Diabetes is considered one of the most prevalent diseases globally that affects all aspects of peoples' lives. When it comes to diabetes, there are several things you should keep in mind to stay safe and sound, and a proper diet is the vital one. Therefore, this article introduces some of the best and worst foods you should follow to avoid sugar blood spikes.
What is diabetes?
Our body consumes foods and breaking them down into small pieces (and eventually sugars) to absorb. The absorbed foods turn to energy in our body via specific mechanisms; our organs use it to keep their normal functions all day long. Diabetes disease disrupts this normal process. It is a chronic health condition in which the sugar molecules can’t enter your cells, so the blood sugar increases. High blood sugar causes several health problems.
The relation between diet, eating behaviour and diabetes
Since diabetes is strongly related to food consumption, the type, amount, and frequency of foods seniors eat can affect seniors' blood sugar. More precisely, the mechanism of macronutrients highly affects the level of blood sugar. So, it is vital to control the senior diet. For instance, NIH (National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases) suggest that diabetics seniors should generally follow the below instructions to have healthy eating:
Limit the consumption of high sugar foods
Eat foods in smaller portions and higher frequency throughout the day
Watch and control the number of carbohydrate foods they eat and time of consumption
Choose an everyday diet containing a variety of whole-grain foods, fresh fruits and vegetables
Consuming less salt/fat and salty/fatty foods
Limit drinking of alcohol
Healthy and best foods for elderly diabetics
We start with Healthy and the best foods to gain you a bright perspective about how much your diet can be diverse and delicious by consuming these kinds of foods.
Fresh vegetables (and fruits)
Fresh vegetables, especially the Cruciferous Vegetables and the dark-coloured ones, are a good choice for seniors' diets with diabetes. Fresh vegetables are a perfect source of fibre while containing low calories. These low-calorie foods are vital to weight loss, which is needed to reduce diabetes symptoms since they cause feeling full for hours. Fresh vegetables are also a great source of vitamins. According to a recent article on LivingMaples Mag, vitamins are needed for the elderly. Tomatoes, beets, carrots, kale, etc., are great for seniors with diabetes.
Fresh fruits are also suitable for seniors with diabetes. These are containing a high amount of fibre, bioactive compounds, vitamins and other micronutrients. However, you should pay more attention to choose from this category since fruits generally have more sugar content than vegetables. For example, pineapple, mango, fig and several other foods are not allowed for diabetic seniors. Additionally, fruit juices are not allowed for diabetic persons since they have almost no fibre and high sugar content. They may cause blood sugar spikes in seniors.
Lean protein
Based on USDA (U.S. Department of Agriculture), lean protein is considered a protein source containing >10 g of total fat and ≥ 4.5 g saturated fat per 100 g. This category is comprised of either animal-based or plant-based protein sources. Some of the well-known lean proteins are turkey, lean chicken meat, non-fatty fishes, beans and legumes, etc. A list of lean protein foods is as bellow:
High protein content, diverse macro and micronutrients like vitamins and minerals are the main advantages of including lean protein in diabetic seniors' diets.
By consuming lean protein, seniors can maintain muscles tune while stabilizing their blood sugar levels. If you want to avoid heart attacks, steam or boil them before baking and then add oil afterwards.
Whole-grain foods
Although diabetes seniors should avoid consuming carbohydrate-based foods, there are some options they can eat. Whole grains and products prepared from whole grains like oat, quinoa and barley are allowed for diabetic seniors. Whole-grain bread and other cereals are a good source of vitamins, minerals and fibre. Consuming whole grain foods in a diet maintains the blood sugar at a normal level. It inhibits spike blood sugar in seniors with diabetes.
The most prominent examples of this group are brown rice, oatmeal, quinoa, millet, or amaranth.
Unhealthy and worst foods for Elderly Diabetics
This part is dedicated to introducing the worst foods for elderly diabetics. These groups mainly consist of foods containing a high number of sugars, oils, and salts. So, it is not surprising that most processed and packed foods and drinks are found in this category.
Processed starchy foods
This group consists of any foods that contain starch and are processed under some cooking processes. The well-known examples are white bread, cookies, pasta, crackers and cacks. Most of these foods are low in fibre and have high sugar or salt contents. Due to low fibre, these foods are quickly digested by the body and cause high blood sugar in seniors.
Prepared cereals
Prepared cereals like breakfast cereals, cereal bars (or energy bars) are also bad choices for seniors with diabetes. Although they contain fibre, protein and vitamins, they are processed with lots of sugars that make them inappropriate food choices.
Fried foods
No matter how healthy the food you fry, it is not a healthy portion for seniors. As the name suggests, fried foods are containing a high amount of fats. Fats take a while to digest in the human body, so when seniors eat fatty foods, their blood sugar rises and keeps it at a high level for a long time.
Drinks with added sugar (and alcoholic drinks)
These kinds of drinks are considered empty-calorie foods since they have a high amount of sugar and almost no nutrients. The examples of this group are sweetened coffee, sweet tea, soda, fruit-based smoothies and energy drinks. On the other hand, alcoholic drinks may cause fluctuating blood sugar levels in seniors.
Fruit juice and canned fruits
Unlike fresh fruits, fruit juice and canned fruits, even those prepared from fresh fruits can be classified as the worst fruit choice for seniors with diabetes. As mentioned above, fruit juice has no fibre and contains a high amount of sugar, which is harmful to the elderly. Canned foods have fibre, but their formulation consists of a large number of sugars.
Conclusion
Diabetes in seniors is one of the most prevalent diseases that affect all aspects of their lives. They should watch their weight, control their type and portion size, and eating time. This article introduces some of the best and worst foods for seniors with diabetes and guides them to have a right and proper diet.