Red And Baby Potatoes Are Your Friends
Unlike the starchy-Russet-potato-blood-sugar-bombs, there are other potatoes that are very LOW in starch and HIGH in fiber.
The potatoes I’m talking about are Red Potatoes and Baby Potatoes.
Low on the Glycemic Index and full of vitamins and nutrients, red and baby potatoes are your new BFF.
Colored potatoes are high in antioxidants too!
Baby potatoes come in all sorts of colors, even purple!
AND they’re not only cute on your plate, but totally 100% AOK for you to eat too!
A suitable serving of baby potatoes is 6 medium sized baby potatoes.
A suitable serving of red potatoes is 1 medium sized potato.
How To Lower The Gi And Gl Of A Potato
The way a potato is prepared also affects the GI and GL. This is because cooking changes the structure of the starches and thus how fast theyre absorbed into your bloodstream.
In general, the longer a potato is cooked the higher the GI. Therefore, boiling or baking for long periods tends to increase the GI.
Yet, cooling potatoes after cooking can increases the amount of resistant starch, which is a less digestible form of carbs. This helps lower the GI by 2528% .
This means that a side of potato salad may be slightly better than french fries or hot baked potatoes if you have diabetes. French fries also pack more calories and fat due to their cooking method.
Additionally, you can lower the GI and GL of a meal by leaving the skins on for extra fiber, adding lemon juice or vinegar, or eating mixed meals with protein and fats as this helps slow the digestion of carbs and the rise in blood sugar levels .
For example, adding 4.2 ounces of cheese to a 10.2 ounce baked potato lowers the GL from 93 to 39 .
Keep in mind that this much cheese also contains 42 grams of fat and will add nearly 400 calories to the meal.
As such, its still necessary to consider the overall number of carbs and the quality of the diet, not just the GI or GL. If controlling weight is one of your goals, your total calorie intake is also important.
Potatoes Do Not Need To Be Off
Whether baked, mashed, fried, boiled, or steamed, potatoes are one of the most popular foods in Aussie diets, but the humble spud is a carbohydrate-based food that people with type 2 diabetes are typically told to avoid for fear of spikes in blood sugar.
New research undertaken at ACU shows there is no reason for people with type 2 diabetes to bypass potatoes when they are eaten as part of a well-balanced evening meal.
Nutrition researchers at the Mary MacKillop Institute for Health Research found people with type 2 diabetes recorded lower overnight blood sugar levels after eating a potato-based evening meal when compared to those eating the same meal with rice.
Published in the journal Clinical Nutrition, the research compared the effect on overnight blood sugar levels of boiled, roasted, boiled and then cooled skinless white potatoes served with chicken and vegetables compared to the same meal served with rice.
People with type 2 diabetes frequently avoid eating potatoes, and other high glycaemic index foods, because of a longstanding perception that these foods make it difficult to control blood sugar levels. Research has linked high overnight blood sugar levels during sleep to cardiovascular disease.
The advice for people with type 2 diabetes is to limit foods that have a high GI, says lead author Brooke Devlin, who is now at La Trobe University.
Our study shows people with type 2 diabetes should not avoid eating potatoes based solely on their GI rankings alone.
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What Are The Best Types Of Sweet Potatoes For Diabetes
Amazingly, there are more than 400 varieties of sweet potatoes around the world. While all foods can fit into your diabetic meal plan, certain sweet potatoes have more benefits than others.
One of the most common types of sweet potatoes is the Orange variety. As the name suggests, the peel is orange while the inside is reddish-brown. This sweet potato has a fairly low the GI is fairly low GI especially if you boil it.
Another variety that you might want to consider is Purple sweet potato. These contain a high level of Anthocyanins. Some studies have shown that these might be able to help those with Type 2 diabetes. These might be able to improve insulin resistance.
Third, you might want to try Japanese sweet potatoes, also known as Satsuma Imo. This variety contains caiapo. According to some studies, this species might be able to reduce the two-hour postprandial glucose levels. Because of this, some people have speculated that eating foods that have high levels of caiapo might be able to prevent diabetes. While further research will be needed, there arent any serious side effects.
Are Sweet Potatoes Bad For Kidneys
Sweet potatoes also contain vitamins and minerals, such as potassium, that may help balance the levels of sodium in the body and reduce its effect on the kidneys. However, as sweet potato is a high-potassium food, anyone who has CKD or is on dialysis may wish to limit their intake of this vegetable.
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What About Other Starchy Vegetables
Though they are high in starch, carbohydrates, and calories, starchy vegetables can be nutrient-rich. Some are lower-glycemic than potatoes, which is good because it means they have less of an impact on your blood sugar.
Some starchy vegetables even appear to be linked to lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Research published in Diabetes Care has found that people who eat more dark yellow and orange vegetables, including sweet potatoes and winter squash, have a lower risk for diabetes. Still, that is not a green light to eat them fried or eat too many, too often.
Is It Better To Boil Or Bake Sweet Potatoes
Boiling may actually retain most of the antioxidant power of sweet potatoes, compared to roasting and steaming. Baking can also cause an 80% drop in vitamin A levels, twice as much as boiling. Therefore, from a nutritional standpoint, boiling rather than baking should be recommended for cooking sweet potato.
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A Healthier Side Dish
You can still enjoy mashed potatoes every so often on a diabetic diet, but limit your serving size. Instead of butter, flavor your potatoes with herbs and spices. Skip the salt because a high-sodium diet leads to hypertension, a risk factor for heart disease. For variety, mash sweet potatoes. A sweet potato with skin has a glycemic index of 44, making it a low-glycemic food. You can even skip the potatoes entirely and try mashed cauliflower. One cup of raw cauliflower contains only 5 grams of carbohydrates and 2 grams of fiber, making it a healthy choice for anyone following a diabetic diet.
/5the Right Way To Eat Potatoes
To control your carb intake, always prefer boiled, grilled and slightly sauteed form of potatoes. You can also cook potatoes with other fibre-rich vegetables like beans. This will help to slow down the digestion process and will also prevent the spike in blood sugar level.
Potatoes have a medium to high Glycemic Index . But then GI alone does not provide a clear picture of foods effect on blood sugar levels. Portion control also has a crucial role to play.
When trying to stay healthy, it is important to follow portion control rules. The same needs to be practised when you are diabetic and want to have starchy foods. Do not fill more than 1/4th of your plate with starchy foods as it can be bad for your health.
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Can You Eat Sweet Potatoes With Type 2 Diabetes
Indulge Your Potato Craving With Fiber-Rich Sweet Potatoes When it comes to foods for type 2 diabetes, not all potatoes are created equal. To keep your blood sugar levels in check, its best to reach for sweet potatoes, which are high in fiber , as well as a host of other vitamins.
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Did A Keto Person Tell You Not To Eat Potatoes
Many low carbers, like keto people, will tell you that potatoes are straight from the pit of hell AND that you should not eat them if you have Prediabetes, Insulin Resistance or even Type 2 Diabetes.I’ve got news for you!They don’t know what they are talking about!
Keto and low carb people want you to think carbohydrates are bad and eating tons of fat is good!
Which isn’t true at all!
The keto and low carb people are confused by:* Junk scienceDon’t believe the hype. A low carb or keto diet will hurt your body!
Potatoes are a very healthy, very nutritious whole food that promotes weight control, better blood sugar control and over all health. You would be VERY wise to eat potatoes.In fact, whole potato consumption HAS NEVER been linked to causing Diabetes.French fries? Yes! Fried foods, including french fries are linked to Diabetes.Whole potatoes? No! Eating whole potatoes has ONLY ever been linked to being healthy.To learn more about how eating healthy whole food carbohydrates will help you reverse your Prediabetes, Insulin Resistance or even Type 2 Diabetes, click below.
To learn more about the keto diet and the terrible things it will do to your body, click here.
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Potatoes Are A Powerhouse Of Nutrition
But even though the GI score of potatoes is high, it is packed with wholesome goodness. And its nutritionally enriching qualities cannot be denied.
Potatoes are a very good source of vitamin B6 and a good source of potassium, copper, vitamin C, manganese, phosphorus, niacin, dietary fibre, and pantothenic acid. They also contain a variety of phytonutrients that have antioxidant activity.
In fact, sweet potatoes are more nutrient dense than the regular potatoes and hence have much higher health benefits and are treated as one of the superfoods. Packed with important vitamins like A, C and B6, sweet potatoes have good antioxidant properties. Theyre also an excellent source of dietary fibre, potassium and iron. And according to a recent research in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences , it is confirmed that sweet potatoes are a low-glycemic index food, which could be good news for people with diabetes.
Mashed Potatoes On A Diabetic Diet
According to the North Carolina Potato Association, the average adult consumes about one potato each day, and potatoes are the second most consumed food in America after dairy products. A side of mashed potatoes with a meal may be an American staple, but if you have diabetes, you may be concerned about the carbohydrate content of this popular side dish. You can include mashed potatoes as part of your diabetic diet, and preparation and serving size will help you keep your blood sugar under control.
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The Inexpensive Use For Satiety And More
In general, the potatoes are said to be all starch containing vegetable, hence blamed to be all carbohydrate providing source. But looking at just this will make all root vegetables unhealthy. Potatoes are always cheaper in prize and have more than just starch for nutrient benefits:
- Potato is a vegetable with decent amount of protein which has good quality amino acids.
- It has almost negligible fat so good news for those who are advised against a fat diet or want absolutely free from cholesterol food
- The mineral content in potato is also up to the mark, having greater potassium content than a banana A good balance of Sodium and potassium is required for maintaining metabolism, for which potassium from potato could fulfil the need
- The fibre content of the potato is also a good amount- well for gut health
- The skin of the potato is also a healthy option as it contains minerals and Calcium. Hence, if consuming, it is better to wash the skin well and utilize overall nutrients.
- And, there are so many dishes that can be easily prepared by such a cheaper source with decent nutritional values too.
- Potatoes have been consumed as a staple food in many places around the world a lot of communities still rely on it for meeting many nutritional needs.
- Its easy availability and affordability also makes it more useful.
With an increase in demand of low carbohydrate diet, people have resorted to baking the potatoes instead of frying them.
Sweet Potato Health Benefits
- Relatively low GI. This will make it easier for people with diabetes to manage their blood sugar levels. However, there are several other health benefits that youll be able to receive.
- Valuable source of Vitamin A. This can be a good way to improve your eyesight. It will also be able to reduce the appearance of acne and help you maintain a strong immune system.
- Rich in beta carotene. This functions as a powerful antioxidant, which can fight off dangerous agents, such as cancer cells.
- Contains Vitamin C. This can improve your immune system. It can also help you maintain healthy bones and teeth. Vitamin C also help your body absorb more iron.
- Source of iron. Iron helps with muscle development. Its also important for the creation of red blood cells, which are responsible for carrying oxygen around the body.
- Protein . Proteins are complex at the molecular level. They make up your hair, nails, bones, and muscles. Protein gives organs and tissues their shape, and help them function. They provide a sensation of satiety, or fullness, which helps you eat less when you are trying to lose weight.
- Fiber. Dietary fiber is best known for its ability to relieve or prevent constipation. Fiber also helps with maintaining a healthful weight, lowering your risk for heart disease, diabetes, and some cancers. It can help suppress the appetite, making it easier to stick to your meal plan.
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These are some ideas for getting the most out of those starchy vegetables.
- Add sweet potatoes, peas, or corn to chicken and vegetable soup.
- Mix corn with bell peppers, tomatoes, olives, feta cheese, and olive oil for a side dish.
- Stuff acorn squash with ground turkey, Italian seasoning, and tomatoes.
- Blend pumpkin into soup or chili to thicken it.
- Bake zucchini and sweet potato strips with a drizzle of olive oil, and serve them with a veggie burger on lettuce.
- Make egg, chicken, or tuna salad with peas and plain yogurt.
The best diet for prediabetes helps you lose extra weight and lower blood sugar. Potatoes can be part of that diet if you eat them in moderation, cook them in healthy ways, and eat them with nutritious foods. Lark DPP can help you with healthy eating to prevent diabetes without feeling deprived, and maybe even while having fun along the way.
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Better Ways To Eat Potatoes
Potatoes may not be the best foods for diabetes prevention, but they can bring some important nutrients to your prediabetes diet. In the typical American diet, potatoes are the third greatest contributor of potassium and the fourth greatest contributor of fiber, both important nutrients for blood pressure and heart health.
Whenever you have potatoes, keep your portion to about a half-cup or 1 small potato, and try to avoid fried potatoes and potato chips. Have potatoes with a source of protein and, if you can, healthy fat to reduce the glycemic effect.
These other tips can help you make healthier potato choices.
Occasionally replace a side of potatoes with a small serving of whole grains to lower diabetes risk.
- Consider non-starchy vegetables, cooked, raw, or in salads, as sides instead of potatoes.
- Potatoes are a high-carb food, so remember to count them as carb servings along with any grains, beans, and fruit in your meal.
- You can make your portion smaller by having half a baked potato instead of a whole one, or hollowing out your baked potato and instead filling it with lower-carb, healthy foods such as broccoli, shredded chicken, vegetarian chili, or non-fat sour cream or yogurt.
- Replace some or all of the potato with non-starchy or lower-carb vegetables, such as using cauliflower or carrots in mashed potatoes, or roasting turnip pieces when you roast potatoes.
- Snack of raw vegetables or baked kale or radish chips instead of potato chips
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Superfoods For Your Diabetes Diet
Getty Images What to Eat to Beat Type 2 Diabetes What makes a food super? When it comes to type 2 diabetes, its not just about foods that pack lots of nutrients. For a diabetes-friendly diet, you also need foods that will help keep your blood sugar levels in check. Look for items that contain healthy fats and are high in vitamins, minerals, and fiber, says Sue McLaughlin, RD, a certified diabetes educator at Burgess Health Center in Onawa, Iowa. Its also crucial to eat a wide variety of foods to make sure youre getting a healthy mix of phytochemicals and essential fatty acids. Add these 11 superfoods to your grocery cart to keep your diet diabetes-friendly.Continue reading > >