What You Should Know About Low-Carb Diabetes Diets

Carbohydrate-restricted diets can help prevent or control type 2 diabetes, but not all carbohydrates are created equal. Learn what to eat and what to avoid when following a low-carb diet.

Diabetes is caused by a complicated interaction of several factors, including age, genetics, food, physical activity, and smoking. However, research has shown that enhancing the quality of your food is one of the most important methods to both avoid and control type 2 diabetes.

A low-carbohydrate diet can be very beneficial in treating type 2 diabetes for some persons.

Here’s an example of a low-carb diabetes diet and how it can help with weight loss, weight control, and maintaining blood glucose levels in range.

The Connection Between Diabetes and Food

When you consume carbs, your body converts them into a type of sugar known as glucose. After eating, this increases the quantity of glucose in your blood. Your pancreas secretes insulin to assist your cells in absorbing glucose. Once in your cells, glucose will be used as fuel by your body throughout the day.

When you have diabetes, your body has difficulty producing enough insulin and utilizing it correctly. It is unable to transport glucose from your bloodstream into your cells. This extra glucose in your blood can become toxic over time, leading to the numerous health concerns linked with diabetes.

Eating a low-carbohydrate diet might be part of a diabetic management plan, along with physical activity and possibly drugs or insulin therapy.

Multiple studies have indicated that a low-carb or extremely low-carb diet (ketogenic diet) can help persons with type 2 diabetes lose weight and improve blood sugar management. It may still be able to maintain an appropriate intake of micronutrients that are necessary for overall health, such as vitamin D, magnesium, calcium, and zinc, depending on the content of the diet. These diets outperformed caloric-restriction regimens. They can, however, be difficult to maintain over time.

Because type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune ailment, there is no evidence that a low-carb or ketogenic (“keto”) diet can prevent the condition from developing. However, there is evidence that they may help with blood sugar control. Before you begin, use caution and consult with your diabetes care team. A ketogenic diet may raise your chances of developing diabetic ketoacidosis or having high cholesterol levels.

Which Carbohydrates Boost Blood Sugar Levels?

Carbohydrates are not all made equal. Carbohydrates are classified into three types: starches, sugars, and fibres. Sugars induce the fastest rise in blood sugar levels, starches are in the middle, and fibres normally cause a gradual rise.

Choose foods that are high in fibre and low in added sugars for blood sugar regulation. Some studies believe that in order to promote health, you should focus on the quality of carbs rather than the quantity.

The glycemic index is a measure developed by nutritionists that assigns a rating to foods based on how quickly and significantly they elevate blood sugar levels. The body absorbs glucose fast from foods with a high glycemic index. This can cause severe fluctuations in blood sugar levels.

Low-glycemic-index foods, on the other hand, are metabolised much slowly in the body and the glucose is absorbed steadily. This helps to maintain more consistent blood sugar levels.

Choosing foods with a lower glycemic index can help persons with diabetes lose weight and maintain improved glucose control over time.

Foods to Eat Foods to Include in a Diabetes Low Carb Diet

Stick to the sides and back of most supermarket stores to get the best foods that are low in carbs. First, shop the produce department for fresh fruits and vegetables. Then, proceed to the outside aisles to stock up on dairy, eggs, and other lean proteins.

Avoid the inner aisles, which tend to include more extensively processed items. However, there may be some whole grains in these inner regions that can be incorporated into a nutritious diet.

The cost of following a lower carbohydrate diet might be a significant impediment. Buy frozen fruits and vegetables, use coupons, and buy generic brands to save money on healthful foods.

It’s useful to know which meals to eat to improve blood sugar levels. These are some examples:

Vegetables that are not starchy

These vegetables contain extremely few carbs. Non-starchy vegetables include the following:

Asparagus

Broccoli

Cucumbers

Beans,

Green Lettuce

Mushrooms

Peppers

Spinach

Fruits with a Low Sugar Content

When it comes to sugar content, not all fruits are made equal. Choosing fruits with lower sugar content is beneficial for diabetics. Fruits with low sugar levels include:

Blackberries

Blueberries

Melons

Strawberries

Protein that is lean

Because they contain no carbohydrates, lean proteins are an excellent source of nourishment for those with type 2 diabetes. Among these resources are:

Chicken

Eggs

Fish

Tofu

Turkey

Complete Grains

For persons with type 2 diabetes, whole grains can be a beneficial element of their diet. These grains include more fibre than processed (white) grains. Whole grain alternatives include:

Rice (brown)

Whole wheat bread with a high fibre content

Oats

Quinoa

(With moderation) whole wheat pasta

Beans

Beans are high in fibre and high in vitamins and minerals. They include carbs but also nearly as much protein as meat without the saturated fat. The American Diabetes Association recommends beans as one of the “superstar” foods for diabetics. Bean varieties include:

Beans, black

Cannellini beans are a type of bean.

Kidney beans

The navy beans

Beans, pinto

Dairy or Dairy Substitutes

Dairy-based foods and dairy alternatives provide carbs as well as protein and other essential elements such as calcium. Good options include:

Milk that is low in fat or fat-free

Milk made from soy or nuts

Unsweetened yoghurt

The most important thing to remember is to eat a variety of foods at regular intervals. You don’t have to eat from each food category at every meal, but aim to include them throughout the day. This helps to ensure that your body receives all of the vitamins and minerals it need.

Foods to Avoid on a Diabetes Low Carb Diet

When trying to follow a lower carbohydrate diet to manage diabetes, the following items should be avoided or consumed in tiny amounts only on occasion.

High-carbohydrate and/or processed foods

Some of these foods could be:

Candy

Fast food

Chips with a lot of carbs

Granola bars with a high carbohydrate content

Packaged high-carb snacks

Meats in packages

Trans Fatty Acids

These unhealthy fats are derived from partly hydrogenated vegetable oils. Trans fats were mainly removed from the US food supply by the Food and Drug Administration in 2018. Products labelled as having zero grammes of trans fat, on the other hand, are allowed to contain up to 0.5 g of trans fat per serving, which might add up if you take numerous servings. 

The following foods may contain trans fat:

Foods that have been fried

Foods for snacking

Baked goods in a box

Grains that have been refined

These foods include white flour goods such as:

Bread made of white flour

Pasta made from white flour

Rice that is white

Sugar-Saturated Foods

These provide empty calories and have been linked in studies to a variety of health issues such as overweight or obesity, type 2 diabetes, inflammation, and heart disease. Sugary foods to avoid include the following:

Alcohol

Store bought fruit Juice

Breakfast cereals high in carbohydrates

Cakes and biscuits with a lot of carbs

Soda

Sports beverages

Tea with sugar

It is important to note that added sugars are frequently disguised in meals under numerous names. Added sugars are also known as dextrose, fructose, lactose, table sugar, beet sugar, honey, corn syrup, turbinado, and agave.

Menu Examples of Low Carb Diabetes Meals

The American Diabetes Association’s Diabetes Food Hub provides various sample dishes that are low in carbohydrates and suitable for diabetics. Here are a few examples 

Breakfast examples

Toast with avocado, turkey bacon, and tomato

Egg muffins that are simple to make

Apple spice muffins with a low carbohydrate count

berries with almonds oatmeal

Yoghurt topped with fresh fruit

Examples of Lunch

Salad of arugula and mandarin oranges

Wrapped chicken Caesar salad

Lentil soup

Mediterranean wraps

Quinoa turkey burger

Examples of Snacks

almond, cranberry, and celery

Dip with avocado and cucumber

“Ice cream” made from bananas and chocolate.

Poppers made from bell peppers

Hummus with black beans and veggie sticks

Dinner ideas

Stir-fry broccoli with shrimp

Sandwiches with chicken

Chicken, green beans, and potatoes on a sheet pan

Beef stew in the slow cooker

Turkey chilli

Our Outlook –

How are we able to Treat Diabetes Completely?

“Madhumeha” is the term for Diabetes in Ayurveda, which means ‘Sweet urine’. The manifestation of diabetes is through thirst or urination. According to Ayurveda, due to accumulation of Vata Dosha. Vata dosha accumulates in the large intestine and travels to the pancreas, which hampers its functioning.

Sometimes, Pitta Dosha also leads to diabetes. This is when Pitta gets accumulated in the small intestine before moving to the liver and may cause damage to pancreas. As the main constituent of Pitta is Agni, it burns out pancreas leading to Diabetes.

If the above things are taken into consideration, the treatment of Diabetes in Ayurveda starts with proper cleansing of the body and balancing of doshas. The treatment includes herbal combinations that are prepared based on individual Prakruti and Vikruti analysis. Ie. The treatment is based on a person’s body composition & which dosha is dominant. The treatments like Dhara, Udwarthanam, Thalam, etc are followed to reverse diabetes. The treatment also includes Panchakarma & Yoga procedures to address the root cause of disease. We have seen many patients successfully reversing Diabetes and now living a healthy life.

Unlike other treatment procedures that jump straight to symptom management, we address the root-cause of the disease. Our treatment for Diabetes has proved to achieve a near cure and symptom-free state. We focus on diet, use of potent herbs, meditation, massage with herbal oils and yoga. These classical ayurveda practices have proven & shown sustained results in our Diabetes Treatment.

Medically reviewed by Dr. Soumya Hullannavar, Lead Ayurveda Endocrine Specialist at Diabetes Reversal Clinics & EliteAyurveda Clinics. With over 15 years of experience in treating endocrine & diabetes cases

Visit  diabetesreversal.clinic for additional details.