Top 5 Foods to Lower Blood Sugar

by Kirsten Singler NMD

Did you know that you can lower your blood sugar by eating certain foods?
Here is a list of tasty foods to help get your blood sugar under control.

Chia seeds

CH-CH-CH-CHIA! Who knew that those little chia pets we were growing in the eighties were so good for controlling blood sugar? Recent studies published through the National Institute of Health show that eating chia seeds helps to improve glucose tolerance, reduces blood sugar, reduces cardiac risk markers such as CRP, lipids, and inflammation. It may sound like the latest health fad, but the honest truth is that people have been eating chia seeds for centuries. Chia was one of the staple foods for Native American people. We get the name chia from the Aztecs, who called it “Chian”. If you want to start including this amazing food into your diet, I recommend trying my Chia Seed Pudding recipe. It is delicious, easy to make, and makes a great snack to take to work.

Cinnamon

Ah, cinnamon, right in time for the holidays! If you like the sweet, spicy, warming aromatics of chai tea, pumpkin pie, and baked apples, you will love adding cinnamon to your diet. Studies show that 1-3 teaspoons of cinnamon daily helps to reduce blood sugar by 24% and improve insulin sensitivity. So go ahead, make a nice cup of warm almond milk with 1-teaspoon cinnamon as an evening ritual. Try sprinkling 1-teaspoon cinnamon on top a bowl of sliced pears or apples. If you want to go all out, try making vanilla chia pudding mixed with 2-teaspoons cinnamon. My favorite recipe for cinnamon is in my morning breakfast bowl: 1 chopped apple, 5 chopped figs, ¼ cup chia pudding, 2 tablespoons ground flax, 5 walnuts, 1-tablespoon cinnamon, with unsweetened almond milk poured over the top. I hope this gets your appetite going!

Berries

If you have a sweet tooth like me, berries can be your best choice when you need a little dessert or sweet snack. This is because berries have a lower glycemic index than a lot of other fruit like bananas or mango. Also, they are high in fiber, vitamins, and antioxidants that help modulate the effects of high blood sugar. In the summer, I make lots of berry sorbets in my blender at home, rather than buying ice-cream. In the winter, I like to stew berries with vanilla and serve them on top of yogurt, cashew cream, or coconut cream. In any season, at any time, I love them fresh as a nice sweet snack. Next time you need a little dessert, try making a new berry dish!

Brassicas

Broccoli, cauliflower, brussel sprouts, cabbage, collard greens, bok choy, kale, beet greens, mustard greens, kohlrabi, arugula, how the list goes on and on. These are all cruciferous vegetables in the mustard family. They are all related, and they all have some of the most powerful anti-cancer phytonutrients, vitamins, minerals, and fiber. These are the real heroes in the superfood movement, and they are very common, easy to cook, and inexpensive to purchase. The American Diabetic Association recommends that Diabetics should fill ½ their plate with these vegetables for every meal. This is because brassicas are a low glycemic food that helps your digestion release sugar slowly into the blood stream. I recommend trying 1 new veggie recipe a week to keep your menu exciting and interesting. Try my  broccoli salad recipe and let me know how you like it!

Legumes

Do you love Mexican food? Do you know how good for you those black beans are?  Whether it is black bean chili, hummus, pinto beans and ham, split pea soup, mixed bean minestrone, or lentil salad, legumes are one of the best foods to include in your diet. They are high in protein, fiber, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. There’s a reason people have been eating beans for thousands of years. They give us the healthy carbohydrates we need to have energy. They give us the protein and nutrition we need to be healthy. They are considered a superfood for diabetics because they are high in fiber and protein which helps slow the release of sugar from the digestion into the blood stream. If you like Mexican food, then remember to get those beans on your plate. If you love hummus, then stock up so that you can take it to work and have it to snack on. If you love bean soups and stews like me, then get your crock-pot out and try new recipes from my blog or pinterest.