Here's How to Curb Your Sugar Cravings
We are all often tempted to dig into the sweets and desserts offered at weddings, parties, and get-togethers. However, if you have been diagnosed with diabetes, there is no scope for leniency. Completely avoiding the intake of sugar is the best way to keep your blood sugar levels under check.
Nevertheless, if you have a sweet tooth and controlling sugar intake is getting difficult for you, you can opt for some better alternatives and beat your sugar cravings.
Getting quality treatment and health insurance is essential in today’s age of rising health care costs. What is even more essential is a healthy diet and food supplements to help you manage your health condition effectively. With the support of medication, exercise and a healthy diet plan, you can keep the harmful effects of diabetes at bay.
We list some food items with naturally occurring sugar that diabetics can consume.
Low-sugar Fruits
Fruits are good sources of vitamins, minerals, fiber, and sugar. Fruit juices and tropical fruits like mangoes contain high levels of sugar that are not good for diabetics. However, there are certain fruits with low sugar content that are good for diabetic patients. Some options include:
- Oranges: Rich in Vitamin C, they contain Folate and Potassium that aid in controlling the blood pressure levels too. Speaking about citrus fruits, grapefruits are also known to be beneficial for diabetics. However, one should eat these fruits in moderation.
- Berries: Blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, and blackberries contain high antioxidants, fibers, and nutrients but low amount of sugar. Add them to your breakfast.
- Dates: The fruit of date palm tree, dates are sweet to taste but having them will not let your sugar levels go up. You can use them in desserts as an alternative to white sugar.
- Guava: This fruit is a nutrient source with high amounts of Vitamin A and Vitamin C.
Some more fruit options for diabetics include Papaya, Watermelon, Apple, Pineapple, Kiwi, Cherries, Avocadoes, Peaches and Plums.
More Plant-based Options
- Chia Seeds: These are the edible seeds of a flowering plant called Salvia hispanica. They are nutrient-rich with omega-3 fatty acids, protein, and fibers. These oval-shaped grey seeds also aid in weight loss and lowering of heart risks. They are great additions to porridge or smoothies.
- Stevia: A popular sugar substitute, Stevia is a sweetener extracted from the leaves of a plant named Stevia rebaudiana. It is low on calories despite being 200 times sweeter than sugar.
- Coconut Sugar: Coconut palm sugar is a natural sweetener that is safe for diabetes patients. It is extracted from the sap of the flower bud stem of the tree. Coconut sugar is also rich in antioxidants, fiber as well as iron, zinc, potassium, and calcium.
- Monk fruit extract: Derived from a plant, monk fruit extract is about 200 times sweeter than regular sugar. However, it contains zero calories and carbohydrates. For centuries, they have been used as a sweetener for desserts in China.
Sugar-free Chewing Gums
Chewing gum or mint for diabetics often contains artificial sweeteners and they help in controlling sugar cravings to a great extent. Some products contain Xylitol which is a substance found in many fruits and serves as a sugar substitute. Xylitol contains low calories compared to regular sugar and prevents the rise in blood sugar levels apart from controlling hunger and cravings.
To Summarise
Opting for health insurance plans with diabetes cover helps you deal with the financial expenses arising out of the medical treatment. However, you can significantly curtail your chances of incurring increased medical expenses by strictly following a diet regime with the above-mentioned food items in mind.
Choose Care Health Insurance to pick Diabetes Insurance cover that helps you stay worry-free about your medical treatment expenses.
Disclaimer: Underwriting of claims for Diabetes is subject to policy terms and conditions.
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