One of the biggest adjustments when you adopt a type 2 diabetes diet is changing from white pastas and breads to whole grain and whole wheat breads and pastas. Rice, wheat and other grains considered “white” are leeched of their natural fiber, but “brown” or whole grains are unrefined and still contain the vital fiber and nutrients which occur naturally in them.
There are high amounts of carbohydrates in white grain foods, which are digested quickly, and converted to glucose, which can cause a spike in your blood sugar levels. On the other hand, the fiber contained in whole grains impedes absorption, which makes eating unrefined carbohydrates a healthier choice. Although everyone can benefit from fiber in their diet, it is especially important to diabetics, due to its help in managing post meal blood sugar levels.
When we buy foods that are the seeds of a plant, such as rice, millet and quinoa, dried beans, seeds and some nuts, they usually come dried. These foods contain growth inhibitors in their dried state, so that they do not sprout when the conditions are too dry for them to have a chance of growing. When the germ isn’t broken down or damaged by extreme heat or purified, you can soak these types of foods to make them more nutritious to eat before cooking them.
When you soak these types of food, the growth inhibitors are released into the water in which you soaked them, and this leads to the development of healthy nutrients as the grains begin to grow and sprout. Different foods require different soaking times; as a general rule, soak rice and most beans for 8 hours or overnight, and lentils and seeds for 2-4 hours.
There are special ingredients in brown rice that has been soaked prior to cooking that may help to lessen the damage suffered to nerves and blood vessels in people with diabetes. Research has shown that you can even help to normalize your blood sugar levels by pre-soaking your brown rice. Brown rice has also been touted by experts as a blood pressure reducer because it increases GABA, a neurotransmitter. The benefits for type 2 diabetics, those with vascular troubles, and stroke victims are amazing because high blood pressure is a symptom for all of these conditions.
So start soaking your brown rice and make it the special ingredient in your type 2 diabetes diet. All it takes is one helping a day, made the right way, and you can manage your type 2 diabetes better than ever!
Diabetes is a serious disease which can create acute health concerns and possibly death. In many instances, it can be treated by means of changes to your diet. If you’re looking for a diabetic diet plan or other tips on managing the condition, check out the Diabetes Treatment site.
