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The Top 5 Foods for Beating Diabetes
Every time you roll your shopping cart into the supermarket, you�re making a decision
that goes far beyond whether you�re going to have pork or pierogies for dinner.
You�re actually choosing between being a victim and a victor.
What you put in your cart goes a long way toward determining whether you�ll be compromised
by diabetes or start controlling and eventually even beating it.
1.
Apples Because they offer so many health advantages,
put these at the core of your diet.
Apples are naturally low in calories, yet their high fibre content (4 grams) fills you
up, battles bad cholesterol, and blunts blood-sugar swings.
Red Delicious and Granny Smith are also among the top 10 fruits with the most disease-fighting
antioxidants.
Eat them whole and unpeeled for the greatest benefit, or make a quick �baked� apple.
After washing and chopping one apple, put it in a bowl with a dusting of cinnamon and
microwave until soft (about 4 minutes).
Enjoy with yogourt and oat bran sprinkles for a nutritious dessert, or serve over oatmeal
for breakfast.
2.
Avocado Rich, creamy, and packed with beneficial monounsaturated
fat, avocado slows digestion and helps keep blood sugar from spiking after a meal.
A diet high in good fats may even help reverse insulin resistance, which translates to steadier
blood sugar long-term.
Try putting mashed avocado on sandwiches instead of mayonnaise or on bread instead of butter.
To keep what�s left over from turning brown, spritz the flesh with cooking spray or coat
with lemon juice and wrap in plastic.
3.
Barley Choosing this grain instead of white rice
can reduce the rise in blood sugar after a meal by almost 70 per cent�and keep your
blood sugar lower and steadier for hours.
That�s because the soluble fibre and other compounds in barley dramatically slow the
digestion and absorption of the carbohydrate.
Even brown rice can�t compare.
Add barley to soups, serve it as a side dish, or make it the basis for a stir-fry or casserole.
Pearled, hulled, or quick-cooking varieties are all crackling good choices.
4.
Beans When menu planning, think �bean cuisine�
at least twice a week.
The soluble fibre in all types of beans (from chickpeas to kidney beans to even edamame)
puts a lid on high blood sugar.
And because they�re rich in protein, beans can stand in for meat in main dishes.
Just watch the sodium content.
Always rinse canned beans before using.
To save time cooking beans, invest in a pressure cooker.
Soaked beans are tender in just 10 to 15 minutes.
5.
Beef Yes, beef is a diabetes-friendly food, as
long as you choose the leanest cuts and keep portions to one-fourth your plate.
Getting enough protein at mealtime keeps you feeling full and satisfied.
Plus, it helps maintain muscle mass when you�re losing weight, so your metabolism stays high.
The skinniest beef cuts are eye of round, inside round, ground round, tenderloin, sirloin,
flank steak, and filet mignon.
To lean up other cuts, put them in the freezer for 20 minutes.
This hardens the meat so it�s easier to slice off the fat.
Lean cuts can be tenderized and made more flavourful by marinating in any mixture that
contains vinegar, wine, or citrus juice.
The acid softens them up.