5 Healthy snack recommendations for diabetics

 

Who says diabetics can't snack? It's okay, as long as according to the rules. Yes, snack choices for diabetics must be healthy. Take a good look, is the snack that you normally enjoy healthy enough? If not, immediately replace the snack with a healthier one.

Snacks are important for diabetic patients

People with diabetes have problems regulating blood sugar levels. After eating, blood sugar can jump up high and when not eating, blood sugar levels drop very low.

So that blood sugar levels remain balanced, Dr. Bent Wisse, a lecturer in endocrinology at the University of Washington School of Medicine, said that snacks are important for people with diabetes, especially patients with type 1 diabetes.

Despite getting the green light from an endocrinologist, the choice of snacks should not be haphazard. Especially foods that contain lots of sugar or have a high glycemic index that can make blood sugar levels rise quickly.

Healthy snack recommendations for diabetics

Choosing healthy snacks is a key part of healthy living for people with diabetes. So that you are not wrong choice, let's peel one by one what foods are suitable as a substitute for unhealthy snacks for the following diabetes.

1. One or two hard-boiled eggs

Fried foods, such as french fries, are indeed delicious to be used as a snack. However, these snacks should be avoided by diabetic patients. The reason is, foods that contain lots of this oil can make cholesterol levels rise and the risk of heart disease in diabetic patients will be even greater.

Rather than eating fried foods, it's better to eat boiled eggs as a snack for diabetics. Eggs contain protein which is converted into blood sugar for longer. That means, blood sugar levels will not rise suddenly.

A study published in the British Journal of Nutrition looked at egg consumption in diabetic patients. A total of 65 patients with type 2 diabetes are asked to eat two eggs every day for 12 weeks.

The results showed that the patient experienced a decrease in fasting blood sugar levels and lower A1C hemoglobin. Both are indicators for measuring long-term blood sugar.

2. Soy snack

In addition to fried foods, sweet foods may be the choice of most people for snacking. However, foods such as donuts, or sweet biscuits contain sugar which can raise blood sugar quickly

This will make insulin work harder and make diabetes symptoms appear. Instead of keeping blood sugar stable, snacks like this actually make diabetes even worse.

Instead, you should choose snacks made from soy for diabetic patients, such as soy snacks. A study conducted by Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences looked at the effects of soy consumption on diabetic patients.

The results showed that consumption of 8 grams of soybeans for 8 weeks, can reduce levels of HbAic (hemoglobin bound to glucose), total cholesterol, and insulin resistance. Soybean is also low in glycemic index value. This means that soy snacking will not make blood sugar soar, so it can be consumed safely.

3. Fresh fruit

Fruit is always the right choice as a healthy snack, especially for diabetics. However, you choose the fruit whose condition is still fresh, not dried fruit. Fruit packs usually contain additional sweeteners that are not good blood sugar levels in diabetic patients.

However, each fruit chooses a different sugar content depending on the conditions of maturity and size. As reported by the Mayo Clinic page, Dr. Regina Castro, an endocrinologist, said that one portion of fruit for diabetic snacks should contain 15 grams of carbohydrates, for example:

• 1 banana or ½ medium sized apple
• 1 cup diced melons (160 grams)
• 1¼ cup whole strawberries (180 gram)

4. A cup of yogurt

Another sweet food that is usually used as a snack is ice cream. However, ice cream tends to contain a lot of sugar and fat, so it should be avoided by diabetic patients as a snack.

Don't worry, you can replace the pleasure of ice cream with a cup of yogurt (148 grams). The most recommended yogurt choice is plain greek yogurt that is rich in protein so that it can keep blood sugar stable.

You can add yogurt topping like nuts, strawberries, or cinnamon powder. However, not too much, just as a flavor enhancer.

5. Almonds

One more healthy snack that can replace chips or salty snacks is not healthy for diabetics, namely almonds. These beans contain manganese minerals, B vitamins, magnesium, protein, healthy fats, and fiber.

The study, published in the journal Metabolic Syndrome and Related Disorders, shows the potential of almonds in maintaining blood sugar levels. As many as 58 people were asked to consume almonds every day for 24 weeks.

The results show that long-term blood sugar levels have decreased by 3 percent. In addition, these beans are also known to provide other benefits such as maintaining heart health and helping to reduce cholesterol levels.

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