07/08/2023
*Dietary Recommendations for Diabetes and High Blood Pressure Patients*
Diet(What we eat) plays a major role in our day to day activities, And they can decide how healthy or unhealthy we are.
Virtually all health issues and conditions are triggered by our dietary habits and accumulated lifestyle habits.
Therefore, its incumbent upon us, to subscribe to an healthy diet and lifestyle habits to correct and reverse or Manage our various health Conditions.
For health issues such as Diabetes and High blood pressure, Dietary Recommendations and lifestyle modifications below should be adhered to strictly👇🏽👇🏽👇🏽👇🏽👇🏽👇🏽👇🏽👇🏽👇🏽
*1.* *Sugar-sweetened foods and beverages*
Sugary foods and beverages are the worst food choice for someone with diabetes and Other Cardiovascular Diseases, i.e Heart related diseases.
Foods and beverages rich in Sugar include: White Bread, Rice, Pastas, Noodles, Carbonated drinks Coke, Pepsi and co, A high protein, low carb breakfast is the best option for diabetes and appetite control.
For people with diabetes or a risk of the condition, some examples of carb sources to limit include
👉🏽white rice and anything made with white flour only, such as:
👉🏽white bread
👉🏽white pasta (spaghetti & co)
👉🏽Processed cereals.
👉🏽crackers
👉🏽baked foods
👉🏽many sauces and condiments
it is a good idea to avoid packaged or processed foods with unfamiliar ingredients and to select items that are as whole and unprocessed as possible.
Note: People with diabetes should take care when consuming dried fruit and premade juices or fruit salad, as these often contain added sugar.
*2:* *Trans fats* Trans fats are extremely unhealthy diet, you don't have to have any health condition before you abstain from consuming them.
They’re created by adding hydrogen to unsaturated fatty acids to make them more stable.
Trans fats are found in: Fast foods, pizzas,
*3.* *Vegetable Oil*, processed Foods, baked foods i.e cakes and Co, margarines, peanut butter, spreads, generally Fried foods, even if a good food like Salmon fish is Fried with vegetable oil, then it becomes unhealthy, so the best choice is Abstinence from Fried Foods.
👉🏽 Both type 1 and type 2 diabetes also increase the risk of cardiovascular diseases (Heart Related diseases) and type 2 diabetes often occurs alongside obesity.
Unhealthy fats can increase cholesterol levels and contribute to insulin resistance. This may increase the risk of developing diabetes or contribute to blood sugar spikes in people who have the Condition.
For this reason, it is best to opt for low-fat dairy foods without added sugar.
In summary, foods and drinks to be avoided by a diabetes patient, are those that increases the Glucose deposits in the patients blood and those that may lead to severe complications i.e Cardiovascular Diseases, Nerve Damage, Eye Damage, Kidney Damage and other major Complications of the Terminal Disease (Diabetes).
*Now! What should the Diabetes patient Consumes?*
The following are some of the best options in each food group for people with diabetes.
*1. Vegetables*
Starchy and non-starchy vegetables are fine to consume, including:
👉🏽broccoli
👉🏽carrots
👉🏽tomatoes
👉🏽peppers
👉🏽leafy greens, such as kale, Spinach.
👉🏽potatoes
👉🏽corn
👉🏽green beans
*2. Fruits*
Be wary of high sugar fruits, such as watermelon, but moderate amounts of the following fruits have great nutritional benefits for people with diabetes:
👉🏽oranges
👉🏽berries
👉🏽melon
👉🏽apples
👉🏽grapes
👉🏽bananas
👉🏽Cucumbers
*3. Grains*
Whole grains should make up at least half of all grains in the diet of a person with diabetes, including:
👉🏽oats
👉🏽barley
👉🏽quinoa
👉🏽cornmeal
👉🏽Brown rice
👉🏽wheat
*4. Proteins*
👉🏽eggs
👉🏽fish
👉🏽skinless chicken or turkey
👉🏽peanuts and nuts
👉🏽dried beans Proteins
👉🏽Soya beans.
*5. Foods with heart-healthy fats*
Not all fat contributes negatively to diabetes, some types of fat help protect against its effects on the heart, including:
👉🏽Seeds and nuts
👉🏽Salmon, tuna, and mackerel
👉🏽Avocado fruit.
👉🏽Oils that take a liquid form at room temperature, such as olive oil, Sunflower oil, Soya Oil.
And others.
*Note:* while preparing meal for a diabetic patient, there should be no artificial sweeteners or Seasoning (maggi & co), Locust bean and Crayfish is owk as seasoners.
*Note:* In treating health issues like Diabetes, Hypertension, CKD, the patients requires to show high level of discipline and commitment, because the dietary restrictions and Recommendations are quite strict, but if the patient can adhere to them, it will be of positive benefit to his or her Health Conditions.
