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Blood sugar levels elevate when you eat larger portions than you should. That means if you eat larger portions, your glucose levels will increase. Carefully manage your portion sizes for each meal and snack so that you can manage your blood sugar levels. Measure the ingredients and serving sizes of your meals. Use measuring cups, measuring spoons, and a food scale. Follow the guidelines given by your doctor. If the doctor hasn't given you any guidelines, look at the nutritional label for the foods. Measure out a half or full serving of the food based on the serving size. Make sure to read labels for serving sizes. One package or one item may not be a single serving. For example, some bread is based on one ounce servings while many slices of bread are larger than one ounce. Weigh fruits and vegetables. Depending on the size and type of fruit or vegetable, this can vary. It is especially important to weight fruit. Glycemic index (GI) is based on the quality of carbohydrates you are consuming. Glycemic load (GL) is one number that combines both the quality of the carbs (GI) and the quantity of carbohydrates. The quantity is based on the grams of carbohydrates a food item has. When thinking about which carbs to eat to regulate blood sugar, think about the glycemic index and glycemic load. You want to have a GI medium. This can be achieved by eating a balanced number of GI foods with every meal. You can also combine high GI foods with foods containing lots of protein and other low GI carbs, like fruit and legumes. Low-glycemic foods are rated at 55 or less. Medium foods are rated between 56-69. High-glycemic foods are rated between 70-100. When trying to control blood sugar, refrain from eating high-glycemic foods. Low-glycemic foods include: bran cereal, black and kidney beans, skim milk, apples, oranges, peanuts, and wheat tortillas. Medium foods include: barley, brown rice, oatmeal, whole grain bread, and whole grain pasta. High-glycemic foods include: baked potatoes, French fries, sugary drinks, candy bars, couscous, white pasta, white basmati rice, and processed cereal. Digestible carbohydrates break down into sugar after you eat them. Simple carbohydrates result in a fast rise in blood sugar. Complex carbohydrates, which contain fiber, vitamins, and minerals, digest slower, and cause blood sugar to rise more slowly than simple carbohydrates. Not all complex carbohydrates are equal. White bread and white potatoes are complex carbs, but they are mostly starch instead of fiber, so they are bad for blood sugar levels. Avoid processed foods if possible. Processed whole grains have a higher glycemic index than those that have no or minimal processing. Carbohydrates are just as important as sugar in regards to controlling blood sugar. Eating too many carb heavy foods increases blood sugar levels just like eating too much sugar does. White bread is quickly converted to sugar when you eat it. Instead of eating white bread, look for foods with whole grains. Whole grains are full of fiber, which help keep you full. Whole grains are found in bread, cereal, tortillas, and crackers. Look for whole wheat flour, whole-grain cornmeal whole oats, whole rye, or buckwheat flour. Try eating whole wheat English muffins, bran cereal, whole wheat pasta, whole grain bread, or brown rice. Adding non-starchy vegetables to your diet can help you sustain and lower your blood sugar. These vegetables are high in fiber and low in carbs. Green vegetables include broccoli, spinach, kale, and green beans. Don't cut starchy vegetables, like peas, corn, squash, and lima beans, from your diet. Eat them in moderation, and make sure to control your portion sizes. Meats high in proteins are good for helping control blood sugar. They don't have a drastic affect on your blood sugar like carbohydrates do. Choose lean cuts of meat, without the skin and excessive fat. Make sure to grill or bake the meat instead of frying. Also remember to eat these foods in proper portions. Good meats to incorporate into your diet include skinless chicken breast and fish. Try salmon, tuna, and tilapia. Sodas contain a lot of sugar and carbohydrates, unless you are drinking diet sodas. Sodas and diet sodas are not good for you, and drinking juice - which is full of sugar - isn't a good alternative. If you don't want to drink just plain water, try sparkling or seltzer waters. They are flavored and have carbonation if you miss the bubbly taste of sodas. Seltzer waters are all natural and contain no additives. They are sugar and carbohydrate free, so you can drink as many as you want without affecting your blood sugar. Sparkling waters are another good alternative. These do have additives, and some come in varieties that contain sugar and carbohydrates. Make sure to read the label to find the appropriate drink for yourself. Oatmeal is a good carbohydrate because it is high in soluble fiber. When you eat it, it digests slowly so it won't spike your blood sugar. Barley, a similar food to oats, is also high in soluble fiber. Evidence shows that it may also help control blood sugar. Oatmeal offers a steady source of energy. It also helps keep you full longer, which helps with weight loss. Fiber helps cleanse your system and improve digestion. It also helps keep you satisfied along with slowing the rate of digestion, which helps control blood sugar levels. When looking for high fiber foods, try to find ones with low starch content. Foods with high fiber have a lower glycemic index. Fruits, vegetables, and beans are great sources of fiber. Try spinach, green beans, and broccoli. Try to eat fruits with lower sugar and starch content, like strawberries. Grapefruits are also great. Unprocessed whole grains have a lot of fiber. Look at the label for ingredients labeled as "whole" or unrefined. Stay away from refined ingredients. Your meals should have a mixture of different food types. Focus on a plate that has complex carbs, fruits and vegetables, proteins, and fats. Make sure not to eat too many fats, and when you do eat fats, eat healthy fats. Protein can be found in lean meats. Good sources of starches are peas, corn, squash, and lima beans. Lima beans are really good because they are high in fiber. Just remember to watch portion sizes with these foods. Eat skinless chicken breast, lean meat, and fish in your diet. Salmon is a great option because it has omega-3 fatty acids, which promote heart health. Meat is important when trying to control blood sugar because it contains chromium, which helps insulin function and aids your body in breaking down carbohydrates. Mackerel and herring are also great protein sources. Eat peanuts or peanut butter. This adds needed fat and protein into your diet that can help control blood sugar. You can also try almonds and almond butter, walnuts, and pecans. Since nuts are high in calories, make sure to pay attention to portion size.
Manage portion sizes. Understand the glycemic index and glycemic load. Pay attention to carbohydrates. Avoid white bread and eat whole grains instead. Eat green leafy vegetables. Add lean meats into your diet. Drink sparkling water instead of sodas. Eat oatmeal. Incorporate fiber into your diet. Eat well-balanced meals.