Can a healthy breakfast help you control your blood sugar levels? Read on…

Proper and timely eating is a crucial aspect in managing blood sugar levels in persons, especially in those with diabetes who frequently encounter swings in blood glucose levels. Because breakfast is the first meal of the day, it is critical that you choose the meal wisely. Avanti Deshpande, a PCOS and Gut Health Nutritionist, told HT Digital that a combination of fibre, complex carbs, proteins, healthy fats, and veggies is a perfect breakfast choice for diabetics.

‘Every meal is an opportunity to fuel the body as well as the steady release of sugar into the blood, which in turn will have regulated release of insulin,’ she says. Avanti has answered all of your questions on what diabetics should eat during breakfast. To effectively regulate sugar levels, the expert recommends including all food categories in breakfast, such as protein, fats, fibre-rich fruits and vegetables, and complex carbohydrates.

Include protein:
Protein sources include lentils, almonds, milk products, soy, seeds, eggs, poultry, and fish, which not only aid with muscle health but also help with blood sugar regulation and satiety. Protein meals, according to Avanti, are beneficial to diabetics since they do not require insulin to break down.

Insoluble fibres:
According to the dietician, the insoluble fibre found in the skins of fruits and vegetables plays an important role in diabetes treatment. Insoluble fibre prolongs the transit time of meals in the stomach, resulting in a slower release of sugar into the bloodstream, which assists in the sluggish release of the insulin hormone.

Say ‘hello’ to healthy fats:
Avanti believes that lipids play a key part in improved sugar regulation since they slow down sugar release. Good fats include nuts such as almonds and walnuts, as well as seeds such as flax seeds, pumpkin seeds, and melon seeds, which are all high in omega 3 fatty acids.

The specialist gave a bit of advice for all diabetes patients, saying that coconut oil is high in MCT, which aids in weight management as well as managing sugar release. ‘1 tsp of coconut oil on an empty stomach in the morning will help in lowering sugar cravings produced by diabetic medication,’ the dietitian added.