Diet for Diabetes Type 2
According to the IDF Diabetes Atlas Tenth edition 2021 approximately 537 million adults (20-79 years) worldwide are living with diabetes. And it is said that behind every diabetic patient there are at least 3 or 4 people who suffer from prediabetes. That means that there may be easily more than a billion people right now suffering from poor blood glucose management capacity.
In other words, this is one problem that is impacting the life of almost a seventh of humanity.
And since it impacts so many people, the treatment also costs a lot of money. According to Diabetes.org “People with diagnosed diabetes incur average medical expenditures of $16,752 per year, of which about $9,601 is attributed to diabetes.”
It further adds: “The total estimated 2017 cost of diagnosed diabetes of $327 billion includes $237 billion in direct medical costs and $90 billion in reduced productivity.”
Diabetes in india
In India although the nominal costs are somewhat more reasonable, but the tragedy caused by the disease is even more troublesome. Hundreds of millions don’t have a proper coverage to cover all of diabetes treatments. Millions can’t afford expensive external insulin dosage, and thus are forced to lower their career choices and quality of life.
Luckily, Type 2 Diabetes is reversible. But it requires some basic knowledge about what kind of lifestyle choices and food choices cause diabetes, and thus what kind of food choices are needed to reverse this deadly disese.
Here we discuss a couple of topics related with obesity and Type 2 Diabetes and what kind of diet could be most appropriate to reverse them.
Which vegetables are good for diabetes?
Given that most vegetables are loaded with micronutrients, vitamins and minerals, they are all a great choice for diabetics. What makes most vegetables unbeatable is that they are loaded with dietary fiber, something that helps reduce blood sugar.
The best vegetables for diabetes are broccoli, cabbage, spinach, sarson da saag (mustard greens), amaranth leaves (chaulai in Hindi), tomatoes, carrots, beets, and fresh green beans.
Each of these has a slightly different nutritional profile, however, most of them are extremely rich in fiber and are high in carotenoids and flavonoids as well as polyphenols, all of which are great for overall health and well-being.
For example, cabbage is high in vitamin C; besides it has got fiber that helps reduce glycemic load of the meal it was consumed with.
Spinach is packed with lutein and beta-carotene, the oxidants known to reduce the risk of cancer.
Carrots also contain beta-carotene which is later on converted into vitamin A by the human body.
Garlic is packed with allicin, the compound that is known to help reduce blood glucose levels and improve cardiovascular health. Green peas, which are extremely loved vegetables around the world, have vitamins A, C, and K as well as plenty of fiber.
And given that each vegetable comes with its own very specific nutritional profile, we must try to include as many types in our diet as possible. And not just at dinner.
According to William Davies, the author of Wheat Belly: “The incredible range of tastes, textures, and versatility of vegetables means there are choices for everyone, from eggplant sliced and baked with olive oil and meaty portobello mushrooms; to a Caprese salad of sliced tomatoes, mozzarella, fresh basil, and olive oil; to daikon radish and pickled ginger alongside fish. Extend your vegetable variety beyond your usual habits. Explore mushrooms such as shiitake and porcini. Adorn cooked dishes with alliums such as scallions, garlic, leeks, shallots, and chives. Vegetables shouldn’t just be for dinner; think about vegetables for any time of day, including breakfast.”
Vegetables for diabetics to avoid
Although most vegetables are great for diabetics, in some situations exceptions do occur. If a diabetic person has blood glucose beyond 300 and is obese or morbidly obese, then he or she should consider avoiding nightshade vegetables like peppers, potatoes, tomatoes, and eggplant.
Although they are low in glycemic index, but many experts claim that they can cause inflammation. And for someone with blood glucose levels beyond 300 or with a BMI exceeding 40, it is important to look at every component of diet critically.
However if used in moderation they should not cause much concen in most cases. And beyond these, most other vegetables should also not produce much anxiety for most diabetic patients. The operating word here is MOST, because some individual cases may always have some issues with a particular vegetable or food product.
Similarly, Green peas belong to the club of starchy vegetables, and that means that they have a few more carbs than non-starchy vegetables, and that’s why they should be avoided by someone having postprandial blood glucose levels more than 300 or a BMI exceeding 38.
Are carrots OK for diabetics?
The Chinese are the largest producers and consumers of carrots. They grow and consume almost half the world’s carrots.
Of course, the rest of the world also loves carrots. Even in India they are consumed throughout the year. In fact they happen to be one of the most common vegetables in India.
And Indians consume carrots not only raw (as a form of salad) but also as cooked. And no doubt millions loved them in juiced form.
Carrot is a root vegetable and we have two varieties available in our country:
Pink.
Orange.
The pink one is slightly sweeter and the orange one has a lot more fiber, and is thus far tougher in its structure.
The pink variety is a seasonal delicacy in India; available only during winters – a reason why there is a massive output of “Gajar ka halwa” in our country during those months.
To be honest these “Gajar ka halwa” type of recipes are the biggest thorn in the relationship of carrots with diabetes patients. This recipe itself is loaded with sugar, milk and mawa or milk cake, which simply means a massive supply of sugar molecules like glucose or sucrose or lactose. And all these sugar molecules get busy once they are inside the body. This reason alone makes this recipe or such carrot recipes unfit for diabetics.
Carrot and diabetes
But if we leave aside Gajorer halua, baked carrot cake donuts, carrot cake cookies, Italian carrot cake or carrot cake loaf, raw carrots are not much of a risk, simply because most people don’t – and can’t – overeat them.
Although the fiber content is said to be about 3 grams per 100 grams, but they are extremely hard to chew, and thus most people consume miniscule quantities. Some people have complained that their jaws pain if they chew too many carrots.
Owing to this built-in moderation of consumption, they don’t impact blood sugar levels adversely even as they are sweeter in taste.
Besides, they are non-starchy vegetables, so even though they grow underground, they are totally different from tubers like potatoes or sweet potatoes.
Next, carrots are packed with beta-carotene, potassium, and several other antioxidants, which help the diabetics at various levels.
Besides, they contain lots of fiber, and because of this the glycemic index of raw carrots is just 16. Even if you boil them, their glycemic index stays within safe limits; ranging between 32 to 49.
It varies according to the sub-variety and the cooking time. The most common readings are between 32-39.
As you know there are three ranges of glycemic index:
Low: < 55
Medium: 56 to 69
High: > 70.
So according to this scale, both raw and cooked carrots are safe to consume for someone coping with Type 1 Diabetes or Type 2 Diabetes or Gestational diabetes.
The only recipes of carrots that need to be avoided are those that are cooked in desserts format, like “Gajar ka meetha pak” or carrot cakes, and other such that are suffused with added sugar.
Carrot in diabetes
Used in moderation, carrots for diabetes can be OK. Loaded with fiber, they can even be used to reduce the glycemic load of the meal they are consumed along with.
Carrots are not likely to prove dangerous for a diabetic person provided they are used in small quantities, or in a salad. They are not likely to be an issue if half a glassful of carrot juice is consumed.
In the same vein, it must be said that precaution also needs to be taken in the case of baked carrots. They tend to lose a lot of moisture and thus appear small in quantity, but the baking process concentrates the sugar inside them, and as a result, they happen to become sweeter per unit of weight basis.
Are carrots good for losing weight?
It is important to consume vegetables in order to obtain a variety of vitamins and nutrients for the body.
The intake of vegetables may play a key role in the prevention of chronic diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, and cardiovascular disease.
Throughout the world, obesity and overweight pose a serious health threat.
The obesity epidemic contributes to the global incidence of diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and cancer, all of which result in lower quality of life.
As of yet, no consistent correlation has been found between carrot consumption and body mass index (BMI) or obesity.
Carrots, however, are nutritionally dense and delicious. They are well-known for their Beta-carotene content. Beta-carotene is a type of carotenoid found in carrots that can be converted into vitamin A by the body. Furthermore, they contain high quantities of vitamins A and C, as well as having a low caloric and high fiber content.
As fiber fills the digestive tract, it provides a sense of satiety.
Therefore, carrots can prove to be an excellent weight-loss food.
Don’t eat anything your great grandmother wouldn’t recognize as food.
Michael Pollan
