Diabetes is a chronic disease that requires special attention to diet. Beverages play a key role in diabetes management. In this article, we reveal six drinks for diabetics that are not only delicious but also help control blood sugar levels. If you or someone you know has diabetes, this information will be helpful.
1. Milk
Milk is low in sugar, fat, and purine. Drinking milk for diabetic patients can not only supplement high-quality protein, but also increase the intake of calcium and vitamins. When we choose milk, we must figure out whether it is pure milk or a drink containing milk.
Generally, milk-containing beverages are made from fresh milk or dairy products, with water, sweeteners, flavorings, etc. added. The content of milk in milk-containing beverages accounts for 30%, and the content of water accounts for 70%. Because milk-containing beverages contain more sweeteners and high energy, after drinking, the total daily energy of diabetic patients will exceed the standard, which will eventually lead to blood sugar rise. high.
How to distinguish: Look at the ingredient list. In most cases, if milk is written in front, it is milk, and if water is written in front, it is a milk-containing beverage.
It is recommended that diabetic patients drink 250ml of milk every day. Diabetic patients with high blood pressure and blood lipids can choose skim milk or low-fat milk.
2. Yogurt
For diabetics with indigestion or milk intolerance, drinking yogurt is a good choice.
The GI (glycemic index) of plain yogurt is 48.0, which is a low-GI food. Diabetic patients can drink yogurt. It is advisable to take 1 small cup (100-125 grams) of yogurt each time, and drink 1-2 cups a day.
Most commercially available yogurt has added sugar. Diabetic patients are recommended to make yogurt at home, which can reduce the sugar content of yogurt and lower GI, but you must pay attention to hygiene.
When diabetic patients eat home-made yogurt, they should add less sugar, or use some sweeteners such as xylitol, aspartame, etc. instead of white sugar. Be careful not to add honey. The GI of honey is 73.0, which raises blood sugar faster than sucrose. Yogurt is also rich in high-quality protein and calcium, which helps prevent osteoporosis in the elderly.
3. Soy milk
Soy products contain a lot of high-quality protein, and provide rich potassium, sodium, calcium, magnesium and other trace elements, dietary fiber, plant sterols and a variety of unsaturated fatty acids.
Among them, soybean isoflavones are a kind of natural hypoglycemic substances, which can interfere with the absorption of sugar in the small intestine, so that the peak value of blood sugar after a meal can be shifted and lowered, and it has a positive effect on the prevention and treatment of diabetes accompanied by dyslipidemia.
Note that diabetic patients should drink soy milk in its original flavor without adding sugar or red dates (red dates have high sugar content and a high GI). Patients with diabetes and kidney disease should not drink soy milk when they need a low-protein diet, because soybeans and their products are rich in protein, and their metabolites will increase the burden on the kidneys.
When making soy milk, add some nuts (peanuts, walnuts, pine nuts, almonds, cashews, etc.), and mix with 9-10 times the water, you can get nutritious low-calorie soy milk.
4. Light tea
Various light teas are good sources of hydration.
No matter black tea, green tea, white tea, jasmine tea, chrysanthemum tea, oolong tea, barley tea, buckwheat tea, brown rice tea, etc., are sugar-free, salt-free, fat-free healthy drinks, which not only quench thirst, but also provide potassium for the human body Elemental and polyphenolic antioxidants.
It must be noted that no matter what kind of tea a diabetic patient drinks, they should not make it too strong.
5. Natural sparkling water
Soda water is actually an aqueous solution of sodium bicarbonate. Natural soda water contains a variety of trace elements, which has certain benefits for the body and has little impact on blood sugar. Diabetics can drink it.
However, some commercially available soda water has added food additives, such as sugar, fruit juice, essence, etc., for taste and sales. Such soda water is not conducive to blood sugar control and is not suitable for diabetic patients.
So, when buying soda, read the ingredient list carefully.
6. Boiled water
Boiled water is the easiest to permeate cell membranes, promote metabolism, regulate body temperature, transport nutrients, cleanse the inside of the body, and improve the body’s resistance to disease. It does not contain calories and can be directly absorbed and utilized by the human body.
If you feel that boiled water tastes bad, you can add a little lemon juice and it will have a different taste.
I would like to remind everyone that after boiling tap water, you need to open the lid and continue to boil for a few minutes. This will help remove volatile organic compounds that are harmful to the human body and be healthier for the human body.
