Diabetics are one of the most common ailments among people across the world. There is no permanent cure to the disease.
Once diagnosed, the critical part of your lifestyle choices, that influence blood sugar levels needs to be continuously monitored.
With a healthy diet and regular physical activities, it is possible to keep the sugar levels under check. But sometimes, diabetes alone does not become a problem.
It becomes the starting point for various other issues, including hypertension that could be potentially life-threatening.
With about two out of three diagnosed with diabetes suffering from hypertension, it is no wonder that blood pressure is a silent killer. Independently these are more straightforward problems to handle.
But both these conditions directly increase the risk of blood vessel damage. It could lead to further problems such as stroke, kidney failure, or heart attacks.
Hence, keeping reasonable control over both levels is critical to good health. Diet is a simple yet effective way of maintaining blood pressure and sugar levels. So, here are six simple diet tips that will help you keep hypertension and diabetes under control.
1. Watch When You Eat
Having properly timed meals is a healthy habit overall. Your internal clock prepares your organs for digestion during your regular mealtime, and this helps increase the efficiency of the process.
Also, skipping meals or having odd meal timings could cause you problems such as loss of appetite, snacking too much or increased acidity. People suffering from blood pressure and diabetes should stick to proper meal timings.
This ensures that you provide the necessary nutrients at the right time to charge your body. Failing to follow your time would lead to issues such as a sudden drop in blood sugar or pressure levels, which could be catastrophic.
2. Watch What You Eat
A balanced diet is essential to provide the body with nutrients, without overdoing a few and missing out on some important ones.
Dr. Amber. M. Taylor, the director of The Diabetics Centre at the Mercy Medical college Baltimore, suggests how to visualize a balanced meal on your plate. Compare a good meal plate to a clock.
Fill half the plate with fruits and vegetables, which brings in the vitamins and basic minerals. Save a quarter for lean protein such as chicken, baked fish, or beans that fuels the body.
The last quarter should be a portion of brown rice, grains, or whole foods that can give you just the right amount of carbohydrates. The most important point to keep in mind here is to have a strict count on carbohydrates consumption.
Try to include barely any sodium to keep your hypertension in check. This complete meal will be a healthy choice to keep you energized and healthy.
3. Watch How Much Goes in Your Morning Cup
A common misconception among people is that having a dark cup of coffee with no sugar will not impact blood sugar or pressure levels. But this can only be true if consumed in small quantities, up to 2 cups a day.
Coffee has various compounds that could be responsible for increasing blood sugar or pressure levels, indirectly. The finest coffee grounds have an oily compound called cafestol, which enhances its flavor and texture. But, this compound is also responsible for increasing cholesterol levels in the body.
Also, high caffeine intake causes an imbalance of various chemicals in the body. For example, sipping a late-night cup would disturb your regular sleep cycle. Exhaustion due to bad sleep patterns can cause hypertension.
Experts suggest that one should Stick to a 200-milligram caffeine limit for the day. Try to take alternate options such as coffee prepared with a paper filter or decaf for a healthier choice.
4. Watch Your Alcohol Intake
The first step to switching to a healthy lifestyle always begins with eliminating alcohol. While some suggest that a small amount of alcohol can be beneficial, there is no solid clinical evidence to prove the same.
Regulating alcohol consumption is important, especially when suffering from conditions, such as diabetes. Consult your physician to understand what kind of effect alcohol can have on your health.
People suffering from hypertension and diabetes should stay away from consuming too much alcohol or consuming too often, as these could cause a hike in sugar or pressure levels.
Medication such as triazide could be helpful to combat such sudden shoot up in blood pressure by releasing the excess retained fluid from the body.
Also, read the label thoroughly to understand the ingredients that go into your drink. Typically, one drink a day would be ideal for enjoying your favorite spirits without affecting your health.
5. Watch What Fats You Eat
There is good fat and bad fat. Good fat provides the energy reserve to your body and helps in the smooth functioning of the system. Whereas, bad fat when stored, and causes problems such as cholesterol.
Prefer fats from plant foods over the animal, as they break easily to give energy. Include foods such as olives, nuts, avocados, flax seeds, that are healthy options for the body.
A few saturated fats such as from dairy, chicken is important and should comprise just 10% of your daily calorie intake. Try to avoid trans-fat foods such as baked and fried goods, as they fluctuate cholesterol levels and could influence blood pressure.
6. Watch How Much Potassium You Take
Potassium is an effective way of controlling sodium levels in the body. Some potassium-rich foods you can pick out of your kitchen include bananas, cantaloupe, nuts, whole wheat bread, lentils, carrots, broccoli, bran flakes.
Make sure you intake the necessary levels of potassium through your diet regularly to keep your hypertension under control. Consult your physician about the ideal intake, especially if you have kidney issues as excess potassium could worsen the situation.
Be accountable for what you consume. Keep track of your diet and your blood sugar and pressure levels regularly. It helps record your progress and encourages you to stay on track.