FOODS THAT CONTROL DIABETES!!!!!!!!!!!!

When it comes to controlling diabetes, the diet is one of the first places to look. However, recent findings have dispelled the idea of a specific "diabetes diet" — each person's ideal diet to control diabetes is different, and as with so many things, they are finding that variety is much more important than eating a handful of foods on a regular basis.
For those who read about healthy foods to deal with various conditions, most of the foods here will sound very familiar.

Look at the Overall Diet for Diabetes

The most important key for controlling diabetes through the diet, is to reduce simple sugars — this includes simple starches, which the body almost instantly turns into simple sugars. This means staying away from 'white' things: white flour, white bread, white rice, etc. Opt instead for whole wheat, whole grains, brown rice (or better yet, quinoa), and so on.


Fresh foods are always a better choice for controlling diabetes than canned; frozen is also better than canned, though still not quite as good as fresh. If canned is the only option, such as for fruits in the winter, be sure it is no-sugar-added.
Corn and potatoes, unfortunately, are packed full of simple starches, and should be mostly replaced in the diet by other vegetables, like broccoli, beans, Jerusalem artichokes (which substitute beautifully for potatoes), and soybeans.
Reducing high-fat meats is also important. If you simply must eat red meat, go for as lean as possible; better yet, opt for white chicken meat, or better still, for heart-healthy fish.

Fenugreek

Hands down, the most recommended food for controlling diabetes is fenugreek. Fenugreek seeds contain as much as 50 percent fiber, which is very important for diabetes sufferers. In addition, according to The Herbal Drugstore, by Linda B. White, MD, and Steven Foster (Rodale, 2003), among many others, "Modern research has shown that fenugreek seeds not only lower blood glucose but also reduce insulin levels, total cholesterol, and triglycerides while increasing HDL (the "good" cholesterol)." This interesting effect on so-called good cholesterol and bad cholesterol is very important for those with diabetes, which is frequently accompanied by heart disease.

 

Bitter Gourd

Also known as bitter melon, this plant looks much like 'ugly' cucumbers, and is almost as commonly recommended as fenugreek. According to The Herbal Drugstore, "It contains several phytochemicals that appear to act in ways similar to sulfonyurea drugs, without the side effects. Bitter melon also contains compounds that are close chemical relatives of insulin." Many sources cite various studies supporting claims that it has a significant ability to help control diabetes.

Onion and Garlic

These two herbs are very similar in terms of their benefits to diabetes sufferers, which are significant.
Interestingly, when speaking of help for controlling diabetes, it is the skin of onions which are most helpful; since they are unpleasant to eat directly, it may be best to cook them in soups, where you can get the nutrients from the skins, which you can then remove before eating the soup. Raw or cooked seems to make no difference; the key is getting plenty of it.
According to The Green Pharmacy, by James A. Duke, PhD (St. Martin's Paperbacks, 1998), "Like onions, garlic has a significant ability to control blood sugar levels. Eat more garlic – raw, if possible, or lightly cooked in food."
Additionally, Prescription for Herbal Healing, by Phyllis A. Balch (Avery, 2002) cites its ability to stimulate insulin production, and to help keep the liver from deactivating insulin.

Beans

The Green Pharmacy sums up the benefits of beans for diabetics quite nicely: "Many studies demonstrate that eating foods that are high in soluble fiber, notably beans, reduces the rise in blood sugar after meals and delays the drop in blood sugar later on, thus helping to maintain blood sugar at close to desired levels."