Type 2 Diabetes – Heart Healthy Diet Tips for Diabetics

Do you want to have a healthier heart? If you are a person with Type 2 diabetes, having a healthy heart is extremely important when it comes to preventing long-term, potentially fatal complications. Heart disease and hypertension are two of the most common complications a Type 2 diabetic will face. Once you have diabetes, your risk for heart disease can be four times greater.

Here are some heart healthy dietary tips for you to keep in mind and put into practice.

1. First of all, use low-fat cooking methods whenever possible. Learn to cook with less fat by eliminating butter and margarine. There are great butter sprays you can buy at your local grocery store to give you the taste you want without the extra fat and calories.

People have a tendency to add too much butter or margarine to their foods when it really isn’t necessary. Margarine is especially unhealthy as it is hydrogenated fat and a long way from being healthy for your body.

2. Consume a diet rich in vegetables, fruits and beans. You should also eat complex carbohydrates and whole grains such as quinoa and brown rice. Limit your carbohydrate intake and focus mostly on eating lots of low-GI vegetables. Green vegetables are important as they give you tons of nutrients and also help fill you up.

3. Eliminate your fried food intake as well. This means avoiding the fast food check out line as much as possible. Eating overly processed foods will not give you any nutrient value and only serve to disrupt your blood sugar control.

Stay away from the interior of most grocery stores as this is where the processed foods reside. Remain on the outer portions of the grocery store where the meat, vegetables and low-fat dairy products are located. By staying away from the junk food, you won’t tempt yourself as badly.

4. Choose leaner selections of meat so you avoid additional fat. This can include selections such as turkey breast and chicken breast without the skin. Also, make sure to eat portions of meat that are no larger than the palm of your hand, twice per day. You can add meat to your salad or eat it with a side of vegetables.

By making these heart healthy dietary changes, you will increase your chances of living a long and healthy life even if you have Type 2 diabetes. In fact, these diet changes are important for anyone whether they have diabetes or not. They help reduce weight, cut down on inflammation and reduce the risks associated with heart disease and stroke.

Don’t forget to monitor your blood sugars. Keeping your blood sugar as near to normal as possible protects your body from all diabetic complications further down the line.