Chia Seeds To Cinnamon, 10 Foods That Help Control Blood Sugar Levels

From medication to controlling body weight, there are multiple options to deal with blood sugar. Maintaining a healthy diet is arguably the best way available to keep the blood sugar level in check. The doctors also prescribe items the body absorbs slowly for consumption. Foods with low or medium glycemic index (GI) scores are also some favourable options for those who are aiming to manage their blood sugar levels. A report by the Madras Diabetes Research Foundation and the Indian Council of Medical Research last year claimed that around 101 million people in India have diabetes and another 136 million are in the pre-diabetes stage.

Nutritionist Shikha Gupta recently shed some light on this much-discussed topic. He also mentioned ten foods that help in managing the blood sugar level.

“Always confused about what to buy when you go grocery shopping? And end up adding unhealthy items to your shopping cart? Including these ‘10 Must-Buy Foods’ in your Grocery list will not only help save some time but will also help balance your blood sugars! Transform your health with these Insulin Resistance grocery essentials,” read the post shared by Shikha Gupta on Instagram.

Here, we look at the 10 foods that can play a crucial role in balancing blood sugars, according to Shikha Gupta.

• Nuts like walnuts and almonds
• Chia seeds
• Millets like kodo, amaranth, ragi
• Coconut oil and ghee
• Eggs, chicken
• Cinnamon, turmeric
• Fatty fish like tuna, salmon, mackerel
• Berries
• Colourful vegetables like spinach, fenugreek, cabbage, carrots, broccoli, bell peppers
• Flaxseed oil

Veena V, chief clinical dietician, Aster Whitefield Hospital, Bengaluru, also shared her views on this matter. She said that such food items do not result in a sugar spike and help in dealing with insulin resistance.

“These foods are part of healthy complex carbohydrates. They also contain antioxidant properties that are not harmful and their consumption would not worsen the body’s condition. It is also important to move away from simple to complex carbohydrates and foods with low glycemic index,” Veena V said to The Indian Express.

Apart from these, it was earlier revealed that items such as whole grains and non-starchy vegetables can also help in controlling blood sugar levels.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) had earlier estimated that by 2030, the number of Indians affected by diabetes will reach as much as around 79,441,000.