9 Everyday Eating Tricks for Better Blood Sugar

Hispanic/Latinx Americans are at increased risk for developing diabetes. Currently, 17% of Hispanic/Latinx adults in the United States are living with type 2 diabetes, as opposed to 8% of non-Hispanic whites. There are many reasons for this disparity, including socioeconomic status, lack of access to nutritious foods, and systemic bias in the healthcare system. But traditional Latin diets are not to blame, says Krista Linares, registered dietician and diabetes management specialist in Raleigh, NC: “Research shows that as the Latino community goes through dietary assimilation toward a more American eating pattern, that’s when our health outcomes worsen.”

“我不会说有任何关于拉丁食物或拉丁饮食的表现，特别损害或使我们易于糖尿病，”莱纳斯说。“事实上，我会说对面 - 我们的传统饮食可能是健康的保护。”相反，她注意到，这是当西班牙裔/拉丁裔美国人吃高度加工的食物和精制糖时，他们患有更糟糕的健康结果 - 由于财务困难或缺乏对更健康的地理进入的地理访问，许多人被迫进入这些饮食模式。我们的提示旨在以可访问的，价格合理的方式引导您参加糖尿病友好的食物选择。

基于原产地拉丁饮食不同,但一个ll share a focus on fruits, vegetables, and healthy whole grains. “For example, a traditional Mexican diet is based on things like corn, squash, and beans,” Linares says. “Those are very healthful plant-based foods full of fiber, and they also complement each other.” The more you can focus on eating whole foods (in general, things that don’t come in a box), the better you’ll be able to keep your blood sugar under control. When your plate lacks variety, it's tougher to get the nutrients you need.

Carbohydrates are broken down in your body as glucose (a type of sugar). People with type 2 diabetes don’t respond well to the insulin needed to process sugar, so they have to watch carb consumption. For Hispanic/Latinx Americans, carbs commonly come from foods like white rice and tortillas. “The first thing I always tell patients is to start being aware of how many carbs they are eating,” Flores says. “[I also suggest they] check their blood sugar after their biggest meal, so they can see the relationship between carbohydrate consumption and blood sugar levels.”—not on a regular basis, but once to get an idea.

One way to counter the effects of carbohydrates is to add more fiber. “High fiber foods are the key solution for glycemic control,” Flores says. She urges clients to try brown rice instead of white rice in recipes or try combining the two. Linares uses a different approach—not asking her clients to go low-carb but instead to add in fibrous foods like beans and vegetables. “I like to focus on how we can add in things like fiber or protein to the carbs we are eating, so we get a better response to those carbs,” she explains.

而不是放弃你最喜欢的食谱，try tweaking thema bit to add more fiber or healthy fats. Flores, who makes her own arepas at home, adds chia seeds, flax seeds, hemp seeds (all of which as high in fiber) or uses whole-grain flour as the base. “Try to incorporate whole grains in everything you can,” she suggests, and steer clear of refined flour when possible. The beauty of home-cooked foods is that you have control over the ingredients list, so you can adjust it to fit your needs.

但等等......我们不是在谈论水果如何健康吗？这是真的，但它还含有大量称为果糖的糖，这对于糖尿病的人来说可能是有问题的。“拉丁裔社区吃了很多水果，可能在一天中消耗四五个水果，并液化[逐字]制作果汁，”弗洛雷斯解释道。最好每天将水果摄入到两到三份，并且尽可能以其整体形式消耗水果以保护纤维和营养。浆果和柑橘类水果是高纤维，低糖选项。

豆类是大多数拉丁饮食中的主食 - 这是一个很好的消息，因为它们充满了健康的纤维和血糖指数的低。豆类和其他豆类经常与更长和更健康的寿命相关联。弗洛雷斯鼓励她的客户购买干豆，用低或不饱和脂肪烹饪，避免罐头豆类的高钠计数，因为钠可以使糖尿病更差。“如果他们从罐子里吃豆子，试着尽可能低的钠而不是润湿，”她说。“试着有整个豆子。”

One study inThe Lancet发现大约70％的美国家庭加工食品含有添加的糖。很难避免，特别是对于那些没有时间和资源的人来选择他们购买的食物的人。弗洛雷斯表明，开始注意你加入咖啡和冰沙的成分：“尽我所能，你加入了多少糖和咖啡，因为我们并不总是意识到这一点。”如果您喜欢甜味的食物，请享受像Splenda那样的低卡路里甜味剂。

It can be challenging to make healthy changes when you’re cooking for a group. “This is especially relevant for the Latino community because a lot of times we’re living in multigenerational households,” Linares explains. “That’s when something like adjusting courses or adding extra things to the plate comes in handy.” If you’re eating a big family meal with lots of rice and tortillas, bring your own vegetable dish to contribute—eating more veggies means you’ll eat less of those heavier foods. P.S., don’t be afraid to educate your family about the perks of eating healthy.

如果您的家庭不支持您想要的变化，您并不总是必须完全告诉他们。“将新事物纳入菜单，即人们可以尝试而不说，”这是低糖或低碳水化合物“，”弗洛雷斯建议。那个内涵带来了很多情感，反应可能是消极的。相反，“尝试通过添加更多的菠菜，南瓜，西葫芦，辣椒，西兰花[等]健康的全麦和蔬菜来融入拉丁文文化中的新食谱。”这将是你的秘密，但整个家庭都可以享受的秘密。