It is crucial for diabetics to choose healthy foods in their daily diet, especially grains that are rich in fiber and low glycemic index. Multigrains such as oats, buckwheat and barley are recommended as the best choice for diabetic diets due to their excellent nutrient content. However, there are many "fake grains" on the market, which advertise health on the packaging, but the actual ingredients can cause blood sugar to rise rapidly. Today, we're going to take a deep dive into how to identify real and bad grains and make sure your dietary choices are good for your blood sugar.
What are real multigrains?
True grains are those whole grains that have been processed to preserve as much of their natural nutrients as possible. Here are a few common real grains and their characteristics:
Oats:
Features: Rich in soluble fiber β-glucan, which helps lower blood sugar and cholesterol levels.
Blood Sugar Effects: Low glycemic index (GI), which slowly releases energy and helps maintain stable blood sugar levels.
Recommended Method: Use to make oatmeal, add it to smoothies, or eat it for breakfast.
Buckwheat:
Features: Rich in antioxidants such as rutin, rich in dietary fiber and vegetable protein.
Glycemic effects: Low glycemic index, which can improve insulin sensitivity and reduce postprandial blood glucose spikes.
Recommended method: Can be used to make buckwheat noodles, buckwheat porridge, or add to salads.
Barley:
Characteristics: Rich in dietary fiber and minerals, especially β-glucan.
Blood Sugar Effects: Low glycemic index, helps control blood sugar levels after meals, and increases satiety.
Recommended method: Can be used in barley soup, with vegetables or meat.
These grains help control blood sugar because of their high fiber content and low glycemic index, which allows blood sugar to be released more slowly during digestion, thus avoiding sharp fluctuations in blood sugar.
Identification of fake cereals: pitfalls on packaging
Many of the products on the market labeled as "cereals" may actually be shoddy and may contain high sugar, salt, or refined carbohydrates. Identifying these "fake grains" can start from the following aspects:
Ingredient List Check:
High sugar: If there is sugar, corn syrup, high fructose corn syrup, etc. in the ingredient list, the product may contain too much added sugar.
Refined ingredients: such as white flour, refined rice, etc., these ingredients can raise blood sugar levels and lose the original benefits of multigrains.
Identification of additives:
Colors and preservatives: Some "healthy" multigrain products may have artificial colors, preservatives, or chemical additives added to them, which are not only harmful to health, but may also affect blood sugar control.
Comparison of Nutrients:
Fiber content: Genuine whole grain products should be high in dietary fiber. Check whether the dietary fibre content of the product is sufficient, if the fibre content exceeds 3 grams per serving, it is more qualified.
Protein content: Contains a certain amount of plant protein to help with blood sugar control and satiety.
For example, biscuits that are advertised as "whole wheat" in some supermarkets may actually contain only a small amount of whole wheat flour, with the rest being refined flour and a lot of sugar, which has a similar effect on blood sugar as a regular snack with a higher sugar content.
Effect of substandard grains on blood sugar
Counterfeit multigrains not only affect blood sugar levels in diabetics, but can also cause other negative health effects. It is mainly manifested in the following aspects:
Sudden spike in blood sugar:
Cause: The refined ingredients and added sugars in fake grains can quickly raise blood sugar levels, making blood sugar control difficult.
Examples: For example, some "whole wheat" breads may contain a lot of sugar and refined flour, making their actual glycemic index much higher than that of true whole wheat products.
Increases hunger:
Why: Processed foods are often low in fiber, making it difficult to provide a feeling of fullness for long periods of time.
Impact: This can lead to frequent eating, increasing total caloric intake, which further affects blood sugar levels.
Nutritional imbalance:
Why: Fake multigrains are often deficient in essential vitamins and minerals, affecting overall health.
Examples: For example, some processed rice products are deficient in B vitamins and minerals, which can have a negative impact on the long-term health of diabetics.
How to choose the right whole grains?
When choosing multigrains that are truly beneficial for diabetics, here are a few principles that can be followed:
Choose whole grains:
Selection: Preference is given to unprocessed or lightly processed whole grains such as whole wheat, oats, buckwheat, etc.
Avoid: Try to avoid products labeled as "refined" or "sugar-rich."
Check the nutrition label:
High in fiber: Choose products that contain more than 3 grams of fiber per serving.
Low glycemic index: Choose products that are labeled as low GI (glycemic index), usually below 50.
Pay attention to the processing method:
Light processing: Choose those that are minimally processed and avoid products that contain a lot of added sugars and chemical additives.
Verification Marks:
Whole Grain Certification: Choose those that have the Whole Grain Certification mark, which often indicates that the product has been processed to retain more of its natural nutrients.
Recommended miscellaneous food recipes for diabetics
To help people with diabetes fit into a real multigrain diet, here are a few nutritious recipe recommendations:
Oatmeal breakfast porridge:
Directions: Boil oats with low-fat milk or soy milk and add some nuts (e.g. almonds, walnuts) and fresh fruits (e.g. blueberries, strawberries).
Benefits: Oats are high in fiber, which helps lower blood sugar, nuts provide protein and healthy fats, and fruits provide vitamins and antioxidants.
Buckwheat stir-fry:
Method: After the buckwheat is cooked, it is sautéed with fresh vegetables (e.g. spinach, red pepper) and tofu.
Benefits: Buckwheat is rich in fiber and antioxidants, tofu provides vegetable protein, and vegetables provide a variety of nutrients.
Barley Soup:
Directions: Boil barley with chicken breasts and various vegetables (e.g. carrots, onions) and add spices to taste.
Benefits: Barley is rich in dietary fiber and minerals, chicken provides high-quality protein, and vegetables add to the nutritional value of the soup.
These recipes not only help diabetics control their blood sugar, but they also provide balanced nutrition.
Dietary management recommendations for diabetics
Diabetic patients need to pay special attention to the following points in dietary management:
Control your carbohydrate intake:
Tip: Even healthy grains need to control your intake and avoid eating too many carbohydrates, which can lead to a rise in blood sugar.
Methods: Use a food exchange table to rationalize carbohydrate intake at each meal.
With enough protein and fiber:
Recommendation: Make sure you have enough protein (e.g., fish, chicken, legumes) and dietary fiber (e.g., vegetables, whole grains) at each meal to help ease blood sugar fluctuations.
Method: Add lean meats, legumes, and fresh vegetables to each meal to enhance satiety.
Monitor your blood sugar regularly:
Recommendation: Monitor blood glucose levels regularly and adjust the diet and dosage of medications in time to keep blood sugar stable.
Methods: Daily blood glucose data was recorded using a blood glucose meter and adjusted according to the doctor's recommendations.
For people with diabetes, choosing the right grains can not only help control blood sugar, but also provide essential nutrients. By understanding the difference between real and shoddy grains, and choosing the right products and recipes, you can effectively avoid drastic fluctuations in blood sugar. Hopefully, the information provided in this article will help you make informed dietary choices, maintain healthy blood sugar levels, and enjoy a better quality of life.