Vegetables Which are Beneficial for Diabetic Patients
In the last decade or so, diabetes has become one of the most common health conditions across the globe. The reasons behind the rapid rise of diabetes are mostly due to unhealthy lifestyles, and poor diet. No physical activity is also a major reason behind it and most people are so busy in their lives that they don’t go for regular check-ups. Diabetes is a chronic disease, but its symptoms can be managed with proper treatment.
Diabetes occurs when your body is not able to convert food into energy due to the lack of insulin. Since the food does not convert into energy, your sugar level goes up and may cause many problems such as organ failure. A person with diabetes should take utmost care about their diet so that the complications can be managed properly. Certain vegetables with plenty of nutrient-rich, high-fiber are quite useful for both blood sugar management and long-term diabetes management. Various vegetables have different nutrients and different kinds of fiber, which is important for diabetes management and your overall health. Here are a few vegetables that are helpful for diabetes management.
Carrots
Carrot is a non-starchy vegetable with fiber that can make you feel full and satisfied and fiber is also good to ease the symptoms of diabetes. It’s recommended especially for being a filling, high-fiber vegetable. Carrots are also rich in vitamin A, which makes your immunity strong along with making your eyes healthy. Carrots are affordable and can be eaten in many ways such as you can eat them raw, use in salads, and also can be used in preparing vegetables. If you are a diabetic, then you should include carrots in your diet and have them regularly because of the benefits they have.
Green, Leafy Vegetables
Green, leafy vegetables are quite rich in important nutrients, minerals, and vitamins which are good for the health of diabetic patients. Leafy vegetables, especially, are good sources of vitamin A, potassium, calcium, protein, and fiber. Including green, leafy vegetables in your diet helps diabetic patients, because they also contain high antioxidant contents and starch-digesting enzymes which are useful to keep your sugar levels in control. A few leafy vegetables you can include in your diet are spinach, kale, collard greens, kale, bok choy, and cabbage.
Beans
Beans are quite beneficial for people with diabetes because they are a source of plant-based protein, and also help to reduce the carbohydrate intake of diabetic patients. Beans contain very less glycemic index (GI) scale and help in the regulation of blood sugar as compared to other starchy foods which are not good for a diabetic patient. They may be helpful in managing the blood sugar levels of diabetic patients. Beans contain complex carbohydrates, and because of that, our body digests them slower than other carbohydrates. Eating beans also helps to weight loss according to some studies and can be helpful to regulate the blood pressure and cholesterol levels of diabetic patients.
Broccoli
Broccoli contains fiber that acts as a prebiotic. Prebiotic fibers are fermented by our gut bacteria, which helps the gut bacteria to thrive, and also helps to control glucose and cholesterol metabolism. Broccoli has many health benefits not only for diabetes but for your overall health. You can have broccoli in salads, soups, dinners, and also as a side dish.
Sweet Potatoes
Sweet potatoes are rich in fiber, vitamins A and C, and potassium which are helpful to manage the symptoms of diabetes. You can eat sweet potatoes by baking, boiling, roasting, or just mashing them. You can also add them to leafy vegetables, a lean protein, salad, and green, leafy vegetables to make it tastier.
