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“Which food help ease diabetes?”


Judith Ignacio writes: “What healthy food should my husband eat? He has diabetes and high cholesterol.”

Popping prescribed pills to straighten out ailments is one way to get healthy. The other way, which is more natural and often more effective, is to have the right kind of diet. Fill your meals with food that’s chock full of nutrients and, one way or another, it’s bound to be good for you.

For example, do you have high blood pressure? You need more fiber in your diet; eat more kamote (sweet potatoes) and oat bran.

Scared of developing osteoporosis when you get older? Fortify your bones with calcium; have more broccoli and leafy greens with your meals.

Based on information from the Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research (MFMER) at www.mayoclinic.com and WebMD, LLC at WebMD.com, we’ve compiled a list of four of these preventable diseases along with the right kind of food that will help fight these.

Diabetes
The most common ailment among Filipinos is type 2 diabetes. This can be prevented by maintaining a diet that is high in fiber to improve blood sugar control. So fortify your diet with these: barley, beans, oatmeal, dates, raisins, berries, prunes, spinach, artichokes, cucumbers, carrots, brussel sprouts, broccoli, pears, bran, corn, sweet potatoes, figs, apples, oranges, celery, nuts (like almonds), brown/red rice, and whole wheat bread.

Soluble fibers slow down stomach-emptying which helps you control diabetes. Omega-3 fatty acids may also help decrease your triglyceride levels.

[Also check out: The healthy Bahay Kubo]

Heart disease/High blood pressure
Fortify your diet with high doses of fiber to lower your blood pressure level. Fiber can be found in beans, oats, flaxseed, sweet potatoes, and oat bran. The soluble fiber you get from these can help lower your total blood cholesterol level by lowering your low-density lipoprotein (LDL), the so-called "bad" cholesterol.

The Mayo Clinic Healthy Heart Plan encourages you to eat five servings of fruit and vegetables each day for a healthy heart. This, of course, must be coupled with enough exercise and satisfying sleep. It’s also a good idea to eat fish, such as salmon, that contain omega-3 fatty acids. Omega-3 fatty acids lower blood pressure and decrease the chances of clogged arteries.

[Also check out: Get to know your salad greens]

Anemia
Low levels of iron, vitamin B12, and folate may cause anemia. To counter this, beef up your diet with egg yolks, raisins, prunes, kidney beans, red meat, chicken, fish, and dark green leafy vegetables. These all contain iron.

Vitamin B12 can be found in beef, lamb, clams, oysters, liver, fish, caviar, crab, lobster, eggs, and cheese. Green leafy vegetables, citrus fruits, dried beans, peas, liver, nuts, and chicken are rich in folic acid.

Vitamin C helps in the absorption of iron, so consume a lot of the following, which are high in vitamin C: melons, citrus fruits, strawberries, apricots, apples, kiwi, broccoli, spinach, tomatoes, sweet potatoes, and potatoes.

[Also check out a heart-healthy recipe: Oatmeal with Caramel Mangoes]

Osteoporosis
This is a disease that weakens the bones, and you can prevent it by consuming food that contain calcium. For instance, broccoli, avocado, kale, spinach, bok choy, celery, green beans, squash, asparagus, cabbage, brussel sprouts, almonds, and leeks.

But don’t absolutely fill your meals with these. The Recommended Dietary Allowance for adults is 1,000 mg of calcium daily. There are also health risks when you consume excessive amounts of calcium.

To help your body better absorb calcium, you’ll need a healthy supply of vitamin D as well. Try canned salmon with bones and egg yolks—these contain vitamin D.