8 Sneaky Things That Raise Your Blood Sugar Levels
Skipping breakfast iStock/Thinkstock Overweight women who didn’t eat breakfast had higher insulin and blood sugar levels after they ate lunch a few hours later than they did on another day when they ate breakfast, a 2013 study found. Another study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that men who regularly skipped breakfast had a 21 percent higher chance of developing diabetes than those who didn’t. A morning meal—especially one that is rich in protein and healthy fat—seems to stabilize blood sugar levels throughout the day. Your breakfast is not one of the many foods that raise blood sugar. Here are some other things that happen to your body when you skip breakfast. Artificial sweeteners iStock/Thinkstock They have to be better for your blood sugar than, well, sugar, right? An interesting new Israeli study suggests that artificial sweeteners can still take a negative toll and are one of the foods that raise blood sugar. When researchers gave mice artificial sweeteners, they had higher blood sugar levels than mice who drank plain water—or even water with sugar! The researchers were able to bring the animals’ blood sugar levels down by treating them with antibiotics, which indicates that these fake sweeteners may alter gut bacteria, which in turn seems to affect how the body processes glucose. In a follow-up study of 400 people, the research team found that long-term users of artificial sweeteners were more likely to have higher fasting blood sugar levels, reported HealthDay. While study authors are by no means saying that sugary beverages are healthier, these findings do suggest that people who drink artificially sweetened beverages should do so in moderation as part of a healthy diet. Here's what else happens when you cut artificial sweetener Continue reading >>
Can People With Diabetes Eat Popcorn?
Popcorn can be a healthful snack for most people, depending on how it is prepared. With its fairly low calorie and high-fiber content, air popped popcorn is often a go-to snack for dieters. However, people with diabetes have more to worry about than their waistlines when snacking on popcorn. People with diabetes can eat popcorn but need to choose carefully the type of popcorn, how it is cooked, and how much they eat, due to popcorn's high carb content. Nutritional information Air-popped popcorn offers very few calories per cup. In addition, a cup of air-popped popcorn contains a little over 1 gram (g) in fiber. It also contains about 1 g of protein and about 6 g of carbohydrate. Additionally, popcorn contains zero cholesterol and is almost fat-free, far less than 0.5 g per cup. The total calories in a 5-cup serving are between 100-150. Popcorn qualifies as a whole-grain food. One serving can provide about 70 percent of the recommended daily intake of whole grain. Popcorn is full of vitamins and minerals. A single serving of popcorn contains a number of vitamins and minerals, including: vitamin A vitamin E vitamin B6 pantothenic acid thiamin niacin riboflavin A serving of popcorn also contains iron and trace amounts of manganese, calcium, phosphorus, copper, magnesium, potassium, and zinc. The popcorn's hull or shell is the source of much of its nutritional value. The shell contains beta-carotene, lutein, and zeaxanthin, which are important for maintaining eye health. The shell also contains polyphenols with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, which may protect against cancer and cardiovascular disease. Researchers have stated that popcorn contains up to 300 milligrams of polyphenols per serving. This high amount of polyphenols is more than 60 percent of the am Continue reading >>
7 Healthy Snacks To Manage Blood Sugar
High blood sugar levels are bad news for your body. So you have to choose carefully when it comes to choosing snacks. You want to keep hunger and hypoglycemia at bay without increasing your blood sugar. High-fiber, slowly digested, healthy snacks will curb your hunger while producing a steady release of blood sugar to help control diabetes. Just remember to balance those… more from this guide Continue reading >>
6 Foods That Won’t Cause Your Blood Sugar To Spike
For people with type 2 diabetes, what you eat plays a big role in your blood sugar, or glucose levels. A rise in blood sugar after eating is typical; a big spike, however, can lead to hyperglycemia, or high blood glucose, which can have serious health implications. To reduce the potential for a spike in blood sugar, turn to the glycemic index (GI), which ranks all carbs… more from this guide Continue reading >>
Can Diabetics Eat Popcorn
Popcorn can be a healthy snack depending upon how it’s prepared, and it is also one of little snacking pleasures of life. After all, who can imagine gonna see a flick with no stopping by shop for a small bucket? A lot of people love to eat popcorn at the movies. However people with diabetes have to try to avoid these highly buttery and salted versions. Don’t worry, popcorn can easily still be properly incorporated into your diabetic diet. It is a good snack for a diabetic, however the preparation and the type of corn impact its value. Popcorn is considered a important source of the whole-grain fiber in its unprocessed form, making it perfect for people concerned about diabetes and blood sugar. It is so fluffy and light. In addition, it comes with a quite low glycemic load compared to other traditional snack foods, hence as long as you consume popcorn in moderation, it can be a health addition to your eating plan. According to the ADA, the portion size of popcorn for a diabetic equals about 15 grams of carbs, or three cups of popped popcorn. As a diabetic could consume between 15 to 30 grams of carbs for snacks, no more than six cups of popcorn should be ate at once. One ounce bags of the microwave popcorn have about 21g of carb, making the portions idea for one diabetic. Also read: How I Finally Cured My Diabetes Nutritional Content of Popcorn By comparison, foods that are high in fiber usually reflect a whole grain source of carb, which is a more complex form that is more slowly absorbed and digested. Like any other whole grain source of carbs, unprocessed and air-popped popcorn is a good source of nutrients for people with diabetes. In fact, a lot of “light” popcorns have 80 to 100 calories as well as 3 grams of fiber a serving. Popcorn doesn’t affect blood Continue reading >>
5 Healthy Snacks For People With (or Without!) Diabetes
Yes, you can snack if you have diabetes When your stomach starts to rumble, you need a snack that can curb your hunger without blowing your blood sugar. Just like meals, snacks should be a combination of fat, protein, and carbohydrates. Aim for one that consists of 15 to 30 grams of carbohydrates and 100 to 200 calories (depending on your meal plan and medication). Here are five that typically get a seal of approval from diabetes educators and nutritionists. Whole-grain crackers, grapes, and cottage cheese Nutrient-rich whole grains like cracked wheat, whole wheat, rye, and quinoa can lower blood sugar and cholesterol. The cottage cheese adds protein to stabilize blood sugar, curb hunger pangs, and provide calcium for strong bones. Buy your favorite whole-grain crackers, and make sure that the first ingredient is whole-wheat flour or another whole grain, such as rye. (Even if the ingredient list says "wheat flour," it is not a whole-grain food unless it specifies "whole-wheat flour.") Arrange on a small plate 2 crackers, 1/4 cup nonfat cottage cheese, and 1/4 cup grapes. Serving size: 2 crackers, 1/4 cup cottage cheese, and 1/4 cup grapes. Nutritional information—Calories: 138, Total Carbohydrate: 21.2 g (7%), Dietary Fiber: 1.5 g (6%), Sugars 11.9 g Homemade popcorn Popcorn is high in fiber, and when made from scratch is an all-natural food without additives and artificial flavorings. Pour 1 tablespoon of mild-flavored oil such as canola into a heavy-bottomed medium-large pot. Cover the bottom of the pot with 1/2 cup of popcorn kernels spread in a thin layer. (If the kernels are too crowded, not all of them will pop.) Cover the pot and heat on medium, shaking the pot every minute or so until all of the kernels have popped. Take care not to cook too long, which could Continue reading >>
Is Popcorn Low Glycemic?
Popcorn is a feel-good snack strongly associated with relaxing, watching movies and escapism. If you don’t drench the popped kernels in butter or processed toppings, it’s also a fairly low-calorie snack. Popcorn’s glycemic index, which is a measure of how much a food impacts blood sugar levels, can fall on the lower side of the spectrum, depending on the brand and how it’s made. Glycemic Index The glycemic index is a useful tool that rates food based on its ability to increase blood glucose levels, which in turn is an indication of pancreas stimulation and insulin release. Insulin is needed to shuttle glucose from your blood into all your cells, where it’s used to produce energy. The glycemic index is particularly important for diabetics because they either don’t produce enough insulin or are resistant to its actions. As such, low glycemic foods are commonly recommended for diabetics and people who want to lose weight. The glycemic index is a scale that ranges from zero to 100, and foods at or below 55 are considered as having low impact on blood sugar. Foods with an index score higher than 70 are quickly digested into glucose and increase blood sugar, which spikes insulin release. Popcorn's Index Popcorn’s glycemic index is actually quite variable. Most popcorn brands range from 55 to 65, although some are as high as 89, depending on the type of corn, added ingredients and the method of cooking. Plain, air-popped popcorn tends to have the lowest glycemic index ratings, whereas the stuff typically sold at movie theaters is significantly higher. It’s mainly the starchy carbohydrates in corn that get converted into glucose and increase blood glucose levels. As a general guideline, you can make popcorn at home that’s a borderline low glycemic snack or you Continue reading >>
» Is Popcorn A Healthy Snack? It Can Be!
Eric Uthus Popcorn is relatively high in fiber - a cup of air-popped popcorn contains just over a gram of fiber. It also contains 1 gram of protein and 6 grams of carbohydrate. It contains no cholesterol, it is virtually fat-free (only 0.1 g per cup) and contains only 100 to 150 calories in a serving of 5 popped cups. You can find a nutrient profile for various popcorn snacks at: then click "Start Your Search Here" and enter "snacks, popcorn". Popcorn also has a relatively good glycemic index (GI). The GI, which describes how much blood sugar increases after eating foods that contain carbohydrates, is based on a scale from 1 to 100. The higher the value the more your blood sugar will rise. Foods with a high GI are rapidly digested and absorbed; they produce marked fluctuations in blood sugar levels. Low-GI foods, are slowly digested and absorbed; they produce gradual rises in blood sugar and insulin levels. Low GI diets have proven health benefits. They improve both glucose and lipid levels in people with type 1, as well as type 2, diabetes. Because they are slowly absorbed, they help in weight control because they help control appetite and delay hunger. Air-popped popcorn has a GI of 55 - at the upper end of low-GI foods. Compare that to an apple with a GI value of 30-40 and 13-16 grams of carbohydrate, or to two slices of white bread with a GI of 88 and 12-14 grams carbohydrates. As popcorn is 100 percent unprocessed grain, it is a whole-grain food. One serving can provide about 70 percent of the recommended daily intake of whole grain. Popcorn also contains a number of vitamins: folate, niacin, riboflavin, thiamin, pantothenic acid, and vitamins B6, A, E and K. A serving of popcorn contains about 8 percent of the daily value of iron, with lesser amounts of calcium, c Continue reading >>
Can Diabetics Eat Popcorn?
Popcorn is one of life's little snacking pleasures -- after all, who could imagine going to see a flick without stopping by the snack counter for a small bucket? While people with diabetes should try to avoid the highly salted and buttery versions, popcorn can still be safely incorporated into the diabetic diet. Popcorn has high fiber and a low glycemic load compared to many other snack foods, so as long as it is consumed in moderation it makes a healthy addition to the diabetic diet. Nutritional Content of Popcorn Like any whole grain source of carbohydrate, air-popped and unprocessed popcorn is an excellent source of nutrients for individuals with diabetes. Most "light" popcorns contain 80 to 100 calories and 3 grams of fiber per serving. Because it is made from corn, which is a whole grain, popcorn does not impact blood sugar levels as dramatically as other sugary snack foods. In fact, one serving of popcorn has a glycemic load that is 2 to 4 times lower than other snack foods, such as raisins, graham crackers, or potato chips. The Diabetic Portion Size of Popcorn According to the American Diabetes Association, one diabetic portion size of popcorn equals 3 cups of popped popcorn, or approximately 15 grams of carbohydrates. Because individuals with diabetes can consume between 15 and 30 grams of carbohydrate for snacks, no more than two servings or 6 cups of popcorn should be consumed at one time. Most individual, 1 ounce bags of microwave popcorn bags contain approximately 21 grams of carbohydrate, making these portions perfect for individuals with diabetes. Choosing the Right Popcorn Individuals with diabetes must be mindful of the type of popcorn they consume because many versions have added fats, sugars and salts. When selecting popcorn at the grocery store, indiv Continue reading >>
Popcorn: Mindless Eating Is Not Blood Sugar Friendly
We celebrated Tom’s 12th birthday yesterday (yes, that makes me…. old). Tom didn’t want a big party so we invited a few of his friends over for a movie and pizza. Jessica made popcorn, using coconut oil, instead of olive oil. “I’ve read that coconut oil is what makes movie theater popcorn taste so much better,” she said. “I thought it was the chemicals,” I replied. Jessica and I haven’t been to the movies for years, so we’re not very up-to-date on movie theater food and I have to confess I don’t remember much about movie theater popcorn. When Jessica’s popcorn was ready I couldn’t resist trying it. I don’t usually eat popcorn, both because it’s not paleo and because I consider it mindless eating, but it was there, it smelled good, and I tried it. Jessica was right (as usual). It did taste better and did have the movie theater smell. The problem with popcorn is that you can keep eating it even when you’re not hungry. It’s hard not to. So I ate some popcorn, don’t know how much, but I didn’t think it was very much. I didn’t bolus for it either (mindless eating). The kids watched the movie, played and ate pizza. At around 7:00 p.m. it was finally cake time (of course I didn’t have any). The cake was another one of Jessica’s great ideas – a Boggle cake that said HAPPY BIRTHDAY TOM. (Boggle has become very popular in our home over the last few weeks. At around 8:30 after all of Tom’s friends had gone, Jessica and I finally sat down for dinner (we had resisted the pizza too, not just the cake). I checked my blood sugar and was surprised by the result – 217. I bolused and ate my low carb dinner. A couple hours later, while in bed reading I started to feel extremely tired, the kind of tired where you can’t keep your eyes open Continue reading >>
6 Facts About Popcorn And Diabetes (#good Or Bad ?)
Researches report that popcorn is rich of fitonutrient. It also contains polyphenol twice more than a portion of fruit. If we eat popcorn only during cinema time, it means we miss one of the healthiest seeds. We can eat 3 cups of popcorn for gaining 99 calorie and 4 gram fiber. Sponsors Link 6 Connections between Popcorn and Diabetes Patients: 1. Whole Grain. Inside of these whole seeds, there are parts called germ, bran and endosperm. The germ contains healthy oil, vitamin E, protein, a lot of vitamin B, and mineral. Meanwhile, the bran contains a lot of fiber, vitamin B, mineral, protein, and antioxidant. And in endosperm we can find flour content that is rich of protein and fiber. As popcorn is made of corn seeds. People who eat popcorn automatically consume 250% more whole seeds than people who do not eat popcorn. 2. Rich of Fiber. In popcorn contains 4 gram of diet fiber. These 4 gram of diet fiber can be gained in 4 cups of popcorn. Most popcorn is consumed more than 4 cups so that it can meet the 25 gram fiber intake in women and 38 gram fiber intake in men. The regular intake of fiber can decrease the risk of cardiovascular or heart disease. It also levels down the cholesterol in our blood and decrease the risk of suffering diabetes type 2 because it flows our blood flow well. 3. Polyphenols. There is high antioxidant found in popcorn. It is indeed higher than expected. The antioxidant in popcorn is in the form of polyphenols. It is in the corn skin that is not peeled when popcorn is cooked. Peeling skin corn when it is cooked becomes popcorn will reduce the benefit of polyphenols. The sufficient intake of polyphenols is beneficial to prevent our body from heart disease, cancer, and diabetes. Polyphenols is powerful to prevent us from free radicals and reduce th Continue reading >>
No More Popcorn: 5 Easy, Yummy Alternatives
Somewhere during the fat-free craze of the late 1980s, popcorn was granted healthy food status because its naturally fat-free and low-calorie. Big mistake! We feed corn to pigs and cattle to fatten them up quickly and cheaply. And yet, we eat the same food and call it a healthy snack. Something just doesnt add up Since the 80s, research has proven that eating plenty of healthy fats actually helps with weight loss, as well as lowering your risk of heart disease, high cholesterol, type 2 diabetes, and some types of cancer.1 Popcorn definitely isnt a win there. Then comes the fact that corn is all starch its a grain, not a vegetable!Corn hasbeen linked to an increased chances of digestive issues, insulin resistance, and some types of cancer. (Get the full details here .) None for me, thanks! Finally, popcorn is one of those snacks that seems so innocent, its easy to down a whole bowl in one sitting. A few minutes of absent-minded munching, and youve suddenly eaten all three servings from the bag and sent your body a serious message. Remember, food is information. When you snack on popcorn, youre telling your body to store more fat and send your blood sugar on a rollercoaster ride. Three strikes against popcorn, and its officially out! However, there are still plenty of yummy alternatives that only take minutes to make and will fill you up with healthy, energizing nutrients. Recipes for five of my favorites: 1. Kale Chips with Cumin and Sea Salt They taste so good, you wont even notice youre eating your greens! 2. Garlic Hummus with Lentil Chips If youve never tasted homemade hummus, youre in for a treat. It has a depth and richness all its own, and its so quick and easy to make. 3. Freeze-Dried Fruit, Nut, and Seed Mix Meet trail mix done right, with freeze-dried fruit, n Continue reading >>
10 Best Type 2 Diabetes Snacks
Healthy Combinations Ready in Minutes When you have type 2 diabetes, a smart strategy for controlling your blood sugar levels is to think of snacks as miniature versions of meals and plan your carbs accordingly. Snacks with a good mix of protein, fat, and fiber will help keep hunger at bay and your blood sugar on an even keel throughout the day. "Since a meal should include 45 to 60 grams of carbohydrates, a snack should have around 15 to 20 grams," says Katherine Basbaum, MS, RD, a clinical dietitian in the Cardiology and Cardiac Rehabilitation departments at University of Virginia Health System in Charlottesville. By the same token, she says, fill your snack plate the same way you would for a regular meal. That means half should be non-starchy vegetables, one-quarter should be lean protein, and one-quarter a starchy carb. Here are 10 terrific options for healthy diabetes snacks. Continue reading >>
Ask D'mine: "diabetes-friendly" Popcorn, Bg Targets For Type 1's
Welcome back to our Saturday event, the diabetes advice column Ask D'Mine, hosted by veteran type 1, diabetes author and community educator Wil Dubois. This week we're talking food — yay! And also digging into the meaning of glucose targets for people living on insulin — less yay, but certainly important to understand. {Need help navigating life with diabetes? Email us at [email protected]} Clara from Indiana, type 2, writes: I heard that popcorn is a good "diabetes-friendly" snack, but I was surprised to see how many carbs it has. I like to have popcorn for lunch, which means I'd sometimes eat about 4 cups. That's minimum 25 carbs! Why do I think that's just too much? [email protected] D'Mine answers: First off, let's be clear that I don't find the terms "diabetes-friendly" and "snack" to be compatible. Second off, let's be clear that popcorn, diabetes-friendly snack or not, is most definitely not a diabetes-friendly meal! Meals need to have things like protein... and vitamins... and stuff. But as to how much of anything is too much, consider that to maintain weight, a healthy meal for a woman would be in the 40-50 carb range, while men get to pig out in the 50-60 carb range. If you need to lose weight, a slightly lower carb count per meal is a good idea. Of course, carbs are only part of the story. We gotta talk about calories too. Carbs are a useful tool for understanding how much impact on your blood sugar a given food will have, and can be used as a rough guide for weight. But calories are a far more useful way to understand if what we are eating will keep our weight stable, make it go up, or make it go down. In general, the more carbs the more calories, but not always. Take popcorn for example. A single serving of popcorn is anywhere between 4 and 5 ½ cups. Tho Continue reading >>
Diet Guidelines: No-no Foods — Eliminating Simple Sugars
NO-NO FOODS: ELIMINATING SIMPLE SUGARS Named below are some of the common foods that contain simple sugars, which rapidly raise blood sugar or otherwise hinder blood sugar control and should be eliminated from your diet. All grain products, for example—from the flour in “sugar-free” cookies to pasta to wheat or non-wheat grain products except pure bran—are converted so rapidly into glucose by the enzymes in saliva and further down in the digestive tract that they are, as far as blood sugar is concerned, essentially no different than table sugar. There are plenty of food products, however, that contain such tiny amounts of simple sugars that they will have a negligible effect on your blood sugar. One gram of carbohydrate will not raise blood sugar more than 5 mg/dl for most diabetic adults (but considerably more for small children). A single stick of chewing gum or a single tablespoon of salad dressing made with only 1 gram of sugar certainly poses no problems. In these areas, you have to use your judgment and your blood sugar profiles. If you’re the type who, once you start chewing gum, has to have a new stick every 5 minutes, then you should probably avoid chewing gum. If you have delayed stomach-emptying (Chapter 22), small amounts of “sugar-free” chewing gum may help facilitate your digestion. Powdered Artificial Sweeteners At this writing, several artificial sweeteners are available. They are available from different manufacturers under different names, and some, such as Equal and Sweet’n Low, can have brand names under which more than one form of sweetener is sold. Here, to simplify your shopping, are acceptable products currently and soon to be available: saccharin tablets or liquid (Sweet’n Low) aspartame tablets (Equal, NutraSweet)* acesulfame- Continue reading >>
