, following the keto diet or other fad diets that heavily restrict your carbohydrate intake might sound like a good idea. But that’s not necessarily the case – while it’s important to count carbs when you have diabetes, you still need to eat a balanced diet just like everyone else. And even though produce contains some carbs, its health benefits can help you keep your overall well-being in check.
Along with that, many fruits and veggies are high in fiber. That’s important to know if you have diabetes since fiber can help you control your blood sugar, lose weight, and reduce your levels of LDL (AKA “bad” cholesterol).
However, the way you consume produce matters if you have diabetes. Your best bet is to focus on fresh fruit or raw/cooked vegetables. Salty cooked or canned vegetables, sugar-packed jams and jellies, fruit juice, and other produce-based products can cause health problems if you aren’t careful.
10 Best Vegetables and Fruits for People with Diabetes
While it’s usually a good idea to add fruits and vegetables to your diet, some types of produce are exceptionally healthy for people with diabetes. You can’t go wrong with these options:
Leafy Greens
Spinach, collard greens, kale, and the like are more than a match for diabetes – they come packed with omega-3 fatty acids and minerals perfectly suited to boost insulin production and keep your blood glucose in check.
Berries
Despite their sweet taste, berries are relatively low in sugar. They also contain lots of nutrients and fiber, making them an ideal treat for people with diabetes.
Sweet Potatoes
Don’t let the name fool you – sweet potatoes boast a low glycemic index, meaning they won’t have a severe effect on your blood sugar level. That makes them an even better option than regular potatoes if you have diabetes.
Citrus Fruits
Oranges and other citrus fruits are full of fiber. Meanwhile, they’re chock-full of vitamin C – just make sure to eat them raw instead of drinking orange juice.
Broccoli
It’s hard to overstate how healthy broccoli is for people with diabetes. This veggie is low in calories and full of vitamins, fiber, and antioxidants.
Apples
Eating one of these fruits a day might not keep the doctor away, but it certainly won’t hurt – the anthocyanins that apples contain can help give insulin production a lift. Try to eat smaller apples, and don’t forget to include them when counting carbs.
Asparagus
Asparagus contains quite a bit of protein, but this vegetable’s health benefits don’t stop there. You’ll also get a heaping helping of fiber and vitamins from a serving, including 18% of your suggested daily amount of vitamins C and E.
Red Onion
These onions come with layers of diabetes-fighting benefits. They’re low in calories, deliver essential vitamins, and have antioxidant properties.
Cherries
The anthocyanins contained in cherries may help lower your blood sugar, and they’re full of vitamins, calcium, and fiber. Perhaps best of all, it’s easy to add them to all kinds of recipes for a quick health boost!
Zucchini
The magnesium, zinc, and vitamin B included in zucchini can all help keep your blood glucose levels under control. This veggie can also improve your eye health, which is especially important due to the vision-related complications associated with diabetes.
Fun Ways to Increase Your Produce Intake
Eating right shouldn’t be a chore! Use these tips to have fun while adding more produce to your diet:
Enjoy National Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Month with ADS
There’s no better time than the present to balance your diet by eating more fruits and veggies, and that’s true no matter what month it is. That’s why we here at ADS celebrate National Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Month all year long!
To maximize the health benefits associated with fresh produce, you should make sure you have a diabetes strategy that’s working for you. That means you’ll need to check your blood sugar regularly, get the insulin dosage you need, and find a reliable supplier for diabetes supplies.
ADS can ship insulin, glucose meters, and other products directly to you – if you’re interested, take a look at all the diabetes supplies we have available!
How Folic Acid Can Improve Your Diabetes Diet | ADS
Everyone needs to eat right as a critical part of their overall health – but that’s especially true for people with diabetes. Building a diabetes diet can be a challenge however by understanding what makes foods healthy, taking time to learn about various nutrients and what they do can benefit you in so many ways.
One commonly overlooked but crucial nutrient is folic acid. The human body needs this vitamin and its counterpart folate to perform all kinds of different tasks. But while folic acid deficiencies can have serious health consequences, getting enough folic acid can help improve your health in several different ways. In this article, you’ll learn all about folic acid and how it can help you live with diabetes.
The Basics of Folic Acid
A type of B vitamin, folic acid is found in certain foods and supplements. Your body uses folic acid in various functions, such as:
Despite the importance of these tasks, your body can’t supply folic acid on its own. That means this vitamin needs to come from your diet. Of course, not everyone gets enough folic acid, but a significant deficiency could have serious consequences. These can include congenital disabilities, increased risks of some diseases, and megaloblastic anemia.
Folic Acid vs. Folate: What’s The Difference?
Folic acid is actually an artificial, man-made product. This vitamin is a synthetic version of folate, a similar B vitamin that occurs naturally in many foods.
Many people assume folic acid and folate are the same thing. Still, folic acid and folate are different nutrients and have minor differences in their effects. That said, their differences are mostly negligible, so you can combine both folic acid and folate when determining your dietary intake of either vitamin.
Folic Acid Benefits For Everyday Health
Getting enough folic acid in your diet has some significant perks. Folic acid supplements and foods with folate are commonly used to prevent congenital disabilities. In fact, concerns about folate deficiency and congenital disabilities have led to policies focusing on folic acid supplementation for pregnant women.
That is just one way folic acid and folate can improve your health. These nutrients may also:
Increase the likelihood of live births in women using assisted reproductive technology
Foods With Folic Acid and Folate
As a vitamin found in nature, folate appears in many different plant and animal foods – including some that may already be part of your diabetes diet. Look for this vitamin in broccoli, avocado, some leafy greens (including kale and spinach), eggs, citrus fruits, and beef liver.
Meanwhile, folic acid often gets added to foods as part of the manufacturing process. They are prevalent in foods like cereal and bread since countries like the United States require their grain products to get fortified with folic acid to cut down on folate deficiency. You can also consume folic acid in the form of dietary supplements.
Folic Acid Intake Guidelines
Since the body absorbs folic acid and folate differently, any method of measuring these vitamins needs to be flexible enough that it can account for these differences. Enter Dietary Folate Equivalents, or DFEs – a unit of measure developed with this conundrum in mind. One mcg of DFEs equals either 1 mcg of folate, and equaling 0.5 mcg of folic acid supplements consumed on an empty stomach, or 0.6 mcg of folic acid consumed along with food.
Generally speaking, adults need to get roughly 400 mcg of DFEs every day. That amount rises significantly for women who are pregnant or breastfeeding, however. Pregnant women should get 600 mcg of DFEs daily while breastfeeding women should get 500 mcg of DFEs.
Cut Down On Diabetes Symptoms and Complications With Folic Acid
Along with the health benefits listed above, folic acid can help you manage and even avoid diabetes. Notably, research suggests that consuming a folic acid supplement every day may lower your likelihood of gestational diabetes. It can also help you with these diabetes symptoms and complications:
High Blood Sugar
One of the most significant steps you can take to manage diabetes is closely monitoring your blood sugar and taking action based on this information. Fortunately, folic acid supplements might enhance people’s ability to control their blood sugar.
Insulin Resistance
Another common concern among many people with diabetes is their bodily resistance to insulin. As it turns out, there’s also evidence that folic acid can possibly lower insulin resistance levels in people with diabetes.
Neuropathy
The term “diabetic neuropathy” refers to a type of nerve damage caused by elevated blood sugar levels. Since folic acid is linked to enhanced blood sugar control, it’s no surprise that it can also lower your neuropathy risk.
Alzheimer’s Disease
Several studies suggest that diabetes comes with a heightened risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. Low folate levels – or even levels on the low end of “normal” – may further increase your risk. On the other hand, folic acid supplements may enhance brain function in people with Alzheimer’s disease.
Mental Health Problems
The stress associated with diabetes management can result in issues related to mental health. Though folic acid can’t eliminate this source of stress, it could make it easier for you to deal with it. People who have depression often have lower folate levels than people who don’t have this condition. Research indicates that folic acid supplements can help control depressive symptoms when taken alongside antidepressants.
Heart Disease
One of the most infamous diabetes complications is heart disease, so it’s essential to do everything you can to reduce your heart risk. A review of 30 studies and with over 80,000 people determined that folic acid supplements could reduce heart disease risk by 4 percent and stroke risk by 10 percent.
Manage Diabetes With Folic Acid
Since most adults in the United States already get enough folic acid, you may not need to make any dietary changes or start taking supplements. If you are concerned about your folic acid intake, talk to a Registered Dietitian and your healthcare team before changing your diabetes diet. And whenever you need glucose meters, testing supplies, and other products to manage diabetes, make this easy for yourself by shopping online at ADS!
Are Sleep Patterns Connected To Diabetes?
It’s no overstatement to say that diabetes can have a significant impact on your overall health. If you’ve been diagnosed with this condition, you’ll need to change your diet and set up an exercise routine to keep it under control. Otherwise, you’ll be at risk of short-term symptoms like extreme hunger and thirst and frequent urination. That’s not even mentioning long-term complications such as heart disease, nerve damage, and vision problems.
These effects of diabetes are relatively well-known, but you might not know that diabetes can affect the quality of your sleep. Whether you tossed and turned through the night or slept like a baby before your diabetes diagnosis, keep reading for crucial info on diabetes and sleep.
The Link Between Diabetes and Sleep
We’ve known that diabetes can impact people’s sleep for at least a decade now. In 2012, a research team looked into connections between sleep disturbances (including difficulties falling asleep, trouble staying asleep, and oversleeping) and diabetes. Their research found a clear link between the two and made it clear that sleep deprivation can be a diabetes risk factor.
Even if you have diabetes, your sleep may or may not be affected by the disease. That’s because the impact diabetes can have on rest is tied to symptoms that not everyone experiences. These symptoms are more likely to affect your rest:
Sleep Disorders in People with Diabetes
In addition to the impact these symptoms can have on your sleep schedule, certain sleep disorders are seen more commonly in people with diabetes. These include:
Sleep Apnea
When you have sleep apnea, your breathing repeatedly stops and starts multiple times per night. This is the most common sleep disorder for people with diabetes – particularly type 2 diabetes, as it can be exacerbated by excess weight.
Symptoms of sleep apnea include snoring and daytime sleepiness. Common risk factors are obesity and a family history of sleep apnea. To manage this condition, you may need to use a CPAP (a special mask) and weight loss can help, as well.
Restless Leg Syndrome
As its name suggests, the defining trait of restless leg syndrome (RLS) is a relentless need to move your legs. Since it’s most common during the night, it can make falling asleep or staying asleep difficult.
Things like high blood glucose levels, thyroid disorders, and kidney problems can increase your RLS risk. It has been found that tobacco use or iron deficiency can also trigger the syndrome. If you think you might have RLS, let your healthcare team know.
Insomnia
If you have a rough time falling or staying asleep, there’s a good chance you have insomnia. High levels of glucose and stress can increase your likelihood of experiencing this condition.
To treat insomnia, start by considering sources of stress in your life and working from there. Professional medical advice can help you deal with insomnia, as well.
Improve Your Sleep with These Tips
While diabetes can affect your sleep, poor sleep can also make it more challenging to manage this disease. Not getting enough rest can affect your hormones and can increase the likelihood that you’ll overeat to gain energy. That can cause you to gain weight, making diabetes management more complicated – and potentially making your sleep problems even worse.
To avoid this vicious circle, you’ll need to do what you can to improve your sleep habits. A few simple steps can help:
Choose Nutrient Dense Foods Daily
When you’re trying to manage diabetes and keep diabetes symptoms under control, one of the most effective steps you can take is following a diabetes diet. Chances are, your healthcare team has already mentioned certain foods you should include in this diet. These recommendations might consist of fruits, vegetables, and certain types of meat.
But have you ever wondered why these food categories could help you fight diabetes? The answer is simple: foods in these groups tend to be “nutrient-dense.” If you’re unfamiliar with the concept of nutrient density, read on for our guide – and a list of nutrient-dense superfoods that can turbocharge your diabetes diet.
What is Nutrient Density?
People can’t eat an infinite amount of food on a given day. That may seem like a fairly obvious statement, but it means that you and everyone else need to make choices about what you eat to get the nutrients you need. Even if two different food items have similar amounts of calories, they could have radically different effects on your overall health. This is the case because they have differing amounts of vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients.
The concept of nutrient density refers to a food item’s nutritional content compared to its calorie count. Highly nutrient-dense foods are packed with vitamins and minerals while containing relatively few calories. On the flip side, foods with low nutrient density have lots of calories but limited nutrients. They also tend to be high in saturated fats and sugars.
Some foods with low nutrient density (more commonly known as “junk foods”) include candy, white bread, chips, ice cream, and soda. Excessive amounts of these foods can wreak havoc on anyone’s diet. Still, it’s imperative to avoid them if you have diabetes since they could make your diabetes symptoms worse. The good news is that many foods with higher nutrient density levels can help you keep your diabetes diagnosis under control.
Try These Nutrient-Dense Foods
Are you looking for nutrient-dense foods to add to your diabetes diet? Your healthcare team can help, but it may be a good idea to consider these amazing superfoods:
Beans and Peas
Beans are delicious, affordable, and packed with nutrients. Focus on eating these types of beans to manage your blood sugar while getting lots of fiber, protein, iron, zinc, and folate:
Blueberries
Many items in the produce section are great for your health, but few fruits can match blueberries in terms of nutritional value. Though vegetables can have higher levels of vitamins and minerals, these berries make up for this with the antioxidants they contain. Some of these antioxidants can cross the blood-brain barrier, allowing them to protect your brain – studies show that blueberries may boost memory in older people. Furthermore, in another study blueberries appeared to lower obese individual’s with metabolic syndrome their LDL or “bad” cholesterol levels. These berries could play a role in fighting cancer, too.
Dark Chocolate
Living with diabetes doesn’t have to mean giving up dessert – especially when you treat your sweet tooth to dark
chocolate! When it has a high cocoa percentage and you eat it in moderation, dark chocolate can be much more nutritious than you might think. Studies have shown that dark chocolate is one of the most antioxidant-rich foods! As a result, dark chocolate has health benefits similar to those associated with blueberry consumption. Furthermore, research suggests that eating this chocolate at least five times a week could lower your heart disease risk by 57 percent.
Garlic
Garlic can do much more than add flavor to your meals. When you add garlic to your diet, you’ll benefit from its high amounts of calcium, manganese, selenium, copper, potassium, and vitamins C, B1, and B6. Meanwhile, it contains sulfur compounds like allicin, which could lower your blood pressure and LDL cholesterol. As if that’s not enough, studies show that garlic has various cancer fighting properties too.
Kale
Leafy greens, in general, are great for diabetes management, but nothing beats kale. This veggie is chock-full of fiber, vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and beneficial bioactive compounds. Kale is high in vitamin C, A and vitamin K1. It also contains large amounts of vitamin B6, calcium, potassium, magnesium, manganese and copper. Kale may be even healthier than spinach because of its lower amount of oxalates. These are substances that can bind to certain minerals in your intestines and prevent them from being absorbed by your body.
Salmon
You may have heard that fish are a good source of protein for people with diabetes. But that doesn’t mean that all fish are equally nutritious – and salmon is one of the best options out there. This type of fish is exceptionally high in omega-3 fatty acids, and eating it can reduce your risk of certain serious diseases. Along with essential fatty acids and protein, eating salmon will give you many B vitamins, potassium, magnesium, and selenium. It is recommended to eat fatty, omega 3 rich fish at least once or twice a week for good health.
Sardines
Sardines are another type of fish that’s packed with heart healthy omega-3 fatty acids. They’re also a uniquely
nutrient-rich option since they’re customarily eaten whole – including their organs. Because of this, sardines offer small amounts of almost every nutrient you could need. (But be sure to exercise caution when purchasing sardines – canned sardines can be high in sodium. Instead, try to find water-packed sardines with packaging that uses the term “low sodium.”)
Support Your Nutrient-Dense Diet With Diabetes Supplies
Once you’ve built a diabetes diet that focuses on nutrient-dense foods like these, you’ll need to watch your blood sugar levels to make sure it’s working as intended. That means having reliable access to glucose meters, continuous glucose monitors, and diabetes testing supplies. If you need a trustworthy supplier of these items and many others, choose ADS to get the job done!
Keep Your Skin Healthy With These Nutrients | ADS
Complications related to diabetes can affect all sorts of organs in the human body, including the eyes, kidneys, and heart. But did you know that this disease could also affect your biggest organ of all – that is, your skin? If you don’t take diabetes management seriously, you could fall victim to all sorts of skin-related complications.
Fortunately, there are many ways to enjoy having glowing skin, whether you have diabetes or not. One step that can help improve your skin health is eating right. Check out the ADS guide to building a diet that takes both diabetes and skincare into account, along with all the other skin health tips you need.
How Can Diabetes Affect Your Skin Health?
There’s a good chance that you’re already aware of the most infamous diabetes complications – a category that includes heart disease, blindness, nerve damage, and many other conditions. What you may not know is that skin-related diabetes complications are just as common. In fact, these complications can serve as the first warning sign of diabetes or prediabetes, so paying close attention to your skin health is vital.
Like other diabetes complications, skin problems linked to diabetes usually result from uncontrolled blood sugar levels. If you’ve already been diagnosed with diabetes but have started noticing skin problems, it may indicate that you need to make changes to your diabetes treatment regimen. Contact your physician to discuss.
Some diabetes complications related to the skin include:
Skin infections
The Four Best Nutrients for Healthy Skin
When you’re working to manage diabetes, it’s crucial to make sure you’re eating a nutritious diet. That also applies to skin health – and many of the foods that help fight diabetes also contribute to glowing skin! By eating foods rich in these four nutrients, you’ll reap the benefits of improved skin health and enhanced diabetes control.
Vitamins
Foods high in vitamins C, E, A, K, and B complex are just what you need to keep your skin healthy! The vitamins and antioxidants found in colorful fruits and veggies do a fantastic job of preventing dry skin, protecting against free radical damage, and making wrinkles less visible.
Vegetables like carrots, sweet potatoes, beans (including red, black, and pinto beans), peppers, artichokes, kale, tomatoes, broccoli, and spinach are chock-full of vitamins. The same is true for all sorts of fruits, including plums, grapes, berries, and kiwi. Just be sure to include these foods while counting carbs!
Essential Fatty Acids
Weight loss can be highly beneficial when you’re controlling diabetes. But while cutting down on fat is often a good idea, you shouldn’t eliminate fat from your diet – especially since some fats are healthier than others. Reasonable portions of essential fatty acids can help your skin maintain its vital oil barrier.
The best strategy is to focus on foods with unsaturated fats like Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids. Omega 3 fatty acids can be found in cold-water fish (like sardines, mackerel, and salmon), walnuts, flaxseed, and olive oil. Meanwhile, you’ll get Omega 6 fatty acids from various cooking oils, poultry, nuts, seeds, and grains.
Minerals
Selenium. Studies show that selenium may help lower your risk of skin cancer, along with improving your skin’s elasticity. But this isn’t the only mineral that can boost your skin health, either. Some excellent dietary sources of selenium are the whole grains found in cereals and brown rice, eggs, seafood, and garlic.
Copper promotes elastin development. Whole grains can also help you get extra copper, and the same is true for eating nuts and seeds, avocados, green leafy vegetables, beans, and shellfish.
Zinc. Zinc is a well known mineral for healthy skin. Zinc is necessary for collagen formation and plays an important role in wound healing. Zinc is found in meat, poultry, nuts, beans, dairy foods and whole grains.
Water
You may not usually think of water as a nutrient, but it fits the definition of this category – and staying hydrated is essential to good skin health. Getting at least half a gallon (or eight to ten glasses) of water a day can help your skin look young and stay moist.
Drinking water isn’t the only way you can get this indispensable nutrient. You can also drink beverages like green or black tea, along with eating the right portion sizes of water-packed foods like peaches, celery, and (of course) watermelon.
Even More Diabetes Skin Care Tips
Putting some thought into improving your diet is a fantastic way to start working on skincare if you have diabetes. That said, it isn’t the only way to keep your skin as healthy as possible. You should also:
Avoid anxiety by ordering the diabetes supplies you need from ADS! We’re the nation’s most trusted supplier of insulin, diabetes testing supplies, glucose meters, and more.
For a consultation on how to keep your skin healthy while living with diabetes please contact our Certified Diabetes Educator for more details.
How Fiber Can Enhance a Diabetes Diet | ADS
Just about everyone who has diabetes has heard about the dangers associated with carbohydrates – and for a good reason. When you don’t closely monitor your carb intake, it can seriously affect your blood glucose level. In turn, that could eventually make you more likely to experience severe complications of diabetes down the line.
But not all carbs have the same effects on your body. When consumed in reasonable portions, some carbohydrates play a vital role in maintaining your health. Fiber is a crucial carb for people with diabetes since it can actively make it easier to manage this condition. For much more information on fiber and diabetes, read on.
The Basics of Fiber
It’s easy to assume that all carbohydrates are basically the same thing. Still, there’s more to know about this nutrient category than this implies. First, it’s necessary to understand that there are three basic types of carbs – sugar, starches, and fiber. Unlike sugars and most starches, the body doesn’t digest dietary fiber. Still, this carb comes with many benefits, including improvements to your digestive health.
Because of this, it might be surprising to learn that most people don’t get enough fiber each day. In fact, most adults in the United States only get half their daily recommended fiber intake. Do you suspect you might fall into this category? In that case, it’s time to talk to your healthcare team about adding more fiber to your diabetes diet.
There are two basic subgroups of fiber, both of which come with unique benefits. Soluble fiber can dissolve in water, creating a gel-like material in the process. This type of fiber is most closely associated with reduced blood glucose and cholesterol. You can find soluble fiber in legumes, certain fruits (including apples and citrus fruits), carrots, barley, oats, and psyllium.
On the other hand, insoluble fiber does not dissolve in liquid. You need this form of fiber to help waste travel smoothly through your digestive system. Many foods include insoluble fiber, such as beans, nuts, some vegetables, wheat bran, and whole-wheat flour.
Fighting Diabetes with Fiber
Though fiber is a crucial part of anyone’s diet, people with diabetes should put extra emphasis on eating enough fiber daily. That’s because fiber can assist in handling diabetes in several ways. Fiber can help you:
Adding More Fiber to Your Diabetes Diet
Chances are, you’ve heard the phrase “an apple a day keeps the doctor away.” But to get the fiber you need, you’d have to add five more apples to your everyday diet. Six apples contain about 30 grams of fiber, and the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2020-2025 encourage adults to get 22 to 34 grams of fiber daily.
Obviously, you don’t need to eat half a dozen apples each day to reach your fiber requirements. Instead, keep these tips in mind:
Focus on Whole Grains
When shopping for bread, rice, pasta, and other grains, look for products that list whole grains as the first or second ingredient. Two slices of whole-wheat bread and a cup of cooked brown rice both contain four grams of fiber. (A word of warning: if an item is advertised as “multigrain” or “100-percent wheat,” it probably isn’t whole-grain.)
Get The Day Started Right
Not all cereals are good sources of whole grains, and even some whole-grain cereals are full of unneeded sugars. Instead, try cereals like Fiber One (which has 14 grams of fiber per half-cup) and Raisin Bran (which has 7.5 grams of fiber per cup). Otherwise, consider eating oatmeal with berries and nuts or avocado toast with chickpeas.
Load Up on Legumes
Beans aren’t just a fantastic source of fiber – they also come with a ton of nutritious plant-based protein. Add a quarter-cup of kidney beans to a green salad for three grams of fiber, or eat a cup of canned minestrone soup for five grams of this nutrient. Other legumes, like peas and lentils, are also great for adding fiber to your diet.
Eat Fruits and Vegetables
A good diabetes diet should include lots of produce, and the fiber found in many fruits and veggies is a big reason for that. You’ll get five grams of fiber in a cup of cooked carrots and four grams in a cup of strawberries.
Consider Chia Seeds
Chia seeds and flaxseed make it easy to add fiber to almost anything. A tablespoon of flaxseed contains three grams of fiber, while an identically-sized serving of chia seeds comes with five grams. Just mix them into smoothies, soups, cereals, and other dishes for a quick dose of fiber!
Take It Slow
If your current diet doesn’t include much fiber, getting more of this nutrient is wise. However, you should make a point of introducing fiber gradually and drinking lots of water while you do! You could run into digestive issues like gas, bloating, diarrhea, and constipation if you don’t.
Enhance Your Diabetes Management With Fiber – And ADS
With our advice, you’ll be ready to add fiber to your diabetes diet the smart way and reap the health benefits associated with this nutrient. While you’re making improvements to your diabetes management strategy, why not take a moment to think about how you’re getting diabetes supplies? If you could use a reliable supplier of insulin, glucose meters, and any other diabetes-related products, you can’t go wrong ordering from ADS.
Eating Right for Diabetes | Modified Meal Plans
Eating a healthy diet is a massive part of any effective diabetes management strategy. If you have diabetes, your research into dietary health may have led you to the idea that eating more small meals over the course of the day is healthier than the “standard” three large meals.
That sounds logical enough on the surface – after all, many people with diabetes need to eat snacks to keep their blood sugar in check. However, the truth is more complicated than this may suggest. In this article, you’ll find a complete explanation of scheduling your diabetes diet, along with the foods you should make sure to include as part of your everyday meals.
It’s “common knowledge” that eating a larger number of smaller meals can help you lose weight, but that doesn’t mean it’s true. A University of Ottawa study determined that dividing calories between six meals instead of three doesn’t have any notable impact on weight loss. Instead, it seems like this can make people more likely to overeat.
Another study, published by the New England Journal of Medicine, focused on the relationship between meal frequency and type 2 diabetes. This study found that eating three meals a day is the best option for blood glucose management. When you consider both studies, it’s clear that making significant changes to your dietary schedule probably isn’t the best idea.
Healthy Snacks Can Still Help
While it’s best to stick to the three main meals when managing diabetes, that doesn’t mean you should only eat at these times. Quite a few people with diabetes have found that small snacks help keep their blood sugar in range throughout the day. When you put some thought into your snacking plan, snacks can even lower your likelihood of overeating during meals.
The key to successful snacking is to avoid overindulging in carbohydrates. Your exact needs may vary, but for most people, the ideal diabetes snack contains no more than 15 grams of carbs. That way, you’ll get a quick energy boost without putting yourself at risk of binge-eating.
Putting Your Diabetes Diet Together
Now that you know when to eat, the follow-up question is obvious: what foods should your diabetes diet include, and what foods should it omit? The easiest way to start planning a diabetes diet is to look at foods in terms of the categories they fall into:
Focus on Fruits and Veggies
Though they count as a source of carbs, fresh fruits and raw/cooked vegetables contain lots of fiber and nutrients that can help keep your diabetes in check. Just be sure to include them while counting carbs, and look for options that are high in fiber.
Get the Protein You Need
Most protein sources are fine for people with diabetes, but lean protein
s (including meat, fish, poultry, tofu, and dairy) are ideal. Meanwhile, plant-based protein sources contain nutrients and fiber, so add some of these proteins to your diet.
Make Sure to Eat Nutritious Complex Carbs
Instead of avoiding carbohydrates entirely, your best option is to focus on eating controlled portions of carbs that are high in nutritious value. These are often found in whole-grain foods like brown rice and oatmeal.
Steer Clear of These Foods
When you’re planning a diabetes diet, knowing what to avoid is just as important as knowing what you should eat. Unhealthy fats, oils, and sweets are at the top of the list when it comes to foods you shouldn’t normally bother with, but processed grains aren’t far behind. And while produce is usually a great option, salty canned vegetables, fruit juice, fast food and other products in this vein can cause more trouble than you might expect.
Some Good Snack Ideas from the American Diabetes Association
(Include about 15-20 grams of carbohydrates)
ADS Can Help You Manage Diabetes
The process of planning a diabetes diet can be overwhelming, but you don’t need to follow fad diets or make massive changes to your meal schedule to stay healthy. Instead, eat three balanced meals a day, along with small, healthy snacks when you need them. Finally, don’t make any significant changes to your diet without talking to your healthcare team first! You can also contact Halle Elbling, ADS’s Registered Dietitian Nutritionist and Certified Diabetes Care and Education Specialist with any questions.
Creating a healthy diet is an essential part of diabetes management, but it isn’t enough to control diabetes on its own. You’ll also need reliable access to high-quality diabetes supplies like insulin, glucose meters, and testing supplies. Advanced Diabetes Supply is a leading national supplier of all diabetes testing supplies – take a look at everything we can send to you today!
How Frequently Should You Test Blood Glucose Levels? | ADS
If you’ve recently been diagnosed with diabetes, it’s essential to start building your diabetes management strategy right away. Along with a diabetes diet and regular exercise, blood glucose tests are a crucial element of any attempt to keep diabetes symptoms under control.
Still, there are some things you’ll need to know before your first blood sugar test. Here, you’ll learn when you should check your blood sugar and much more about blood glucose testing.
The Importance of Blood Sugar Tests
When you’re trying to manage diabetes, every decision matters – countless factors can play a role in your ability to live with this disease. These include everything from what you eat, to how much physical activity you get, to whether or not you smoke. Because so many things can have positive or negative effects on your diabetes management, having some way to keep track of everything is crucial.
Blood sugar numbers are the most effective way to see how lifestyle changes have impacted your diabetes. By testing your blood sugar levels, you can get regular updates on the effectiveness of your approach to diabetes management. You’ll also be able to make changes if something isn’t working, lowering your likelihood of running into serious complications later on.
Blood Sugar Testing 101
There are two blood sugar testing methods you need to know about:
For now, we’ll focus on the first method. When testing your blood sugar, you’ll need to use a blood glucose meter. These devices can quickly measure the amount of sugar contained in a single drop of your blood, making them valuable tools for people with diabetes.
That said, no two blood glucose meters work identically. You’ll need to read the instructions that come with your meter to make sure you’re using it correctly – if you get confused, your healthcare team will be able to help. Some meters can also automatically store blood sugar test results; if yours doesn’t, it’s important to write down your results manually so you can share them with your healthcare team later on.
When to Test Your Blood Sugar
Generally speaking, people with diabetes can benefit from checking their blood sugar regularly. But based on things like the medications you use to control diabetes and the type of diabetes you have, your ideal testing schedule could look very different from someone else’s.
If you have type 1 diabetes, there’s a good chance that you’ll need to test your blood sugar more often than people with other types of diabetes. The same holds true for people who have type 2 diabetes but need to take insulin to manage this condition. On the other hand, people who have type 2 diabetes but don’t need insulin may be testing their blood sugar much less often. Still, it’s important to note that people in this category should still have access to a glucose meter.
Many people with diabetes find that some good times to test their glucose levels are:
To make sure your blood sugar testing schedule is as close as possible to your individual needs, make sure to work with your healthcare team when setting it up.
Don’t Be Afraid to Change Your Testing Schedule
While it’s healthy to have a schedule for testing your blood sugar levels, flexibility is essential, too. There are some situations where checking these levels more or less often than usual may be wise.
When you’re dealing with unusual circumstances, keeping an extra-close eye on your glucose levels can go a long way. Remember this when:
Meanwhile, you might not need to test your blood sugar as often as you have been if you’ve successfully managed your diabetes for a long time. Your doctor will inform you if and when this is the case – don’t cut down on testing without their OK.
Know Your Target Blood Glucose Levels
No matter how diligent you are when testing your blood sugar and recording your results, it won’t help if you don’t know what you’re aiming for. To give you a head start, many people with diabetes strive for these goals:
These numbers are just meant to give you a sense of what common target numbers look like. Ask your healthcare team what your target readings are!
How to Respond to High or Low Readings
If your readings are significantly higher than your target level, you’re dealing with something called “hyperglycemia” – put simply, high blood sugar. If you don’t take care of this condition, it can eventually cause severe damage. Hyperglycemia can be treated by drinking a glass of water and if you feel alright, taking a walk. Also, you might have to make changes to what you ate in your meals. If exercise and changes in your diet do not work, your doctor may change the amount of your medication or insulin or possibly the timing of when you take it. However, let your healthcare team know if this happens to you three or more times within two weeks.
It’s not a good idea to keep your blood sugar as low as possible, either – that’s called “hypoglycemia,” and it poses significant dangers of its own. If your blood sugar levels are under 70, respond by consuming fast-acting carbs, like glucose tablets, fruit juice, or (non-diet) soda. Also, contact your physician of frequent daily occurrences of hypoglycemia.
What Sets the Hemoglobin A1C Test Apart?
It may be confusing for people who are good at keeping up on their daily blood sugar tests to learn that you need to get another blood glucose test multiple times each year. However, getting Hemoglobin A1C tests is a necessary part of your approach to diabetes management. What does this test measure? The CDC explains that when sugar enters your bloodstream, it attaches to hemoglobin, a protein in your red blood cells. Everyone has some sugar attached to their hemoglobin, but individuals with higher blood sugar levels have more. The A1C test measures the percentage of your red blood cells that have sugar-coated hemoglobin.
Unlike self-monitoring tests, the A1C test is designed to help you and your healthcare team keep track of your average blood glucose levels over the last 3 months. This test can also help determine the medications you need and the ideal dosage of these medications.
Additionally, the results of A1C tests are different from the results of “normal” glucose tests. Your healthcare team will find an A1C goal number that fits your situation; for many people with diabetes, the goal is a result under 7 percent. You’ll need to get an A1C test at least twice a year, with additional tests necessary if your results are above your goal or your treatment methods change.
Find Glucose Testing Supplies You Can Trust
A successful blood glucose testing plan starts with knowledge of how often you should check your blood sugar. But to do so, you’ll have to get reliable equipment and supplies.
ADS can provide everything you need to test your blood glucose levels. Choose us for blood glucose meters, testing supplies, and much more. It’s easy to get started – just visit our online shop to see what we have available!
Cooking With Herbs
Plants of all shapes and sizes are a cornerstone of any successful diabetes diet. That includes vegetables, fruits, and plant-based protein sources – but have you ever thought about the role herbs can play in diabetes management? While you may not eat these plants on their own, they can still add health benefits to other foods you eat.
However, it’s important not to go overboard. Some herbs can help with diabetes, but they shouldn’t be the sole step people take to treat this condition. Whether you’re curious about the possibility of treating diabetes naturally or just want to add some flavor to your diabetes diet, here’s what you need to know about diabetes and herbs.
Don’t Rely on Herbs Alone
In any discussion of herbs and diabetes, the topic of natural medicine is never far behind. There’s a good reason for that: herbs can have notable health benefits when added carefully to a diabetes treatment plan. As part of this, they can reduce diabetes side effects, replace nutrients a patient lacks, and even lower glucose levels and insulin resistance.
That said, it’s crucial to remember that the use of herbs for diabetes management has its limits. While herbs can lower some people’s reliance on insulin, trustworthy naturopathic doctors and herbalists will never ask their patients to take herbal products instead of insulin. If your pancreas cannot produce the insulin you need, regular insulin therapy is the only way you can keep living a healthy life. Be sure to work with your healthcare team and discuss any herbs or natural remedies you are taking along with your diabetes medications. And remember the best way to manage your diabetes is to take your prescribed medications, and make healthy lifestyle changes like losing weight, increasing exercise and sticking to a healthy and balanced diet.
The Best Herbs for Diabetes
Here are some herbs and natural remedies that may help in the treatment of type 2 diabetes:
Cinnamon. Several scientific studies have supported links between cinnamon and improved diabetes management. Consuming half a teaspoon of this spice each day can possibly help your blood sugar, triglyceride, and cholesterol levels.
Aloe Vera. You most likely are aware of the uses of this plant for the skin however it may help lower levels of both fasting blood glucose and hemoglobin A1C levels. Aloe vera is used as a juice and can even be added to smoothies.
Bitter melon. While this plant may sound like a bitter pill to swallow, its health benefits are worth the trouble. Bitter melon extract was found to help reduce fasting blood glucose levels.
Ginger. This herb has been used for thousands of years in traditional medicines. It has been found that ginger may reduce insulin resistance in people with type 2 diabetes. Use it fresh in cooking, or brew it in a tea.
Psyllium. Fiber is excellent for people with diabetes – including this plant fiber, often found in fiber supplements and bulk laxatives. It can lower your blood sugar and your cholesterol.
Keep These Cooking Tips In Mind
Follow these tips when buying and using herbs in the kitchen:
Know Which Herbs to Use
If you haven’t used herbs and spices while cooking before, it can be hard to determine which herbs go best with which foods. To make this easier, use our “cheat sheet” while you get started.
Manage Diabetes with Herbs – And Supplies from ADS
When you combine the health benefits of natural herbs with the diabetes supplies you already rely on every day, it’s easy to take your diabetes management efforts to the next level. Along with increasing your herb intake, you can make it simpler to live with diabetes by ordering your supplies right here at ADS. We sell insulin, diabetes testing supplies, glucose meters, and more – get started by placing your first order today!
Asparagus Is Good for Diabetes: Find Out Why | ADS
It’s a good idea for people with diabetes to eat lots of vegetables, and one of the best veggies for diabetes is asparagus! Learn why asparagus is a diabetes superfood and how you can add it to your diabetes diet.
Did your parents constantly tell you to “eat your veggies” when you were younger? You might not have enjoyed hearing this as a child, especially if you were a picky eater – but there’s a good reason why it’s such a classic piece of advice. Increased vegetable intake can improve just about anyone’s health, and that’s especially true for people living with diabetes. Veggies are a nutritious source of carbohydrates, and they often come packed with valuable fiber, nutrients, and vitamins.
There’s no denying that asparagus is one of the healthiest vegetables out there, whether you have diabetes or not. And if you are living with diabetes or are trying to reduce your diabetes risk, there’s reason to believe this delicious vegetable can help! Read on to find out what makes asparagus so amazing.
Asparagus May Help Fight Diabetes
According to a study published in the British Journal of Nutrition, adding asparagus to your diet might help you keep diabetes symptoms under control. This study, performed at Pakistan’s Karachi University, looked at rats with diabetes. Half of the rat population received asparagus extract for a month, while the other half received glibenclamide, a drug used to treat type 2 diabetes. The result: Small amounts of the asparagus extract appeared to help with blood sugar control. More significant amounts had the same effect – and the benefit of increased insulin production.
Better yet, this study supports previous research done on the topic of asparagus and diabetes. Another study, which appeared in the British Medical Journal in 2006, found that asparagus consumption was linked to an 81-percent increase in the body’s ability to use glucose.
Even More Asparagus Health Benefits
On its own, the link between asparagus and improved diabetes control would be enough of a reason to put this vegetable on your plate. But the health perks of asparagus don’t stop there! When you make a point of eating asparagus regularly, you’ll also get:
Asparagus Nutritional Values
Are you looking for the nutritional values for asparagus? Here they are:
Adding Asparagus to Your Diabetes Diet is Easy
If you’re like many people, eating more vegetables is easier said than done – especially if you have bad memories of eating asparagus as a kid. Still, if you take the time to prepare it right, asparagus can be as delicious as it is nutritious.
Give one of these ideas a try:
Control Diabetes with Asparagus – And ADS
Whether asparagus is already one of your favorite vegetables or you haven’t eaten it in years, it’s always a bright idea to use this veggie the next time you cook dinner. When you do, you’ll be able to appreciate how it’s helping you manage your diabetes!
Along with eating a healthy diet, a crucial part of diabetes management is ensuring you have the diabetes supplies you need. Whether you use insulin, glucose meters, continuous glucose monitors, or other supplies, you can count on ADS to ship them to you as quickly and reliably as possible!