Diet types that support healthy glucose levels

Diet types that support healthy glucose levels

When we are faced with the prospect of diabetes or prediabetes,  it is quite easy to become heavily restrictive with our diets to achieve healthy glucose levels. And whilst it is important to practice mindfulness about the foods we eat, we need to remember that balance – not restriction – is key.

What is the best diet to support healthy glucose levels?

There is no single diet that fits all, as each body is different. However, there are several diet types that promote balanced eating habits and have been linked with improved blood glucose levels – so if you prefer to follow a plan, this is for you. We recommend trying different diet types to find one that suits your lifestyle best.

We’ve compiled a short list below of our favourites, including a 3-day meal plan for each to show how they work in practice.

  1. Mediterranean Diet

The Mediterranean diet is a firm favourite in the diabetes community.

Known for its focus on seasonal, unprocessed foods including an abundance of vegetables, fresh bread and legumes as the staple food alongside a moderate consumption of fish and poultry; the Mediterranean diet promotes a healthy eating pattern based on key, varied nutrients in the right amount.

This in turn promotes healthy weight management, as well as optimum levels of glycosylated haemoglobin (HbA1c).

And thanks to the wide variety that the Mediterranean diet has to offer, it allows participants to maintain the pleasure of eating, providing the necessary tools to empower them to establish healthy eating habits themselves, rather than singling out unique foods or macronutrients – ideal for those who may find this a disordered eating trigger.

Here’s what a typical Mediterranean diet could look like:

Day 1

Breakfast: Bircher muesli
Lunch: Hearty minestrone soup
Dinner: Grilled lemon and chilli chicken with couscous
Pudding: Full of fruit sundaes
Snacks: Greek yogurt, a peach, a medium banana, 30g plain almonds, 40g carrot sticks and 30g houmous
Milk: 225 whole milk

Day 2

Breakfast: 30g oat flakes with 125g Greek yoghurt, 80g raspberries and 85g banana
Lunch: Salmon, red onion and sweet pepper wraps
Dinner: Cod Portugaise with boiled new potatoes and side salad
Pudding: Apple, blackberry, oat and seed crumble
Snacks: One apple and crunchy peanut butter, two oatcakes with cottage cheese and cucumber, one orange
Milk: 225ml semi-skimmed milk

Day 3
Breakfast: Bircher muesli
Lunch: Heart Spanish omelette with salad
Dinner: Galician stew with roasted butternut squash
Pudding: One medium banana
Snacks: Honeydew melon and Greek yoghurt, plain almonds, oatcakes and houmous
Milk: 225ml whole milk

For the full meal plan, check out the Mediterranean Diet resource from Diabetes UK here.

  1. DASH Diet

Better suited to those who prefer to track their macronutrients, the DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diet is best described as an eating pattern. Proven to promote blood pressure control, it has also been show to improve insulin resistance, hyperlipidaemia, and even overweight/obesity.

Though it generally encourages the same variety of foods as the Mediterranean Diet, the DASH Diet enforces nutrient goals for participants to meet as follows:

  • Total fat: 27% of calories
  • Saturated fat: 6% of calories
  • Protein: 18% of calories
  • Carbohydrates: 55% of calories
  • Cholesterol: 150mg
  • Sodium: 2,300mg
  • Potassium: 4,700mg
  • Calcium: 1,250mg
  • Magnesium: 500mg
  • Fibre: 30g

It also suggests that <10% of calories per day should come from added sugars and saturated fats.

A great way to track this is through a food diary app, as you can pre-load these percentages, and it will provide a recommended targets against your calorie allowance.

Here’s a menu example*:

Day 1
Breakfast: Porridge with raisins, banana and fat-free milk
Lunch: Humous plate with red pepper, cucumber, falafel, wholegrain pitta
Dinner: Salmon with whole-grain rice and green beans
Pudding: Canned pear slices
Snacks: Low-fat yoghurt, peach

Day 2
Breakfast: ½ wholewheat bagel with peanut butter and mixed fruit
Lunch: Fresh salad with spinach, pear, oranges, olive oil, goat cheese and cooked chicken
Dinner: Vegetarian pasta with passata, summer squash, spinach and wholewheat pasta
Pudding: Melon
Snack: No-salt trail mix

Day 3
Breakfast: Avocado on toast with sundried tomatoes and poached egg
Lunch: Tuna salad with crackers
Dinner: Vegetable stir fry with reduced-sodium soy sauce and brown rice
Pudding: Low-fat yoghurt
Snack: Almonds, peach

*portion sizes here will be dependent on your calorie allowance.

For more information on this meal plan, check out the DASH Diet resource from Mayo Clinic here.

  1. Nordic Diet

Considered to be Northern Europe’s answer to the Mediterranean diet, the health benefits attributed to the Nordic diet have always focused on weight loss. However, a 2021 study has found clear evidence that a Nordic diet can lower blood sugar and cholesterol levels even without weight loss.

The study attributed the unique composition of fats in the diet as a possible explanation for the significant health benefits. These fats come from fish, flaxseeds, sunflower and rapeseed, among other things. Other recommended foods include vegetables such as peas, cabbage and root veg, as well as fruits, , fermented foods, nuts, seeds and wholegrains and a significantly smaller proportion of meat than currently consumed.

Lars Ove Dragsted, who lead the study, notes that the absence of highly processed food and less saturated fats from animals, combined with the foods higher in omega-3 and omega-6 unsaturated fats has significant overall health benefits.

Here’s how a sample menu could look:

Day 1
Breakfast: Barry baked oatmeal
Lunch: Smoked salmon sandwich
Dinner: Bison and mushroom stuffed peppers
Snacks: Gouda cheese, berries

Day 2
Breakfast: Blueberry almond butter smoothie
Lunch: Roasted brussel sprouts with barley
Dinner: Baked chicken with sweet potato and green beans
Snack: Carrot sticks with humous

Day 3
Breakfast: Scrambled eggs with spinach and whole grain toast
Lunch: Open shrimp sandwich on dark rye bread
Dinner: Grilled pork tenderloin with roasted root vegetables
Snacks: Mixed nuts and dried fruit

For more meal plan ideas on the Nordic Diet, check out this resource from Healthdor here.

 

The bottom line
Whilst there is no magic diet to achieve healthy glucose levels, there are healthier choices you can make to improve them. Following a diet such as three listed above could help you feel less overwhelmed and more in control.

It is important to find a diet type that suits you and is easy to integrate into your daily routine. Make changes that are realistic and achievable, so you are more likely to stick with them.

If you have been diagnosed as a type 2 diabetic, Diabetes UK have some great resources and advice on how to approach eating here.

 

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