Diabetes type 2 is a lifelong condition that can affect your everyday life. Left untreated it can cause a number of complications, such as eye problems, foot problems, heart attack and stroke.
To control your blood sugar level, and to prevent the condition from developing in the first place, it’s advised people with diabetes type 2 make changes to their diet – eating a healthy, balanced diet is key.
Many people favour snacks in between meals, but picking the wrong snacks can play havoc on your blood sugar levels.
The snacks you choose should be low in fat and sugar, so as not to have big effect on your blood glucose level.
Diabetes UK advises: “We don’t recommend snacks labelled ‘diabetic’, which tend to be expensive and don’t offer you any special health benefits.
“The key is to plan your favourite snacks so they fit into overall diet and watch your portion sizes.”
The charity has five easy diet swaps you can make when it comes to snacks.
When it comes to savoury snacks, try swapping a bag of crisps for plain popcorn with added spices or cinnamon. Bread and dips can also be exchanged for carrots and celery with salsa or low-fat hummus.
To satisfy a sweet tooth, the charity recommends dark chocolate rice cakes instead of chocolate and frozen banana or frozen low-fat yoghurt instead of ice-cream.
If fizzy drinks are your go-to drink, try swapping these for water flavoured with mint or fresh fruit.
Carbohydrates are needed for energy, but it’s important to monitor how much you eat, especially if you have diabetes.
Bread is a staple carb, but with so many different types available, which one is best if you have the condition?
Diabetes UK explains what you should do when it comes to choosing what carbohydrates to eat.
It states: “Choosing wholegrain options makes sense. They are high in fire, keep you feeling fuller for longer than refined carbohydrates and take longer for the body to break down so blood glucose levels do not ‘spike’ then drop rapidly.”
So when it comes to bread, the research charity says pumpernickel is a good choice.
Pumpernickel bread is a typically heavy, slightly sweet rye bread.
But if pumpernickel bread doesn’t whet your appetite, wholegrain, granary and rye bread are also recommended.
Other carbohydrates you should opt for include wholewheat or brown pasta and noodles, basmati or wild rice, porridge oats or muesli, and quinoa, burger wheat, couscous or yam.
Your body is made up of nearly two-thirds water, so it’s important to drink enough fluid every day to stay hydrated and healthy, particularly when it’s hot.
But which drinks best control blood sugar levels? There are five recommended.
