How Your Diet Can Affect Type 2 Diabetes
For better or worse, diet has been proven to directly affect Type 2 diabetes. In addition to other lifestyle changes, your diet plays a critical role in preventing (and reversing!) Type 2. So, how does diet affect diabetes? Keep reading to learn all about the relationship between diet and diabetes.
How Does Diet Affect Diabetes?
A common Type 2 myth is that eating too much sugar is the main cause behind diabetes, but this isn’t actually the case. Although there is a connection between diet and diabetes, sugar alone isn’t to blame. Rather, it’s a combination of eating and lifestyle habits that lead to diabetes.
When you eat certain foods, specifically anything high in carbohydrates, that food is converted into sugar. However, someone with Type 2 diabetes whose body is resistant to insulin is not able to do this effectively. Eating too many refined carbs elevates your insulin levels, and over time, your body becomes resistant to insulin altogether.
Certain diet and lifestyle choices can increase your chances of developing diabetes or the risks related to insulin resistance. But, the good news is that your diet can have a positive effect on your diabetes, too! Making small dietary and lifestyle changes can reduce both insulin resistance and the risk of developing Type 2 diabetes. If you’ve already been diagnosed with diabetes, these changes can help you control your condition — and possibly even reverse it.
10 Ways to Lower Blood Sugar With a Healthy Diet
1. Incorporate Swee2ooth Into Your Routine
We specifically created Swee2ooth to help fuel your journey to lower blood sugar and fight Type 2 diabetes! Every Swee2ooth Super Blend includes 20g of protein, less than 3.5 net carbs, and no added sugar. Whether you start your day with a breakfast smoothie, enjoy a Swee2ooth snack between meals, or end your night with a shake, there are plenty of ways to incorporate Swee2ooth into your daily routine.
2. Choose Foods With a Low Glycemic Index
The glycemic index (GI) is used to measure how a specific food will affect your blood sugar levels. Using the glycemic index, foods are ranked on a scale of 0 to 100 and classified as low, medium, or high. If you are looking to maintain a healthy diet with diabetes, it is important to choose food with a low GI and avoid food with a higher GI. The higher the glycemic index, the more likely that food will spike your blood sugar levels.
3. Replace a Meal With a Protein Shake
Including higher levels of protein into your diet is one of the most effective ways to tackle Type 2 diabetes — and meal replacement shakes are a convenient way to do this! Replacing just one meal a day with a protein shake can help you manage your weight and blood sugar, while also curbing cravings and keeping you full throughout the day.
Our Swee2ooth Super Blends were created specifically for Type 2 diabetes — providing essential nutrients your body needs, while minimizing the impact on post-meal glucose levels. With a Swee2ooth meal replacement shake, you can rest assured that you’re consuming the right amount of carbs and protein needed to fuel your fight with diabetes.
Learn More: How to Beat Cravings With Protein Powder
4. Manage Your Carb Intake
Research has shown that small, incremental and daily changes to reduce carb intake and choose better carbs is critical to managing Type 2 diabetes. Although you don’t have to cut out carbs completely, you will need to be mindful of the carbs that you are putting into your body. Choose healthy carbs such as vegetables, whole grains, and fruits, and avoid highly refined carbs like white bread, pasta, and rice. These refined carbs tend to cause sharp spikes in blood sugar and should be limited as much as possible.
5. Increase Your Fiber and Healthy Fats
Fiber and healthy fats have both been shown to promote healthy digestion by reducing triglycerides and your risk of cardiovascular disease. Fiber comes in two forms: insoluble and soluble. Insoluble fiber can be found in whole grains, while soluble fiber can be found in beans, oats, and fruits. Because your body takes longer to digest food that is high in fiber, your blood sugar is less likely to spike as a result. Here at Swee2ooth, some of our favorite fiber and healthy fats are flaxseed, chia seed, flax, and MCTs — all of which can be found in our Super Blend formula.
6. Eat Food With Vitamins and Minerals
Did you know that diabetes and high blood sugar levels have been linked to micronutrient deficiencies? For example, many Type 2 diabetics are deficient in minerals like magnesium and chromium, which are essential for blood sugar maintenance. These ingredients have the power to reduce glucose spikes, control blood sugar, and lower blood pressure. Our Super Blend formula includes a variety of powerful vitamins and minerals such as Cinnulin PF, magnesium, chromium, and biotin.
7. Avoid Sugar and Processed Foods
Commonly referred to as “junk food,” this food is often high in calories, fat, sugar, sodium, and processed carbs. Although anyone looking to live a healthy lifestyle should consider avoiding sugar and processed foods, this is especially true for someone with Type 2 diabetes. Because this food tends to be high in sugar, sodium, and carbs, it can cause a rapid rise in glucose levels. Processed food is also high in trans and saturated fats, which can raise levels of triglycerides — and as a result, increase your risk of developing Type 2 diabetes.
8. Drink Water and Stay Hydrated
Whether you have diabetes or not, it is important to stay hydrated. In addition to preventing dehydration, drinking enough water can help keep your blood sugar levels in check. It also rehydrates the blood, lowers blood sugar levels, and helps your kidneys flush out extra sugar from your urine. In addition to all of these benefits, water is also always a safe bet for diabetics, as it is calorie and sugar-free. No more having to worry about drinking a sugary drink that spikes your blood sugar!
9. Try Intermittent Fasting
Here at Swee2ooth, we are big fans of intermittent fasting with protein powder! Intermittent fasting works by limiting your food intake during certain times of the day. The most popular type of fasting is the 16:8 model, which involves fasting for 16 hours and only eating during the remaining 8 hours. When done correctly, intermittent fasting can significantly change how your body produces insulin and can even help reverse Type 2 diabetes.
Learn More: 6 Ways to Fast Safely as a Diabetic
10. Exercise Regularly
As you begin your journey to prevent or reverse Type 2 diabetes, incorporating a healthy diet and physical activity into your routine go hand in hand. When you exercise, your muscles soak up glucose from the bloodstream and do not require insulin. Therefore, exercising regularly can significantly improve blood sugar management.
As you create your exercise plan, we recommend getting 30 minutes of moderate activity at least five days a week. But if you aren’t already an avid exercise enthusiast, don’t be intimidated! Start by taking short walks, then gradually increase the duration and intensity of your workouts as you get more experienced. At the end of the day, all that matters is that you’re doing something to positively impact your health — no matter how big or small it may seem.
The Connection Between Diet and Reversing Type 2
So, how does diet affect diabetes? The simple answer is that there is a connection between your diet and diabetes. In addition to other lifestyle changes, your diet plays a critical role in not only preventing, but also reversing Type 2 diabetes.
Although the idea of changing your diet can be overwhelming at first, research has shown that even small, incremental and daily changes can make a difference. By becoming more savvy about how diet affects diabetes, you will know how to adjust your food choices and make smarter decisions throughout the day.
Furthermore, sticking to a “diabetic diet” doesn’t mean you have to deprive yourself of the food that you love. In fact, we created Swee2ooth to help satisfy your cravings! By adding a Swee2ooth shake to your daily routine, you can overcome your cravings for sweets and carbs. Plus, you’ll feel full and satisfied until your next meal.
Fuel Your Journey With Swee2ooth
At Swee2ooth, we believe in every person’s capacity to make realistic and lasting changes to better their wellness. We also believe there’s a health benefit to the journey itself. Having a plan, making progress, and achieving goals all lead to self-confidence and a positive mood that support good health.
As always, we’re here to fuel anyone willing to walk with us on our mission to fight this reversible disease. Our Super Blends were scientifically developed using proven research to help you on our journey with Type 2. To shop our three delicious Super Blend flavors, click the button below!
