Introduce foods that lower sugar levels into your daily menu, and avoid those that raise it. This way you will regulate your glucose levels and avoid diabetes. Find a list of suitable foods - broken down by vegetables, grains, and fruit - that you can eat freely, are allowed in less amounts, and that diabetics and those at risk of diabetes should avoid altogether.

The proper functioning of the body depends, among others, on adequate blood glucose (sugar) level.When measured in a fasting state, it should be less than 100 mg / dL (5.6 mmol / L), and two hours after glucose administration, it should be less than 140 mg / dL (7 , 8 mmol / l).

Sugar level testing, norms, interpretation of results- see this article!

Your blood sugar depends on what you eat. You digest most of the carbohydrates in bread, pasta, potatoes, sweets and fruit in your digestive tract and turn into glucose. It is absorbed into the blood and then penetrates into the muscles, liver and other organs, supplying them with energy.

For glucose to enter your cells, you need insulin, a hormone made by the pancreas. When it is lacking, cells do not receive the energy they need, and excess sugar remains in the blood. This condition is known as hyperglycemia. It happens often in elderly and obese people. To lower the sugar level, a diet enriched with "good", i.e. slowly absorbed carbohydrates, and limiting the "bad" ones that cause a rapid increase in blood glucose levels is recommended.

Vegetables effectively lower sugar levels

An important place in the diet should be vegetables, preferably raw (overcooked vegetables raise blood sugar faster). It is recommended to eat at least half a kilo of them every day. Add them to every meal and drink vegetable juices. Vegetables are a source of dietary fiber, which extends the digestion of sugars, then the blood glucose level rises slowly, and this prevents hyperglycaemia.

Vegetables that you can eat freely:chicory, zucchini, fresh and sour cucumbers, radishes, Chinese cabbage and sauerkraut, all kinds of lettuce, chives, spinach, asparagus , fresh mushrooms, chard, onion, squash, cauliflower, green peppers, tomatoes, celery, sorrel and broccoli. You caneat them without restrictions, also between meals, because they have less than 6 g of sugar in 100 g.

Vegetables that can be eaten 1-2 times a day.Slightly more carbohydrates (up to 10 g in 100 g) are contained in Brussels sprouts, beetroot, onion, pumpkin, green beans, kohlrabi, red pepper, turnip, cabbage - white, red and Italian, carrots, celery, parsley root and leek.

Vegetables not recommended with high sugar : legumes (broad beans, peas, beans, green peas), corn, potatoes - but this only applies to freshly cooked potatoes (see the fragment on resistant starch below).

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People with elevated sugar levels should eat grain products

Cereal products are the basis of the diet for people at risk of diabetes. They are a rich source of B vitamins, especially B1, B2 and B6, which affect the transformation of carbohydrates, e.g. they facilitate the conversion of glucose into energy. Grain products also contain starch and a lot of fiber, i.e. the slowest crawling sugars are digested and assimilated by the body.

Carbohydrates that should be included in the daily menu:wholemeal and wholemeal bread with bran, graham, brown rice, thick groats (pearl barley, buckwheat groats), cereals (flakes oat, barley), bran.

Carbohydrates allowed, but in a limited amount:mixed and white bread, pasta, rice and small groats. They provide the so-called marching sugars, which are slowly digested and absorbed, but cannot be eaten without restriction, because in excess they increase the level of glucose in the blood.

Sugar-lowering spices

The sugar level is also lowered by some spices:

  • carnation
  • fenugreek
  • cinnamon

Synigrin - a substance rich in watercress, also has these properties.

Resistant starch lowers blood sugar

It's time to like resistant starch. It is a starch that we cannot digest or absorb. It is fermented in the colon, just as it is with fiber. Resistant starch has another advantage - it works like fiber, reducing blood glucose levels.

This form of starch contains stale bread,cereals, cooked and stored 24 hours in the fridge pasta, beans, green-skinned bananas and… potatoes cooked the day before (you can make salads from them). This is good news for lovers of the latter vegetables, because freshly cooked potatoes are forbidden to people with high sugar levels (you can only occasionally allow 2-3 baked or steamed potatoes).

Don't do that

Exclude from diet:

  • sugar and any sweets, as well as sweetened fruit preserves, honey, sweet juices, carbonated and non-carbonated drinks
  • some fruits: bananas, grapes, prunes, raisins, candied fruits
  • alcohol, especially high-proof and sweet alcohol
  • some vegetables: broad beans, peas, green peas, corn and potatoes
  • avoid mashed potatoes, french fries, potato pancakes, dumplings, Russian dumplings, fried and fried potatoes

Fruit - yes, but in smaller amounts

People who struggle with high sugar levels can also eat raw fruit, but in smaller amounts than vegetables, and not all of them because they contain more sugars. But some, like grapefruit, are effective at reducing sugar levels in the body. Moreover, they are a valuable source of vitamins and minerals, especially chromium - an element necessary for glucose metabolism. Also drink fruit juices, preferably freshly squeezed, not sweetened, but dilute them with water.

Less sweet fruits are allowed(those with 100 g to 10 g of carbohydrate): avocado, lemon, grapefruit, wild strawberries and strawberries.

Use less often :

  • gooseberry,
  • blueberries,
  • pineapple,
  • watermelon,
  • peaches,
  • pears,
  • apples,
  • cherries,
  • kiwi,
  • raspberries,
  • mandarins,
  • apricots,
  • nectarines,
  • oranges,
  • plums,
  • cherries.

These fruits have 10-15 g of sugars per 100 g.

Fruits prohibited for diabetics are : bananas, grapes, prunes, raisins, candied fruit.

Check your daily caloric requirement

Diet rules with elevated sugar levels

  • Eat more often, but less - preferably 4-5 small meals a day. Along with smaller portions, small and easy to "manage" doses of glucose enter the blood.
  • Control the amount of fat in your diet. Choose lean meats and meats, poultry and sea fish. Avoid animal fats. Use olive oil and vegetable oils instead of mayonnaise and cream in salads and salads. Elevated blood sugar levelsincreases the level of lipids, which may increase the risk of atherosclerosis, heart disease and cardiovascular diseases.
  • Change the way you prepare meals. Serve the pasta al dente (i.e. cooked half-hard), and boil the rice and groats. You digest them longer then, thanks to which the blood glucose level rises gently and slowly.
  • Eat vegetables raw or cook them briefly, preferably steamed. Avoid cooking with plenty of water for a long time. Overcooked and soft vegetables quickly raise blood glucose levels, such as carrots and peas. Older people who have trouble chewing hard raw vegetables should grate them.
  • Enrich the menu with lean curd cheese and fermented milk drinks (natural yoghurt, kefir, buttermilk). They provide a lot of vitamin B2, and at the same time have less lactose (milk sugar consists of glucose and galactose) than milk. From time to time, you can eat 1-2 slices of cheese, which is almost lactose-free.
  • If you fancy something sweet, eat a slice of wholemeal bread with a teaspoon of low-sugar jam or fruit. Avoid sweets, even those intended for diabetics. Sugar has been replaced with sweeteners, but like almost all sweets, they contain a lot of fat (because it is the flavor carrier). If you like a sweet taste, use sweeteners instead of sugar.

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Diets