A complete guide to a type 2 diabetes friendly diet

Published: March 5, 2022

Diabetes, especially type 2 diabetes, is a widespread and insidious condition that comes on very slowly and doesn’t show any obvious symptoms at first. And, like every other disease of that sort the person suffering is not aware of it developing until the symptoms become too obvious to ignore. Unfortunately, late diagnosis makes the treatment and recovery more difficult than when the condition is identified on time. Luckily, despite being a difficult lifelong illness with many accompanying complications, there are simple and natural ways to keep it under control. Of course, we are talking about getting the right medication, staying active, and moving on to a type 2 diabetes friendly diet. If you have already been diagnosed, taking prescribed medication, and working out regularly, in the following lines, DubaiPT will show you how to eat properly so you can lead a long and healthy life regardless of your condition.

What is the difference between type 1 and type 2 diabetes?

The main difference between type 1 and type 2 diabetes is that type 1 diabetes is a genetic disorder that is usually developed early in life. On the other hand, type 2 diabetes, which is more common in the US, is caused by lifestyle. Mainly improper diet, inactivity, and alcohol consumption. As you can probably guess, you cannot do much when it comes to avoiding type 1 diabetes if you have a family member suffering from the same condition.

As far as type 2 diabetes is concerned, a healthy lifestyle, following some good Dubai meal plans, and moderate activity should keep you safe. Unfortunately, the modern lifestyle, the widespread availability of junk, and over-processed food are the reasons why so many people suffer from type 2 diabetes these days. The good thing is that, if you take action now, you can actually lead a relatively healthy and normal life despite having a serious medical condition.

Type 2 diabetes, prevention, symptoms, and treatment

When it comes to diabetes and its treatment, the first and most important thing is diagnosis. As we already mentioned, diabetes is an insidious disease that doesn’t really show any obvious symptoms at first. So the first thing that a person suffering from the condition has to do is to get a proper diagnosis. Of course, you do not have to go to your physician if you are eating healthy foods, working out regularly, and feeling completely fine.

However, if you are not leading a healthy life and feeling excessive thirst, urinate frequently, feel tingling or numbness in your hands or feet, feel fatigued, or experiencing blurry vision, increased hunger, or itchy skin along the way, you should definitely, visit your doctor to get proper medication. Also, you should get some good meal plan for diabetics Dubai professional nutritionists can design for you and start exercising. Naturally, you do not have to be diagnosed with diabetes to start applying some of this advice as they are not only good for treatment but as a prevention as well. To keep your diabetes under control or to prevent it from developing you should:

• Exercise regularly and keep your weight under control
• Consume a healthy diet with increased fiber intake
• Maintain a normal blood pressure
• Avoid alcohol
• Stop smoking

Keep in mind that if you are under 45 and suffering from these symptoms you might be having a condition called prediabetes. This means you have a higher than normal blood sugar level. But it’s still not high enough to be considered type 2 diabetes. And you still have time to turn things around.

Foods that you should consume on a type 2 diabetes friendly diet

Taking proper medication and working out regularly are some of the main weapons for fighting against type 2 diabetes. However, since the condition has a lot to do with the way you eat, moving on to a type 2 diabetes friendly diet might be the most important part. And, as diabetes is a life-long condition, you will need to stick to your diet for good.  The good thing is that you will be consuming quality and tasty foods. So, even if you are not used to that type of food and you might be struggling at the beginning, you will start enjoying your diabetes friendly diet very quickly.  Here are the types of foods that you should be consuming when you have type 2 diabetes:

• Non-starchy vegetables, such as broccoli, asparagus, artichokes, etc.
• High-fiber fruits like apples, blackberries, oranges, etc.
• High protein foods like skinless chicken and turkey breasts
• Fatty fish, like salmon, herring, tilapia, sardines, tuna, etc.
• Healthy fats from nuts, nut butter, and avocado
• Whole grains, like quinoa, bulgur, brown rice, barley, etc.
• Non-fat or low-fat dairy, like cows’ milk and plain yogurt

Foods that you need to avoid when suffering from diabetes

We mentioned the foods that you need to consume when on a diabetes friendly diet. However, the list of foods that you need to avoid is potentially much longer and includes items like:

• Candy, cookies, cakes
• White bread, pasta, and other items prepared from white flour
• Foods high in saturated fats like bacon, sausages, cured meats like salami, chorizo, and pancetta even fatty cuts of meat
• Foods that are high in sodium like smoked, cured, salted, or canned meat, canned soups, microwaveable meals, etc.
• Fried foods like chips that are typically high in trans fats

What to drink when suffering from type 2 diabetes?

Of course, when you are following a type 2 diabetes meal plan you also need to pay attention to what you are drinking. Naturally, your first and best choice is water. But you can also consume other unsweetened beverages such as seltzer, for example. If you are used to consuming coffee or green tea, for instance, you may notice that caffeine increases your blood sugar level. So make sure that you check your glucose levels after consuming caffeine-rich drinks. Just to see whether you should avoid them or not.

Be disciplined and you will lead a long and healthy life

As you can see, even though diabetes is a serious condition, you can keep it under control fairly easily. Do not forget, you need to take your medication, work out regularly, and move on to a type 2 diabetes friendly diet. Most importantly, you need to stay consistent.