Manage diabetes naturally with these super foods

Diabetes is a number of diseases that involve problems with the hormone insulin.

Normally, the pancreas (an organ behind the stomach) releases insulin to help your body store and use the sugar and fat from the food you eat. Diabetes can occur when the pancreas produces very little or no insulin, or when the body does not respond appropriately to insulin.

As yet, there is no cure. People with diabetes need to manage their disease to stay healthy.

There are three main types of diabetes: type 1, type 2, and gestational diabetes. With all three, your body can't make or use insulin.

One of every four people with diabetes doesn't know they have it.

The warning signs can be so mild that you don't notice them. That's especially true of type 2 diabetes. Some people don't find out they have it until they get problems from long-term damage caused by the disease.

Both types of diabetes have some of the same telltale warning signs.

Hunger and fatigue. Your body converts the food you eat into glucose that your cells use for energy. But your cells need insulin to bring the glucose in.

If your body doesn't make enough or any insulin, or if your cells resist the insulin your body makes, the glucose can't get into them and you have no energy. This can make you more hungry and tired than usual.

Peeing more often and being thirstier. The average person usually has to pee between four and seven times in 24 hours, but people with diabetes may go a lot more.

Normally your body reabsorbs glucose as it passes through your kidneys. But when diabetes pushes your blood sugar up, your kidneys may not be able to bring it all back in. This causes the body to make more urine, and that takes fluids.

Dry mouth and itchy skin. Because your body is using fluids to make pee, there's less moisture for other things. You could get dehydrated, and your mouth may feel dry. Dry skin can make you itchy.

Blurred vision. Changing fluid levels in your body could make the lenses in your eyes swell up. They change shape and lose their ability to focus.

Other Type 2 Symptoms

These tend to show up after your glucose has been high for a long time.

Slow-healing sores or cuts. Over time, high blood sugar can affect your blood flow and cause nerve damages that makes it hard for your body to heal wounds.

Pain or numbness in your feet or legs. This is another result of nerve damage.

Whatever your risk are, there's a lot you can do to delay or prevent diabetes.

• Manage your blood pressure.
• Keep your weight within or near a healthy range.
• Get 30 minutes of exercise on most days.
• Eat a balanced diet.

When it comes to diet, it’s carbohydrate foods like breads, cereals, rice, pasta, fruits, milk, and desserts that can cause this rise," says Maggie Powers, PhD, president-elect of Health Care & Education at the American Diabetes Association.

Your eating plan should focus on the amount and type of carbs you put on your plate throughout the day, Powers says.

But it’s also important to have foods you enjoy. You want to eat enough so you feel satisfied and avoid overeating and poor choices.

Load up on these super foods to keep your blood sugar in check.

Raw, Cooked, or Roasted Vegetables add color, flavor, and texture to a meal. Choose tasty, low-carb veggies, like mushrooms, onions, eggplant, tomatoes, Brussels sprouts, and low-carb squashes, like zucchini.

Add more greens to your diet. Go beyond your regular salad and try kale, spinach, and chard. They’re healthy, delicious, and low-carb.

Plain water is always good, but water infused with fruits and vegetables is more interesting. Cut up a lemon or cucumber and put it in your water, or make ice cubes with some flavoring in them.

Ragi
Ragi is known to help control diabetes. The coating of the grain's seed is abundant in polyphenols and dietary fibres as compared to rice, maize or wheat. The low glycaemic index lessens food cravings and maintains the digestive pace, subsequently, keeping the blood sugar in control.

Try to include melon or berries in your diet. Did you know that 1 cup of either of these has just 15 grams of carbs? Also try legumes like dried beans, peas, and lentils.

Good fat choices include olive oil, avocado, and fatty fishes -- think salmon served on of a bed of lettuce, for example.

Protein are a must. Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, eggs, and lean meats are a good source of protein.

Barley, the ancient grain, may not be that popular as compared to its other whole grain counterparts; however, its health benefits are aplenty.

Oats are a popular choice as a healthy breakfast for many, especially for diabetics. According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), a half-cup of cooked oatmeal in the morning counts as the equivalent of one-ounce serving of whole grains. Since oats help stabilise blood sugar and reduce risk of type-2 diabetes, diabetics should consume oats regularly.