Summer refreshers – what to look out for if you have diabetes?
Nutritionist and diabetes specialist Alice Yeates, working in association with the all-natural glucose support supplement CuraLin, shares with ATV Today Lifestyle her advice for a hot, healthy summer.
Go easy on alcoholic drinks – especially those with mixers
People with Type 2 Diabetes need to pay attention when it comes to alcoholic drinks during the summer. Alcohol stimulates appetite so you are more likely to overeat once you’ve had a few drinks. It also provides ’empty’ calories that are readily converted into fat in the body, raising triglyceride levels and contributing to fatty changes in the liver and pancreas which are associated with insulin resistance. Alcohol also impacts the blood sugar in a very strange way; it raises the blood sugar very quickly and then the blood sugar drops very low.
If you suffer from Type 2 Diabetes but still want to have some drinks, Alice recommends to always have a meal or a protein snack with your alcoholic drink. This slows down the release of the sugar into the bloodstream. Spirits tend to have less of an impact on blood sugar levels; it’s the mixers that can cause problems, so try to stick to a simple soda water instead of lemonade or tonic water.
Fruit snack vs. fruit juice
Although many fruit juices are marketed as ‘healthy’ options, they contain all of the sugar content of the fruit and none of the fibre. Therefore, sugar is released too quickly into the bloodstream. If you are craving the delicious fruity sweetness, Alice recommends garnishing your drinks with fruit instead of mixing them with juice; it’ll wreak much less havoc on your blood glucose levels. Plus, you can snack on them once you are done with the drink!
Reduce sugar cravings with a natural supplement
Resisting those summer staples can be very difficult, but natural supplements can help reduce cravings for sugar.
Made from nine natural Ayurvedic herbs including turmeric, cinnamon and fenugreek, these work in several different ways by improving insulin release in the pancreas, reducing insulin resistance and suppressing food cravings to help control a sweet tooth. An ideal summer-time companion for type 2 diabetics!
More information on natural supplements can be found at www.curalife.com
