4 Diabetic-Friendly Anti-inflammatory Foods You Should be Adding to Your Diet

January 24, 2017

Did you know that the root-cause of nearly all disease is inflammation? Diabetes itself happens to be an inflammatory disease which is why consuming anti-inflammatory foods is crucial to living a healthy lifestyle.

With an anti-inflammatory diet, type 2 diabetes can be prevented but also treated. This is tremendous news for anyone with diabetes, so let’s jump right in.

4 Anti-inflammatory Foods Diabetics Should be Eating

Walnuts

Nuts are an excellent source of healthy fat. By snacking on nuts, you are less likely to overeat or reach for something packed with sugar. Walnuts are exceptionally healthy as they are high in omega-3 fatty acids. These are essential fatty acids that we must obtain from our diet, and they help keep inflammation at bay. If nuts aren’t a regular part of your diet already, consider enjoying walnuts on top of a bowl of oatmeal or as a healthy snack.

Wild Caught Salmon

Here’s another anti-inflammatory food packed with omega-3 fatty acids. Be sure to get wild caught salmon VS farm raised, and enjoy salmon a couple of times per week. Try enjoying your fish with some green leafy vegetables, and sauteed garlic for an added anti-inflammatory boost.

Green Leafy Vegetables

We all know that vegetables are an essential part of a healthy diet, but they are even more important when you have diabetes. Vegetables contain powerful phytonutrients and anti-inflammatory agents and create a more alkaline environment in the body. A study found that those with diabetes who ate more green leafy vegetables had lower HbA1c levels. If you struggle to get enough green leafy vegetables into your diet, try tossing some fresh spinach into a smoothie. I promise you won’t even taste it!

Low Sugar Fruits

If you have a sweet tooth, fresh fruit is an excellent way to satisfy that sugar craving while also reducing inflammation. Fruits tend to be very high in antioxidants, helping your body combat free radicals. Try adding lower sugar fruits to your diet such as berries, kiwis, oranges, and melons.

Those with diabetes, unfortunately, have a greater risk of developing systemic inflammation. Insulin affects the body’s tissues and has a way of adding fat around the abdomen and organs. These are the fat cells that cause inflammation.

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Are you Eating These Hidden Food Additives That Cause Diabetes?

Let’s face it; food is not like it used to be. Packaged foods are everywhere. With packaged foods, comes additives. When you’re out shopping for a can of soup or a box of crackers, I encourage you to take a look at the expiration date. Chances are, that product is good for at least another year. So, how do manufacturers get these products to last so long? They add food additives! Another thing to watch out for are those additives that lead to sugar cravings and have you coming back for more. The thing is that if you are not aware of these additives, and you don’t know what to look for, there’s a good chance they will go undetected. However, if you do know about them, and you know how to navigate a food label, you can do your body a whole world of good. By avoiding certain additives, preservatives, and toxins commonly found in packaged foods, you can help prevent diabetes and put yourself on a healthy path to wellness. Let’s take a look at some of the things to keep an eye out for when out on your next shopping trip. The Food Additives That May be Linked to Diabetes Aspartame Research has shown that aspartame can cause an increase in fasting blood glucose levels as well as a reduction in insulin sensitivity. While many of you may have been told that artificial sweeteners such as aspartame are healthier options than regular sugar, the research doesn’t agree. The bottom line is that your body processes aspartame and its amino acids much differently than other foods. Not only is aspartame responsible for increasing glucose levels, but the amino acids in the artificial sweetener have been shown to attack your cells, including brain cells. This is the last thing you want when you are trying to improve your overall health. MSG MSG, which stands for monosodium glutamate is added to 80% of flavored foods! Unfortunately, MSG has also been linked to diabetes and obesity and is even considered an excitotoxin. What this means is that MSG excites a part of your brain that is in charge of both your fat and metabolism storage and can potentially lead to obesity. If you find MSG on a food label, do your health a favor and skip it. High Fructose Corn Syrup Here’s another sweetener that you should avoid at all costs. HFCS can lead you down a path of not only developing diabetes but also obesity. While high fructose corn syrup is found in many packaged products, it’s most commonly found in soft drinks. A new study has found that countries that add HFCS to their soft drinks and processed foods see much more diabetes than the countries that do not use this sweetener. There are too many food additives to keep track of, but eliminating these three is an excellent step in the right direction! By decreasing the amount of additives and artificial sugars from your diet, you safeguard your health for the long run.