How To Plate Up
People with diabetes should try to avoid eating food that can cause a spike in blood sugar. Foods with a low glycaemic index (or “GI”) are proven to slow the rise in glucose levels. Keeping glucose levels steady is extremely important when managing diabetes or those managing their weight because spikes in blood sugar can cause extreme feelings of hunger. Steady glucose levels also help to prevent long-term health problems and can contribute to generally feeling better. Examples of these foods include lean meats, non-starchy vegetables, unsweetened dairy products, and whole grains.
One of my top tricks for people who need to include more low GI foods in their diet is to put these foods on their plate first, before adding other foods. Using this simple trick, plates get full up with better-for-you foods and therefore encourage a much healthier diet. Low GI diets are also proven to help with losing weight and reducing cholesterol, reducing the risk of some cancers and heart disease.
Tips For Eating Out
If you are watching your weight and planning on eating out, I have some simple tips to help keep those watching their weight on track. It’s always a good idea to look at the menu in advance to identify the healthier options, so you can make the decision quickly and confidently when ordering. Doing this can also remind you to maybe have a lighter lunch or breakfast before going out, and in turn means your overall caloric intake for the day is at the right level.
When at a restaurant, having a starter instead of a pudding is an easy switch to keep your blood sugar steady. Soup can be a good choice of starter as it fills you up. If you don’t want to feel left out whilst everyone else is eating a pudding, there is always the option to have a tea or coffee during that course instead. By making this small change, you could save up to 700 or even 800 calories.
Snacking whilst you are drinking alcohol can make the calories add up without noticing. If possible, try to get hold of some healthier bar snacks if you can, but otherwise try to avoid the temptation altogether by turning down free nibbles.
Embrace Technology
There are apps to make our daily lives easier in all kinds of ways, and it’s no different when it comes to a fitness or medical journey. There are an array of platforms that can support specific needs or wants, it’s all about finding the right one that works for each individual from recipes and diet plans to online workouts.
Liva Healthcare delivers highly personalised and tailored digital health coaching programmes. Imagine having access to a real human health coach that designs a personalised lifestyle change programme for each user based on your own individual needs available on your smartphone. Rather than just counting calories, it helps you build healthy habits – which is much more likely to help you keep weight off and avoid becoming a ‘yo-yo’ dieter.
You can receive ongoing tailormade guidance, support and empathy through videos and texts in the app at a time that suits you. You can also track your progress in real-time and engage with a support group of people with the same goals and challenges as you. Staying motivated can be much easier as a group!
“What is your top food tip to keep your weight loss journey on track?”
Leave me a comment and we’ll continue this journey together…
About The Author
My name is Dr Naresh Kanumilli and I’m a GP with over 16 years’ experience in helping people with type 2 diabetes. My motto is ‘no medication without education’ – I like to help as many of my patients manage their condition with a healthy diet and lifestyle. I have also led research into what kinds of support, like coaching or motivational groups, work best to help people reach their health.