By: HR January 31, 2010

Fenugreek

Diabetes, a disease requiring constant monitoring and careful management involving diet and exercise to control glucose levels. Diabetes is a progressive disease, meaning it tends to worsen over time, and that is difficult to control but you can control what you eat. The inclusion of the right food item in your diabetic food list can help in your efforts to maintain low blood glucose and that can help you better manage your diabetes.

This article is one of a series describing particular supplementary food items that are thought to be effective in lowering blood glucose as well as providing other health and nutrition related benefits.

Fenugreek

Long known as a remedy, fenugreek was used by ancient Greek and Roman, Indian and other south Asian herbalists to treat diabetes. Modern research has shown that fenugreek seeds lower blood glucose, and reduce cholesterol and triglycerides. Flax seeds are one of the diabetes foods that can help heal the body and lower blood glucose.

Fenugreek is a spice and herbal preparation that comes from the seeds of a plant found in North Africa and India. As part of the legume family, this seed has long been known as a substance that is helpful for skin irritations and as a laxative. Recently, fenugreek has been used as a diabetes food with some success.

Fenugreek and Diabetes

Fenugreek seeds contain alkaloids, fiber, and several other things that may help slow down the absorption of carbohydrates. This is good news for those with diabetes. It is believed that fenugreek may also improve the body’s ability to utilize glucose by increasing the sensitivity of cell receptors to the insulin that works to conduct the glucose into the cells.

There haven’t been many studies done on the effects of fenugreek on diabetes, but the ones that have been done show potential. In one study, those who took fenugreek had a lowered fasting glucose level. Although studies are few, the results have been promising. If you plan a weekly diabetes food menu, you may want to add fenugreek to the food list.

Other Benefits of Fenugreek
Although you may wish you use fenugreek primarily as a way to improve your glucose levels, fenugreek offers other benefits as well. Several studies have linked fenugreek to lower cholesterol, better liver health, and cardiovascular health. Because diabetes sometimes comes with other diseases such as heart disease, it may be beneficial to use fenugreek to help combat those problems as well.

How to Use Fenugreek

Fenugreek can be used in several ways. One of the simplest ways to add fenugreek to your diet is to take it as a supplement in capsule form. This way you don’t have to worry about adding it to food or changing your diet. However, be aware that in capsule form, fenugreek has a higher possibility of causing unwanted side effects.

Fenugreek can also be found in special teas. It can also be used as a spice in meals. You can try sprinkling ground fenugreek on grilled vegetables, in beef stew, or you can find a Mediterranean or Indian recipe that specifically calls for fenugreek. Be careful not to overdo it, though, as too much fenugreek can create a bitter taste.

Fenugreek Side Effects

Fenugreek can be a great tool to add to your diabetes management routine, but you do need to be aware that it can have a few side effects. Some people have noted some gastrointestinal issues when using fenugreek, including gas and diarrhea. These symptoms usually go away after a few days, however. Using fenugreek as a spice in foods can also alleviate the side effects as well.

Caution

If you are pregnant, fenugreek should not be taken as it can cause premature contractions. Pregnant women who wish to take fenugreek should consult a doctor first. Staying away from fenugreek during pregnancy is the safest option.

Fenugreek shows a lot of promise as one of the foods for a diabetic that can help improve the symptoms of diabetes. Those who have diabetes probably already eat well, exercise, and follow their healthcare provider’s orders. Fenugreek is just one way to improve blood glucose levels and manage diabetes just a little better. Another possible candidate for addition to your diabetic food list.

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By: HR January 31, 2010

Chia Seeds

For many diabetics, the choice of the right foods can be a challenge, there are many different things to be conscious of. Those with diabetes must know how certain foods will affect them and their bodies. The selection of the correct food for the diabetic food list helps the diabetic to maintain their health and enjoy life to the fullest.

This article is one of a series describing particular supplementary food items that are thought to be effective in lowering blood glucose as well as providing other health and nutrition related benefits.

The Chia seed – worth special consideration for the food list
Fairly recent research has led to new discoveries about a seed called the chia seed that was a staple consumed by the ancient Aztecs of what is now Mexico. The chia appears to have added benefits for diabetics according to a study carried out by scientists at the University of Toronto whose report was published in Diabetes Care in November of 2007. The journal Diabetes Care is a publication of the American Diabetes Association.

There is also the book “Chia: Rediscovering a Forgotten Crop of the Aztecs”, by Ricardo Ayerza, an agronomist, and Wayne Coates, an agricultural engineer, published in 2005 by the University of Arizona press. The authors provide a complete and detailed history of the chia seed with the full scientific descriptions of its many potential benefits as a healthful food.

To a large degree the chia seed has become known as Salba, after the brand name of one of the major manufacturers and distributors of the white seed form of chia. There are also black chia seeds. The Salba company has, or is, patenting their version of the chia plant grown specifically and solely as the source of their packaged chia seeds.

This article following, deals with the Salba white seed product that the University of Toronto researchers found as having more nutritional impact than that of other varieties of chia seed. I’m not sure whether that is brand marketing or scientific fact, it might be worthwhile looking into the black chia also, but here we continue with the Salba form.

What Are the Benefits of Eating Salba Seeds?
The Salba seed is a good diabetic food as there are many health benefits in this seed – high fiber, calcium, magnesium, anti-oxidants and omega-3 fatty acids. In comparison to other food, a daily serving of Salba is equivalent to the following: the omega-3’s in 28 ounces of salmon, 3 cups of milk for the calcium content or the iron in 5 cups of raw spinach. If you are looking for something high in fiber, 12 grams of Salba is equivalent to 1-¼ cups of All Bran Cereal.

Some have questioned whether the extra Omega-3’s from plants should be equally compared with those of fish oils from salmon, however, both are beneficial regardless.

By ingesting a good dose of fiber, a diabetic can control blood sugar better and as a result, it can help prevent them from snacking on non-healthy foods. The soluble fiber helps to lower cholesterol as it binds to the cholesterol and prevents the body from reabsorbing it into the blood stream. The omega-3 fatty acids help to lower triglycerides and increase HDL that diabetics can have issues with getting these regulated properly.

Salba is a good food for diabetics for several reasons. One is that it helps to thin the blood which assists in preventing clots, which then helps to lower the risk of heart attack or stroke. Another benefit is that it helps to lower internal inflammation and has been shown to reduce blood pressure by up to six points mmHg.

How Do You Eat Salba?
Salba seeds can be added to any food. The seeds are small and do not have overpowering taste so can be easily added to cereal or put into baking without making much of a difference. Try sprinkling some into a salad or into yogurt for a bit of texture and the fiber should help to keep you fuller between meals. You can try adding it into other foods you eat and see if it makes a difference in how you feel.

You can buy Salba at your local health food store, and you may be able to find products already made with Salba in them, such as bars and shakes.  If you prefer not to add Salba to your food, you may want to ask if they have a pill that you can take instead. For those that follow a certain diet due to health or religious reasons, Salba has been certified Non-GMO, Vegan, Kosher and Gluten-free.

Salba has many benefits for someone with diabetes. If you are looking for something to supplement what you already do to manage your diabetes, Salba could be be an answer. Check with your doctor to make sure Salba can work with your current diabetes regimen.

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By: HR January 31, 2010

Flax Seeds

Diabetes is a debilitating disease for many people and although you can’t control everything about the disease, you can control what you eat. Adding the right food item to your diabetic food list can help in your efforts to maintain low blood glucose and that can help you better manage your diabetes.

This article is one of a series describing particular supplementary food items that are thought to be effective in lowering blood glucose as well as providing other health and nutritionally related benefits.

Flax seeds, what are the benefits?
Flax seeds are tiny seeds that provide an extreme nutrition payload. A small amount of flax seed provides many benefits. Flax seeds are high in several key nutrients, including magnesium, manganese, and most B vitamins. That alone makes them healthy, but there is much more to flax seeds than that.

Flax seeds are very high in fiber. Fiber in the diet helps to regulate blood sugar, and it also helps to lower cholesterol. Fiber also helps to regulate intestinal functioning. The high fiber in flax seeds is part of what makes it such a great food for diabetics. Because of the high amount of fiber in flax, it’s best to slowly increase the amount of flax seeds in your diet.

Flax seeds are a great source of Omega-3 fatty acids. Omega-3 fatty acids are vital to any diet, and this important fatty acid has been shown to help with such chronic diseases as cancer, diabetes, depression, and heart disease. Omega-3 fatty acids can be found in fish, walnuts, and flax seeds, and it is recommended to utilize all three sources.

Another benefit to flax seeds is that they are high in phytochemicals. Phytochemicals are chemicals found in plants that are beneficial to the body. Because of the phytochemicals, flax seeds are full of antioxidants, they boost the immune system, and there are many other health benefits. The phytochemicals in flax seeds may also help prevent diabetes and help control it. This is yet another reason why flax seeds are one of the best foods for diabetics.

How do you eat Flax seeds?
Flax seeds don’t provide the health benefits if they are not ground up. The whole seeds just pass through the body without releasing the nutrients. A regular coffee grinder will serve the purpose of grinding up the flax seed, the best way to use it. Flax seed oil also doesn’t provide the full nutritional benefit.

The ground-up flax can be used in many ways. You can sprinkle it on salads, breakfast cereals, yogurt, and shakes. It can also be cooked into foods such as casseroles, meatloaf, and pasta. A few tablespoons of flax can also be added to baked goods such as muffins, bread, and pizza crust. The possibilities are endless for adding flax seeds into your diet.

Make sure to store flax seeds properly, as they can go rancid quickly. When whole, flax seeds should be stored in a dry, dark, cool place. Flax meal stored in the refrigerator or freezer will keep for several weeks.

Flax seeds are one of the diabetes foods that provide tremendous benefits to your health. Not only does it help with controlling diabetes and lowering blood sugar, but it can also help with a myriad of other health concerns. Begin adding flax to your diet slowly and enjoy the health benefits of this super food.

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For the Newly Diagnosed Diabetic -  Read this First
The cells of our body derive energy from sugars, in the form of glucose, obtained from our daily food intake, especially from the carbohydrate portion of those foods, Food also supplies the proteins and fats that, together with carbohydrate, are essential to the nourishment of the individual.

In a healthy person, the levels of glucose that circulate in the bloodstream, mainly as a result of the digestion of the food consumed, are maintained within a safe range by a series of chemical reactions that constantly take place in the body.

Diabetes, a serious disease, is the condition in which a person’s body is unable to properly regulate and control the levels of sugar in their bloodstream in the way that a healthy person does.

As yet, medical science has not been able to provide a cure for diabetes, To treat a patient suffering from diabetes, referred to as a diabetic, it is necessary to implement a regimen of dietary and exercise procedures that, together with prescription medications, can help control the blood sugar levels that otherwise will inevitably lead to major complications and increase the risk of several serious conditions, including cardiovascular disease, the leading cause of death in the diabetic population.

In addition to the large number of people who are known to be diabetic, there is also a large number of people who have the disease without knowing it, possibly because they have not had a recent, or perhaps any, medical checkup,

Important to note: Anyone who is known to be diabetic must be under the care of a physician.

Doctors monitor the diabetic condition of their patients, guided by the results of periodic blood tests, and will prescribe medication if deemed necessary. Aided by nutritionists or other health-care providers, the doctor will probably advise the steps that the patient should take to lower and control the blood sugar levels, also referred to as blood glucose levels, to within a close to normal range.

Five factors in the management of diabetes

The first factor: To be effective, the management of diabetes requires that an appropriate daily food plan be diligently followed, not special foods, but the right foods chosen from the vast amount and range of foods available. Available, that is, to the citizens in the developing world, and then again, diabetes is the growing disease of the developing Western World. There are few foods that are off-limits but quantity and quality must be taken into consideration.

The second factor is the requirement for regular exercise, not necessary at the athletic level but more than a casual stroll each day. Commonly suggested is to take a brisk walk for half an hour each day, or at least five times a week. Or it could be swimming or bicycle riding or whatever achieves at least that equivalent minimum amount of exercise.

The third factor involves weight-loss. If a diabetic person is overweight it increases the level of serious heart and other health risks. The first two factors, described above, can help reduce weight if properly applied, but before implementing any weight-loss program, a consultation with a doctor would be wise.

The fourth factor is that a once-a-day personal in-home blood test should be taken. The blood test is done with the aid of a simple and easy to use measuring device, just takes ten or twenty seconds to obtain a reading that indicates the amount of glucose in the blood stream. If done once each day then most likely it should be on rising, before breakfast or any food intake, in other words a fasting blood sugar level – as it is commonly referred to.

Monitoring the blood glucose levels at home each day enables the diabetic to know their condition and if necessary, make adjustments to their dietary plan and/or lifestyle in a best effort to correct blood sugar levels. This may require more daily blood tests than just the morning test. It is a fact of diabetes that much of its management is in the hands of the diabetic personally and requires frequent checks to try to gain control.

The fifth factor: Periodic attendance at the doctor’s office for checkups, and blood tests, known as the A1c or Hemoglobin A1C blood test. The blood for these tests, a simple painless procedure, is taken by a technician at a medical clinic, and are normally required every three or four months. These tests provide essential information of the estimated average glucose content existing in the blood over the prior period of about 3 months. This test result is possible because the life-span of blood cells, that are constantly manufactured by the body, is approximately 12 weeks, so some of the blood cells are just newly born while others will be of any age up to about 12 weeks. With the A1c blood test results available, the doctor can monitor and assess, and adjust if necessary, the treatment to best combat diabetes.

For a further explanation of blood tests, visit Blood Testing for Diabetics on my companion site where you will also find other items of interest to diabetics under the site name:  Normal Blood Sugar Levels and Diabetes.

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Food Lists – with essential supplementary information

This site provides a link to the Food Lists on our companion blog-site, Diabetic Menu Guide, where  the various categories of food items such as Vegetables, Meats, Fats, Fruits, Fish, Cereals, Dairy, Breads, Jams and spreads, and Drinks are shown together with nutrition details.
To access that information, click:  The Food Lists,

The importance of carbohydrates
Foods are comprised mainly of carbohydrates, proteins, fats, and fiber, and of course, water. One of the most important factors of our diabetic foods is the amount of carbohydrates in our meals. Carbohydrates are a primary source of the glucose that enters our bloodstream and every newly diagnose diabetic should become familiar with the effects of the carbohydrate portion of their meals.

The speed at which carbohydrates are broken down by the body into glucose varies with the individual food item, in some foods it is fast in others not so fast, and the slower it is the better it is for the diabetic.

The Glycemic Index
A widely accepted tool in diabetic food planning is the Glycemic Index, GI for short. The GI is a numerical ranking of how fast individual food items are reduced to glucose and enter the bloodstream compared to a reference standard such as sugar or white bread. The GI is another reference source for diabetics to learn about. In a companion post on this site we provide an explanation of the Glycemic Index and the Glycemic Load.

The Practical Value of the Food Lists Provided on this Site

Since there are few foods that are “off-limits” to the diabetic, it is the accompanying information regarding the nutritional content of the individual servings of the specific food items that is important.

From these values, the total nutritional content can be determined for selected food items that comprise a meal and it can then be seen whether they meet the objectives of the menu plan regarding calories, and the preferred ratios of carbohydrates to proteins to fats.

Although most food items are acceptable to the diabetic, some may require modest proportions and certainly some items are less desirable compared to others, for instance, whole wheat breads are a better choice that white breads.

The diabetic food list includes many food entries and a lot of supplementary information. Why it is necessary to know the nutrient and calorie content of foods is explained below.

If You Are Newly Diagnosed as Diabetic:
The following might be of interest: click on for details
About Diabetes, from my own experience
About Diabetes, a simple explanation

More is needed than just a list of foods
To feed yourself properly, you will need to include the right combination of Proteins, Carbohydrates, and Fats, the primary nutrients needed by the body to sustain life, the building blocks, so to speak, to maintain good health.

So as well as the basic food lists, we include the amounts of Proteins, Carbohydrates, and Fats in those foods, and will be adding the Glycemic Index values and the Glycemic Load values shortly.

And more is needed than just a list of foods and their nutrient content
Why? Because you need to know how much of those foods to include in your diabetic menu to provide the energy needed to carry out your daily activities in the workplace and to support your personal life style activities. Food energy is measured in Calories  so the calorie content of the individual foods is also listed in our lists of diabetic foods.

Calorie content based on individual needs and a target weight
As well as calorie content, even more information is needed to plan and prepare foods for your daily meals. The total daily calories required for individuals varies and should be known at the beginning when first establishing a diabetic meal plan and that can be based on the weight you wish to maintain, or the weight you may wish to gain or lose.

Do not follow a quick weight loss diet plan if you wish to lose weight,  we suggest that weight reduction can best take place in small increments over an extended time in that way the weight lost  is likely to stay “off” – whereas it has been shown that weight loss through quick weight-loss diets almost always is regained. Visit our post on the role of weight-loss in diabetes.

Now in Preparation:
More details on specific food items such as Seeds, Nuts, Fats and Oils, Grains, Vegetarian and Vegan dietary approaches, Regional dietary habits: Mediterranean, Okinawan, etc. High and Low carbohydrate approaches to diabetic menu planning. Etc etc.

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About Diabetes, for those recently diagnosed as diabetic

First the diagnosis

From my own experience of being a diabetic for many years, and having faced the several situations and questions that confront you now, and those that will occur in the future, I offer here a few comments and observations that will, I hope, provide some general guidance for you in these early times. And there is abundant information available on the internet when you know where to look.

After first hearing the diagnosis “You are a diabetic” it comes as quite a shock, however gently conveyed. When you learn from your doctor that you have diabetes, most often type-2 diabetes, it is unlikely you will know much about the disease. The diagnosis will probably come after a blood test and a follow up visit to your doctor and being then told of the situation. You may be pre-diabetic, a condition in which the glucose levels in your blood are rather high but not yet into the diabetic range.  Or your condition may be confirmed as diabetes, which means that the levels of glucose in your bloodstream do exceed the level considered as acceptable. As is explained elsewhere, the glucose in the blood is a normal situation and the result of the food you have recently consumed.

Your physician will explain the facts of diabetes and give advice on the subject, and tell you what you have to do and the life style changes you may have to make to manage your newly identified disease condition. These might include such things as diet, exercise, and possibly medications that will be prescribed if eventually your actions are unable to control your blood sugar levels and your diabetes worsens over the course of time, as is often the case with diabetic patients, perhaps a short time later or in some cases after several years.

There may be referrals to dietitians to help establish an appropriate dietary routine that incorporates your own personal food and life-style tastes and is tailored to your current health and physical condition(s). There are other health care professional who will advise and help you navigate your path through the complications of diabetes if they occur, but that will probably be later if the condition deteriorates.

The early reaction to learning of your diabetic condition
But after that early meeting you will probably leave the doctor’s office with many thoughts, questions and uncertainties still whirling around in your head. In the ensuing days there may be the desire to learn more about the disease, the causes, the treatments, the cures. Actually there is no cure right now according to mainstream medical practitioners, although reference will be made here to that group of qualified, respected and quite well known physicians who disagree and provide their solution in reversing diabetes.

You soon learn that much of the day-to-day control and management of the diabetic condition is in your own hands. It is left to you to find out about many aspects of the disease, you may wonder about the role of insulin and glucose and blood testing and alternative dietary approaches, what foods and beverages, including alcohol are acceptable and when to consume them while always attempting to stay as low on the scale of being diabetic as possible.

For much more on diabetes, check out the List of  Topics on our companion website at Normal Blood Sugar Levels and Diabetes.

And additional diabetes related material can be found at Diabetic Menu Guide

Return to Introduction Page and Articles List for this website.

This blog is called Diabetic Food List + Plus

Our objective is to provide information regarding a wide range of foods and how they can fit into a diabetic meal plan and a diabetic lifestyle. And the Plus in the title indicates that our intention is to cover not only foods that apply to an appropriate diabetic food list but to also discuss other topics that are  relevant to us and our life-styles as diabetics. Those topics will include, weight-loss, exercise, symptoms and types of diabetes and the complications that can occur in some cases if and when the disease advances, especially if not properly controlled and managed.

Articles on this site, click to access:

Posted to date, 2011

Chocolate! Is This Good News forf the Diabetic or What?

A Sort of  Salsa Recipe, Now On My Diabetic Menu

Salsa, An Addition to the Diabetic Food List to treat the Pain of Neuropathy

Tumeric, An Age-Old Food to Add to the Diabetic Food List

Vinegar — An Addition for the Diabetic Food List?

Pecans — More Nuts for the Diabetic Food List with Reference to Fats and Vitamin E

Brazil Nuts and Selenium, Additions to the Diabetic Food List, and a Note On Cancer

Soy Milk for the Diabetic Food List

Oatmeal and the diabetic menu

Additions to the Diabetic Food List – Part 1 of 4, Alpha-lipoic Acid

Additions to the Diabetic Food List – Part 2 of 4, Gymnema Sylvestre

Posted October and November, 2010:

Dietary Fiber for the Diabetic Food List

Episodes of Low Blood Sugars

Previous articles:

How to Manage the Diabetic Condition For the Newly Diagnosed Diabetic  – Read this First

About Foods and Diabetic Food Lists

Establishing Food Plans – Considerations

Diabetes, the Diagnosis and After

About Diabetes, A Simple Explanation

The Glycemic Index and the Glycemic Load

Low Carb Foods

Diabetes Juicer Recipes for Managing Blood Sugars

My Diabetic Food Plan – Part 1

My Diabetic Food Plan – Part 2

My Diabetic Food Plan – Part 3

Body Mass Index (BMI) Chart

Men . . . Listen Up,  and Take Warning

Some Non-regular Items for Your Diabetic Food List

ALMONDS in the control of Diabetes and High Cholesterol

Other supplementary food items to consider

Cinnamon – Does It Help Combat Diabetes?

Flaxseed Chia Hempseed Fenugreek Flavinoids

Omega-3′s Onions-and-Garlic Vinegars Mulberry-Leaf

Discussing more than just food We are not limiting ourselves to the discussion of diabetic foods and diabetic food lists as was originally intended. We also want to provide more general information on the entire subject of diabetes, including links to our other diabetes sites where more than food is discussed. We do this because it can be useful, especially to the newly diagnosed diabetic who may have questions about the disease and uncertainties regarding what they will now be facing. And that will certainly include matters relating to food, exercise, perhaps weight loss and perhaps medications, topics that we have written about and are linked to this site. I am a type-2  diabetic myself, for more than 20 years now, so I can anticipate many of the questions and topics that are of interest.

Caution: If you are a diabetic you must be under the care of a physician. Your doctor and health care team will monitor the progress of your diabetes and advise you on what must be done to control and manage the condition. But the day-to-day management is in your own hands and the actions you take may affect the outcome, beneficially or otherwise.

For those newly diagnosed, here is an introduction to being Diabetic. And for a description of how it works, see About Diabetes.

Before discussing Diabetic Foods and Diabetic Food Lists, a general comment: There are several factors we might consider, including selection of food items and their preparation for consumption that meet the individual’s personal tastes and preferences, most of us have grown up with family meals reflecting regional, and perhaps cultural influences, foods that are commonly available in one area may not be so elsewhere, those who live in towns near the sea are likely to favor fish more so perhaps than those growing up in farm country. Otherwise, in the matter of foods for diabetics, the general approach is to select foods with  properties that as much as possible do not add to the problems of high blood sugars that are always with us. There are abundant nutritious and varied food items that meet that requirement, no foods are “off-limits” but portion size and frequency may need to be restricted for good blood sugar control.

Go to our post for a Food List with nutritional and other information. In an accompanying post on this site, there is reference to dietary approaches recommended by: The ADA (American Diabetes Association)  – a high carbohydrate version. The anti-ADA approach  – a low carbohydrate version. and brief references to the Vegetarian and Vegan versions. Check out the  Vegetarian Approach to a Diabetic Menu for more details.

Other articles and topics to consider: Special requirements concerning the need to lose weight that will require dealing with total calories and some reference to weight loss strategies and exercise – and let’s add cholesterol and cardio-vascular references too. On this site we will also make reference to  Supplements, Vitamins and Minerals and to food items that have properties that are said, by some, to be beneficial to diabetics, we will refer to and describe those items, and give some reference sources, with links if possible, for such things as: Flaxseed, Cinnamon, Mulberry leaf, Fenugreek, Bilberry, Onions and Garlic, Apple Cider Vinegar, Flavinoids + others and to Minerals such as Chromium, Co-Q10, Magnesium, + others.