3. Take Bigger Bites
A study published in the Journal of Consumer Research found that the larger your fork and bigger your bite when you eat, the less you will probably eat. Translation: weight loss! And losing weight is one of the best ways to manage type 2 diabetes.
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In fact, losing as little as 10-15 pounds is enough to improve blood sugar levels. Weight loss can also decrease insulin resistance in both type 1 and type 2 diabetes, which means you may require less oral diabetes medications and/or insulin to control blood sugar levels. So open wide and eat up.
4. Make Fat Your Friend
Many people with diabetes (and lots of folks without it) believe fat is harmful. “Some have obliterated all fats from their meal plans—often in favor of more carbohydrates,” says Lorena Drago, MS, RD, CDN, CDE, author of Beyond Rice and Beans: The Caribbean Latino Guide to Eating Healthy with Diabetes.
However, research has shown that replacing carbs with healthy fat reduces triglycerides – the major storage form fat in the blood, and after-meal blood sugar. Drago teaches her patients to include moderate amounts of healthy fats such as those found in avocados, and olive and canola oils.