An optimal diet plays an enormous role in dictating the quality of life you lead. There’s no way you can have a perfect state of well-being without having an optimal diet. There is an adage- you are what you eat. A balanced diet with all micro and macronutrients is the key to an immune body and a healthy mental state. However, still, we make mistakes, and increasing weight or unstable BP and sugar levels are pretty common.
A lot of these conditions can improve. We always know what is good for us. However, we need to take a few actions and change our eating and lifestyle habits. A simple swap like reaching out for salad instead of fry can affect you positively. In addition, you must understand the relationship between food and blood glucose levels. A spike in glucose outside the permissible limit gets converted to fat and harms your internal organs. Therefore, you should maintain routine monitoring of your glucose levels and adjust your diet plans accordingly. That will enable you to easily lower your fat percentage and improve several other metabolic parameters and blood sugar levels.
The HealthifyPro CGM (continuous glucose monitor) comes into action in such situations. The CGM gives us real-time data on our blood glucose levels. Also, basis the data points, we can make informed decisions regarding eating and exercising habits.
The HealthifyPro is a complete package containing CGM, Coach Consultation, and a smart scale that examines your weight concerning body-fat percentage, muscle mass etc. It also offers a metabolic panel that evaluates your metabolic health. The differentiation lies in the way the advice you get.
Unlock Proactive Living with HealthifyPro
Get personalised nutrition, fitness strategies and smart nudges.
It is a specific intervention based on real-time glucose readings. The coaches guide you on eliminating the foods that spike your glucose levels. Sometimes, you can still enjoy them by combining them with other food items to get the right nutrients that stall the spike in glucose level. As a result, you do not stop living life. Instead, you make more informed choices.
People diagnosed with type 1 or type 2 diabetes have an even more difficult time regulating their blood sugar levels. This condition requires constant monitoring of blood sugar levels by pricking the finger at least four times daily to test the glucose level. Unfortunately, this is inconvenient since it takes time and discomfort and may lead to infections through improper use of needles.
The HealthifyMe pro continuous glucose monitor is a sensor that allows real-time reading of blood sugar levels in a patient’s body. The monitor gives continuous readings, unlike the traditional ones, after every few minutes, which helps in the proper regulation of blood sugar. With this method, a person with diabetes can maintain their blood sugar levels at optimum and avoid complications due to low or high sugar levels.
The pro Continuous Glucose Monitor (CGM) also helps formulate meal plans to be followed by patients with diabetes and those who want to maintain their optimal glucose levels in their bodies.
What’s an Optimal Diet?
An optimal diet comprises all the essential nutrients per your body’s needs. The diet may change according to the type of disease you might be suffering from. For example, talking about diabetic patients, you must focus on cutting down on carbs.
An optimal diet for a diabetic patient must include all nutrients, including a low amount of carbs. Therefore, the optimal diet for diabetes has regulated and calculated amounts of all essential nutrients in it.
Here’s a brief about the nutrients and their quantities you must keep a check on.
Carbohydrates
Research shows that including carbs like whole grains, cereals, and fruits helps manage the diabetic conditions in patients. However, while eating carbohydrates, you must be mindful to differentiate between good and bad carbs. Not all carbs are bad, and not all are equal. Choosing whole and unprocessed carbohydrates over refined, processed and simple sugar is the key to managing diabetes. As a result, you will not feel depleted of energy. Carbohydrates rich in essential nutrients and fibres can help manage diabetes. Also, it reduces the risk of heart disease and even certain cancers. Make beans, berries, non-starchy vegetables, whole grains and low-fat dairy part of your healthy plate.
Proteins
The American Diabetes Association suggests that different forms of protein are perfect for your diet plan. For example, you can switch to plant-based proteins high in quality protein, fibre and low fat, like hummus, beans, lentils, peas, edamame, soy nuts, almond butter, tofu etc.
A good protein source is low in carbohydrates and fat. Fish and seafood are good for you as they are rich in Omega-3 fatty acids. Other options include seafood and shellfish like crab, oysters, prawns, clams, etc. Skinless chicken and turkey are good for you as they are low in saturated fat and cholesterol. Eggs and dairy products like cottage cheese are also good for you in small quantities. Limit the intake of red meat and processed meat as they are high in saturated fat and sodium.
Fats
Studies reveal that eating monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats in moderation is good for diabetes. Sources of mono and polyunsaturated fats are olive oil, sunflower oil, nuts, avocado, omega-3-fatty acid, walnuts, and flax seeds.
Vitamin and Minerals
According to studies, eating vitamin B-rich food will significantly help you maintain your glucose levels. It is because biotin is an essential element that promotes glucose regulation processes.
Diet and Glycemic Responses
In simple terms, glycemic index or glycemic response is the impact of your meal on your glucose levels in the blood. Therefore, whether you have diabetes or not, you must always keep an eye on the glycemic index.
The glycemic index is a way that allows you to know which foods suit you better. Therefore, the slightest changes in your glycemic responses are clear indications of some foods disturbing your blood sugar levels. Thus, if you are well aware of your diabetic situation, you can easily plan a diet as per your glycemic response to various food items. You can easily do this with HealthifyMe Pro.
What are healthy glucose levels?
The human body needs glucose to function properly. When we eat, our body breaks down the food into glucose. The pancreas releases insulin which tells the cells in the body to absorb glucose and use it for energy. If blood sugar levels are too high or too low, it can be dangerous for our health.
Glucose is a type of sugar that your body uses to provide energy. Your blood contains an amount of sugar measured in milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL). The American Diabetes Association (ADA) recommends a target range of 70-130 mg/dL before meals and less than 180 mg/dL post-meal. With a Healthify me pro continuous glucose monitor, you can easily check your glucose levels throughout the day after every meal. This way, you get to know which foods suit you the best, and you can plan your diet accordingly.
What is glucose variability?
Glucose is an essential component of our body that provides energy. The glucose level in our blood is at the centre of determining sugar levels, which in turn determines our metabolism and mood. However, it is crucial to understand that not all glucose variability is bad. It can be good, too. For example, it can help your body adjust to different times of day and physical activity levels. But unfortunately, it is also what we are most susceptible to.
Threats such as an imbalance in blood sugar levels can cause a person to develop diabetes or suffer from hypoglycemia. Glucose variability, or high blood sugar swings, is a significant problem for people with diabetes. Glucose variability is how a person’s blood glucose level changes over time.
When a person has high blood sugar, the glucose levels in their bloodstream can oscillate and be too low and too high. The fluctuations in glucose levels in the bloodstream are not suitable for the body because it puts unnecessary stress on the heart and other organs. The measurement values are millimoles per litre (mmol/L) or milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL). Variability can be high, low, or normal.
The most common form of glucose variability is hyperglycemia, when blood sugar rises above normal but does not reach diabetic levels. Conversely, hypoglycemia occurs when the blood sugar drops below the normal range. Thus, using a HealthifyPRO CGM (continuous glucose monitor) will help you know more about your condition.
Suppose you think that why you require a CGM since you do not have irregular blood glucose levels. However, stress, extra weight, and our tendency to lead a sedentary lifestyle put a lot of us at a borderline risk level. Therefore, why not adopt an approach that prevention is better than cure.
How to limit Variability in Glucose Levels with diet?
Glucose levels are not constant throughout the day. Instead, they fluctuate up and down and can vary significantly depending on what you eat, your activity level, or how much sleep you get. This variability can be problematic for people with diabetes. Because it means that they need to constantly monitor their blood glucose levels to make sure they stay within their target range. One way to limit this variability is by controlling carbohydrate intake to maintain a more consistent blood sugar level throughout the day.
Many factors affect blood glucose levels, including diet, weight, exercise, sleep patterns, stress levels, and medications. But one thing that you can regulate is your diet. There are many ways to limit variability in glucose levels. One way is to eat a low glycemic index diet. Foods with high glycemic index values cause a spike in blood sugar levels, which leads to an increased risk of diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
A low glycemic index diet includes foods that break down slowly and release glucose gradually into the bloodstream, such as whole grains, loaves of bread, brown rice, beans, lentils, fruits, and vegetables. Another way to manage variability in glucose levels is to eat small meals at regular intervals. It will help to stabilise your blood sugar level and keep your glucose levels from spiking or dropping. In addition, you can control variability in glucose levels by choosing the right foods.
The following are some dietary tips to reduce variability in glucose levels:
- Eat a healthy breakfast with a good amount of fibre, protein, and fat.
- Eat more fibre-rich foods like vegetables, whole grains, and fruit.
- Eat less processed foods such as white bread and pasta.
- Consume enough protein from both plant and animal sources.
- Consume healthy fats such as olive oil, canola oil, and omega-3 fatty acids found in fish oils or nuts.
Conclusion
You must combine dietary changes with a bit of exercise and track your progress. HealthifyPro CGM is a convenient solution. You get to know about your parameters and variability levels with every food and drink intake.
Due to two-way communication between you and the coach, enabled by the HealthifyPro interface, you can implement easy alterations to make your diet practical and interesting by assessing what exactly works for you. CGM is a start point for regulating diabetes and bringing in sustainable long-term healthy habits.