10 Power Foods to Beat Diabetes

By Glenn Mueller
eDiets Senior Writer


When you are trying to balance your blood sugar, it is important to eat plenty of healing foods. In fact, you’ll be amazed at how many of them you can find in the aisles of your local grocery store. The following diabetes-beating power foods are among the best foods to beat diabetes.

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Apples: As it turns out, an apple a day might be just the thing you need to keep the doctor away. When it comes to beating diabetes, there is nothing forbidden about this particular fruit. Since they are grown in temperate zones around the world, apples come in thousands of different varieties. But, whatever type of apple you choose, you will get the maximum health benefits by including the peel in your healthy snack. Apple peels contain quercetin, a flavanoid that has been found to reduce diabetes due to its antioxidant effect.

Asparagus: Though it is a member of the lily family, the edible part of the asparagus plant is actually a sprout or shoot that appears underground. Asparagus is an excellent source of glutathione, an antioxidant compound that can help keep your blood sugar stable.

Beans: Not only are they good for the heart, but these members of the legume family also contain many different phytonutrients that can help you manage your battle against diabetes. Though dried beans are the healthiest choice, you must soak them in water for several hours before cooking.

Broccoli: President George Herbert Walker Bush may have banned this cruciferous vegetable from the White House menu, but broccoli is also an excellent source of quercetin. These days most broccoli is green, but purple, red, cream and brown varieties were also popular at one time.

Carrots: As it turns out, Bugs Bunny was smarter than you might think. His favorite snack is full of carotenoids, antioxidant compounds that can help protect the heart and balance your insulin levels.

Fish: Even if you’re not hooked on the taste of fish, perhaps the health benefits will help reel you in. Not only can these sea creatures help protect your heart, but the omega-3 fatty acids can also help balance your blood sugar levels.

Nuts: Even though they have been cultivated for more than twelve thousand years, nuts are still one of nature’s richest foods. Since they are packed with minerals and healthy fats, incorporating healthy portions of nuts into your meal plan can help protect your heart and balance your blood sugar. You’d have to be crazy not to eat them.

Oranges: Orange you glad that the world’s most popular citrus fruit has a low rating on the Glycemic Index? Oranges are also a source of many other phtonutrients that can help you fight diabetes, including flavonoids, carotenoids, terpines, pectins and glutathione.

Soybeans Oh say, can you soy? Not only are these members of the legume family a complete source of protein, but soybeans also provide phytoestrogens, isoflavones and saponins that can help balance your blood sugar.

Tea Tea time may be the healthiest time of the day. Whether you have two for tea or you drink this healthy substance by yourself, tea has phytonutrients such as catechins and tannins that can help balance your blood sugar.

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