Diabetes superfoods

Keeping your blood sugar at safe levels is key for diabetic patients. There are many healthy food choices to help you do this. Here are just a few foods you should incorporate into your diet.

1. Apples. This year-round fruit is loaded with soluble fibre for blunting blood-sugar swings. A medium apple has an impressive four grams of fibre, mostly pectin, also known for its ability to lower cholesterol. Choose whole, unpeeled fruit.
2. Barley: A perfect substitute for rice, barley's soluble fibre slows digestion and absorption of blood sugar dramatically. Choosing this grain instead of a refined grain like white rice can reduce the rise in blood sugar after a meal by almost 70 percent — and keep your blood sugar lower and steadier for hours.
3. Beans: The soluble fibre in all types of beans puts a lid on high blood sugar. They're rich in protein, so beans can stand in for meat in salads and main dishes. No long soaking is required; just open a can.
4. Avocado: Rich, creamy and packed with good fat, avocado slows digestion to help keep blood sugar from spiking after a meal. A diet high in the fat it contains may help reverse insulin resistance, which means steadier blood sugar over the long term.
5. Broccoli: Filling, fibrous and full of antioxidants (including a day's worth of vitamin C in one serving), broccoli is also rich in chromium, important for blood-sugar control.
6. Berries: Fibre and antioxidant-rich berries are a low-calorie, low-sugar way to satisfy a sweet tooth.
7. Carrots: Carrots are one of nature's richest sources of beta-carotene, which is linked to a lower risk of diabetes.
8. Eggs: The high-quality, inexpensive protein in eggs is the gold standard nutritionists use to rank all other proteins. An egg or two won't raise your blood sugar (or cholesterol, in most people) and can keep you satisfied for hours.
9. Chicken and turkey: White meat chicken is one of the leanest, lowest-calorie protein sources money can buy. Ground skinless turkey breast is a smart substitute for ground beef.
10. Fish: Serve salmon and you're managing your diabetes by fighting inflammation in your body, getting good fats that steady blood sugar and slashing your risk of heart disease — the deadliest diabetes complication.
11. Oatmeal: Thanks to its soluble fibre, it's better for your blood sugar than starting the day with a whole-grain cereal. And it's good to your heart.
12. Nuts: A protein-rich, fibre-heavy snack loaded with good fat? Nuts couldn't be friendlier to your blood sugar. Stick with a small handful per day.
13. Olive oil: Unlike butter, the good fat in olive oil won't increase insulin resistance, helping your body steady its own blood sugar. A touch of olive oil also slows digestion, so your meal is less likely to spike your blood sugar. It's also heart-healthy.
14. Peanut butter: A study found that eating peanut butter can dampen appetite for up to two hours longer than a low-fibre, high-carb snack, making this childhood favourite a grown-up weight-loss ally. Monounsaturated fats help control blood sugar.
15. Seeds: Like nuts, pumpkin, sunflower and sesame seeds are filled with good fats, protein and fibre that keep blood sugar low and prevent heart disease. A natural source of cholesterol-lowering sterols, the same compounds that are added to cholesterol-lowering margarines.
16. Sweet potatoes: Bake a sweet potato instead of a white potato and you'll reduce your blood sugar about 30 per cent. Sweet potatoes are packed with nutrients and disease-fighting soluble fibre — the kind that helps lower blood sugar and cholesterol.
17. Whole wheat bread: Switch to whole wheat bread and improve your sensitivity to insulin, the hormone that manages blood sugar. One study found that the higher the intake of whole grains, the greater the insulin sensitivity — and better blood-sugar control.

Making these foods a part of your regular diet will help contribute to your overall health.