Insulin lowering foods are type 2 diabetic friendly. If you lower the blood sugar spike after eating, you will lower your blood insulin level too, and this is good for your heart, blood vessels and brain.
You'll also lose weight more easily. That's because insulin is a storage hormone. The more insulin circulating in your bloodstream, the more calories end up as fat deposits.
If you don't have insulin resistance but wish to lose weight, the process can be sped up by eating these foods. But if you do have insulin resistance, as nearly all type 2 diabetics do, the stakes are higher.
The Problem With Too Much Insulin
Most of us who have type 2 diabetes also have hyperinsulinemia. When your insulin making beta cells overreact to the need for this hormone, bad things begin to happen.
Researchers have proved that problems like heart and blood vessel disease, breast cancer, rheumatoid arthritis and PCOS (polycystic ovarian syndrome) are related to too much insulin. It also causes hypoglycemia, the sudden low blood sugar many of us deal with as type 2 diabetics.
This is where insulin lowering foods can help. If we can encourage our diabetic pancreas to release less insulin, we'll have more normal levels and better blood sugar control.
Some Insulin Lowering Foods
We'll start with the avocado, one of a diabetic's best friends. An avocado has a lot of fat, but it's the kind that's good for you. If you eat some every day you will lower your "bad" cholesterol. It also has a large amount of fiber, which is a pleasant surprise.
With its high levels of potassium and folate along with about 18 other vitamins and minerals, it is a superfood. But it's the fiber and good fat that make avocadoes top the list of insulin lowering foods.
Next come cherries. The fresh Bing cherries are my favorites. Low in calories and low on the glycemic index, they are another superfood. Besides having antioxidants, they help your body burn fat.
All the berries are great insulin lowering foods, including blueberries and strawberries. Fresh is best, but frozen is okay. Canned fruit has less fiber, and dried fruit is a high sugar food, meaning it will not lower your insulin.
Lemons added to water at meals or squeezed into and on other foods will lower the impact of carbohydrates, reducing the need for insulin. Vinegar has a similar effect but without the antioxidants that are in lemons.
Garlic and onions work as natural insulin reducers. Freshly cut garlic and raw onion are best. One of their ingredients acts like insulin in a mild way, and they also add some fiber.
Nuts and sweet potatoes finish the list. Both are full of fiber, minerals and plant oils. And it's the fiber and fats that lower the impact of carbohydrates. They slow down digestion naturally so you won't have the insulin spikes caused by dumping processed carbs into your body.
Protein is another great secret weapon. Proteins do not cause insulin to spike. So lean protein added to every meal and even to snacks will lower your body's insulin needs. Wild salmon is very popular these days and easy to find, and baked with some lemon juice and olive oil it is about the best protein I've found. It also has the omega-3 fatty acids you need.
Finally, drinking a glass of water before you eat always helps. That's especially true when you are exercising and trying to lose weight.
Why These Insulin Lowering Foods Work
The combination of high fiber, protein and good fats is the secret to insulin lowering foods. With a little research you can find foods you like that fit your tastes. It's worth the effort, because lowering your insulin will also lower your blood sugar. And you'll do it naturally.
Avoid highly processed foods that cause big insulin spikes, and keep up your daily exercise, and you will see a difference in your blood sugar, triglycerides and insulin levels. It's a chance to really change, and I hope you and I take it - for the sake of those who love us.
"The question is not whether we will die but how we will live."
You'll also lose weight more easily. That's because insulin is a storage hormone. The more insulin circulating in your bloodstream, the more calories end up as fat deposits.
If you don't have insulin resistance but wish to lose weight, the process can be sped up by eating these foods. But if you do have insulin resistance, as nearly all type 2 diabetics do, the stakes are higher.
The Problem With Too Much Insulin
Most of us who have type 2 diabetes also have hyperinsulinemia. When your insulin making beta cells overreact to the need for this hormone, bad things begin to happen.
Researchers have proved that problems like heart and blood vessel disease, breast cancer, rheumatoid arthritis and PCOS (polycystic ovarian syndrome) are related to too much insulin. It also causes hypoglycemia, the sudden low blood sugar many of us deal with as type 2 diabetics.
This is where insulin lowering foods can help. If we can encourage our diabetic pancreas to release less insulin, we'll have more normal levels and better blood sugar control.
Some Insulin Lowering Foods
We'll start with the avocado, one of a diabetic's best friends. An avocado has a lot of fat, but it's the kind that's good for you. If you eat some every day you will lower your "bad" cholesterol. It also has a large amount of fiber, which is a pleasant surprise.
With its high levels of potassium and folate along with about 18 other vitamins and minerals, it is a superfood. But it's the fiber and good fat that make avocadoes top the list of insulin lowering foods.
Next come cherries. The fresh Bing cherries are my favorites. Low in calories and low on the glycemic index, they are another superfood. Besides having antioxidants, they help your body burn fat.
All the berries are great insulin lowering foods, including blueberries and strawberries. Fresh is best, but frozen is okay. Canned fruit has less fiber, and dried fruit is a high sugar food, meaning it will not lower your insulin.
Lemons added to water at meals or squeezed into and on other foods will lower the impact of carbohydrates, reducing the need for insulin. Vinegar has a similar effect but without the antioxidants that are in lemons.
Garlic and onions work as natural insulin reducers. Freshly cut garlic and raw onion are best. One of their ingredients acts like insulin in a mild way, and they also add some fiber.
Nuts and sweet potatoes finish the list. Both are full of fiber, minerals and plant oils. And it's the fiber and fats that lower the impact of carbohydrates. They slow down digestion naturally so you won't have the insulin spikes caused by dumping processed carbs into your body.
Protein is another great secret weapon. Proteins do not cause insulin to spike. So lean protein added to every meal and even to snacks will lower your body's insulin needs. Wild salmon is very popular these days and easy to find, and baked with some lemon juice and olive oil it is about the best protein I've found. It also has the omega-3 fatty acids you need.
Finally, drinking a glass of water before you eat always helps. That's especially true when you are exercising and trying to lose weight.
Why These Insulin Lowering Foods Work
The combination of high fiber, protein and good fats is the secret to insulin lowering foods. With a little research you can find foods you like that fit your tastes. It's worth the effort, because lowering your insulin will also lower your blood sugar. And you'll do it naturally.
Avoid highly processed foods that cause big insulin spikes, and keep up your daily exercise, and you will see a difference in your blood sugar, triglycerides and insulin levels. It's a chance to really change, and I hope you and I take it - for the sake of those who love us.
"The question is not whether we will die but how we will live."
Martha Zimmer invites you to visit her website and learn more about type 2 diabetes, its complications and how you can deal with them, as well as great tips for eating healthy that will make living with diabetes less painful.
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