Almost 1.9 million Australians have diabetes. This includes all types of diagnosed diabetes (almost 1.5 million known and registered) as well as silent, undiagnosed type 2 diabetes (up to 500,000 estimated) – and that number is projected to reach 3.6 million by 2050.
While the numbers are quite jarring, we’ve come a long way in our understanding of diabetes over the past few decades, with a lot of research looking into ways to help manage the condition at home – from a lifestyle and diet perspective.
We now know that cutting down on sugar is important, but that is alongside it, weight control and a balanced diet are integral too. Massive weight loss is not required to prevent diabetes, rather eating well is about establishing a workable routine so it can become part of everyday life.
Here, we cover everything you need to know, including the best foods to help manage diabetes, and the blood glucose trackers worth buying.
What foods can I eat if I have diabetes?
To manage your blood glucose, you need to balance what you eat and drink with physical activity and diabetes medicine, if you take any. What you choose to eat, how much you eat, and when you eat are all important in keeping your blood glucose level in the range that your health care team recommends.
For individualised medical and dietary advice, please make sure you speak to your GP and Registered Dietitian, respectively.
Fruit
If you live with diabetes, someone has probably given you friendly advice about keeping certain fruits on your off-limits list. That’s because fruits are a source of carbohydrates, which means they break down faster than fats and proteins and therefore impact your blood sugar more.
However fruits, specifically, are packed with essential nutrients that your body needs for everything from fighting against inflammation to reducing your risk of other chronic diseases, and they are “allowed and can be part of a healthy, balanced diet”, says registered dietitian Eleana Kaidanian.
For diabetics, it’s best to consume the fruit intact, which means no manipulation. That means no juicing, no dehydrating, minimal baking, etc. So even if you’re checking out the ingredient list on some organic applesauce and see that it has no additives, Kaidanian encourages diabetics to pick up a fresh apple instead.
Still, there are some fruits that are better for diabetics than others — meaning they’re lower on the glycemic index. So if you’re curious what some of these are, here are the best fruits for diabetics, according to Kaidanian:
- Pears: can help with blood sugar management and regulation and can leave you feeling satisfied.
- Apples: choose smaller ones.
- Peaches:have an edible skin that provides fiber.
- Apricots: extremely high in antioxidants that neutralize free radicals, or harmful compounds that damage your cells, in turn lowering your oxidative stress.
- Berries: easy to practice portion control, and low on the glycemic index.
- Cherries: have potent antioxidant levels that can be used to fight inflammation.
- Oranges: known for their vitamin C, which boosts immunity and helps heal wounds.
- Grapefruit: good source of hydration and vitamin C.
- Kiwi: have seeds that remain intact, providing that necessary fiber for blood sugar regulation.
- Grapes: high in copper, which helps with energy production, and have a good amount of vitamin K.
Vegetables
Research has found that people who regularly ate more fruit and vegetables in their diet had half the risk of developing type 2 diabetes compared to those who ate less.
Alongside vitamin C and carotenoids, other components including fibre, potassium and polyphenols, which have beneficial effects on weight, body inflammation, blood sugar levels, and keep gut bacteria healthy. And a diverse variety of vegetables has the greatest health benefits, as you consume more of these beneficial components.
“Though we often talk about diabetes like it’s a blood sugar problem, it’s really more than that,” says Jill Weisenberger, M.S., RDN, CDE. “Type 2 diabetes is connected to insulin resistance, which is associated with fatty liver, heart disease, abnormal cholesterol levels, high blood pressure and even some types of cancer. So when we think about eating for diabetes, we also have to think about eating for heart disease prevention and cancer prevention.”
Weisenberger points out that different vegetables have different nutrients and different types of fiber, and that all are important for diabetes management and overall health. Weisenberger’s top 10 vegetables for diabetes management include:
- Carrots: filling, high-fiber vegetable and also boasts high amounts of vitamin A.
- Broccoli: the fiber-rich and act as a prebiotic.
- Zucchini: carotenoids—including the lutein and zeaxanthin that zucchini contains—support heart health and may protect against certain cancers.
- Cabbage: high in vitamin C, which may positively affect heart health.
- Spinach: nutrient-dense, very low in calories and rich in iron.
- Tomatoes: high in lycopene, which has been found to aid blood glucose levels.
- Cucumber: a high-water vegetable that can help keep you hydrated, as well as feeling full.
- Lettuce: high in fibre and water.
- Mushrooms: may help counteract metformin-related B-vitamin deficiency.
- Green Beans: contain vitamin C and vitamin A and are high in fibre.
Fish
Think: salmon, mackerel, herrings or sardines. Why? Oily fish contains polyunsaturated fat (omega 3 fatty acid). These appear to have benefits for your heart health.
If you’re not a fish eater, all good. Opt for alternative sources of omega 3 fatty acids such as walnuts, pecan, hazelnuts, flaxseeds, pumpkin seeds, hemp seeds, green leafy vegetables, soya beans and soya products such as tofu.
Fibre
Fibre is a type of carbohydrate found in plant-based foods which has been shown to improve blood glucose control and lower risk of heart disease. Here is a list of the some of the best food choices for fibre and total fibre per 100g:
- Two slices of wholemeal bread (5g of fibre)
- Bran cereals (13-24.5g of fibre)
- Baked potato (5g of fibre)
- Carrots (2.3g of fibre)
- Apple (1.8g of fibre)
- Almonds (7.4g of fibre)
- Peas (4.5g of fibre)
- Chickpeas (4.3g of fibre)
- Baked beans (3.7g of fibre)
What foods and drinks should I limit if I have diabetes?
Foods and drinks to limit include:
- Fried foods and other foods high in saturated fat and trans fat
- Foods high in salt, also called sodium
- Sweets such as baked goods, candy, and ice cream
- Beverages with added sugars, such as juice, regular soda, and regular sports or energy drinks. Drink water instead of sweetened beverages
- Consider using a sugar substitute in your coffee or tea if you like it sweeter
When should I eat if I have diabetes?
This really depends on your personal circumstances: while some people with diabetes need to eat at about the same time each day, others can be more flexible with the timing of their meals. Depending on your diabetes medicines or type of insulin, you may need to eat the same amount of carbohydrates at a consistent time. Ask your health care team when you should eat and whether you should eat before and after physical activity.
A good case study
The Finnish Diabetes Prevention program – the most influential diabetes lifestyle study – asked participants with pre-diabetes to achieve five goals to decrease their risk of developing diabetes. The goals were: reduce body weight by 5% or more, reduce total body fat to less than 30%, cut fat to less than 10% of food intake, increase fibre to about 30-35g a day and do 30 minutes of exercise a day.
According to The Conversation, over four years the rate of pre-diabetes was reduced by an astonishing 58%. If the volunteers achieved four or five of these goals, they did not develop diabetes. Those who failed to achieve their weight goal but maintained their exercise regime were 70% less likely to develop type two diabetes, when compared with a sedentary control group.
Blood glucose trackers
Anyone that checks their blood sugar regularly can tell you that the right glucose monitor can make all the difference. Whether you’re prediabetic, Type 2, or Type 1, or have another type of blood sugar issue, more than accuracy, the best glucometers offer a variety of features that help make managing blood sugars a bit easier. Here, five to consider:
Best overall for new users:
The Contour Next One
If you’re looking for a glucose meter that’s easy to use, extremely accurate, comes from a trusted source and is affordable, consider this blood glucose monitoring system from Contour. It’s the more traditional kind (simple and intuitive), and can read your glucose in as little as 5 seconds.
Best for blood-free readings:
FreeStyle Libre
Like other CGMs, the FreeStyle Libre uses interstitial fluids instead of blood to measure blood glucose. All you have to do is wear a sensor on your upper arm, and wave the accompanying monitor above the sensor in order to get your glucose readings. You can repeat the process as often as you’d like. To keep the Libre system working, you do have to reapply a new sensor to your arm every 14 days.
Best for detail:
Guardian Connect System
If you want something more detailed, give the Guardian Connect System a try. Like the FreeStyle Libre and Eversense,it’s worn on your arm to measure glucose via interstitial fluids. But unlike any other CGM currently on the market, the Guardian Connect compiles time in range data. This data tells you how long your glucose is in your personal ideal range on any given day. The downsides? It’s pricy and you need to change out your sensor every 7 days.
Best budget blood glucose tracker:
Rite Aid TrueMetrix Meter
If you want something on the more affordable end, consider the Rite Aid TrueMetrix. This straightforward product allows you to program four reminder alarms, and the results can be processed in as quickly as 4 seconds. You can also store up to 500 test results on the device.
Best for nutritionist support:
Nutrisense CGM
While pricey, if you opt for the Nutrisense CGM, the company will not only take care of the CGM prescription, but will provide you with access to one-on-one support from a nutritionist. Cost depends on the duration of plan you choose and includes CGMs, free shipping on monthly CGM deliveries, 1 month of free nutritionist support (after that, the cost is $100 per month), and access to app features and a members only community.
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