Diabetes Management: 3 Leafy Green Vegetables You Must Include In Your Diabetes Diet

Diabetes management is no cakewalk. Your diet cannot contain any food that would drastically spike or lower your blood sugar levels. In addition to the diet, your lifestyle is under radar too. Excessive drinking and sedentary lifestyle have also been found to have links with increased risk of diabetes. According to WHO, by year 2030 diabetes would turn out to be world's seventh largest killer. Diabetes is a chronic, metabolic disease characterised by elevated levels of blood glucose (or blood sugar). Diabetes needs dedicated medical care and attention. Misdiagnosis or lack of awareness about the condition may often lead to serious consequences like obesity, kidney damage and cardiovascular diseases. Your diet plays a crucial role in managing diabetes. An ideal diabetes diet should be a balanced mix of high-fibre foods, complex carbs and proteins. Turns out, that including green and leafy vegetables in your diet may do wonders in keeping blood sugar levels in check as well.

According to a study conducted by researchers at the University of Leicester a few years back. People who add more green leafy vegetables to their diet were shown to have reduced risk of developing type 2 diabetes. The study revealed that eating one and one half servings of green leafy vegetables per day reduces the risk of type 2 diabetes by 14%.

Here are 3 green vegetables you must add to your diabetes diet.

1. Spinach

Spinach is an excellent non-starchy and diabetic-friendly vegetable you can add to your diet. Spinach also contains a good quantum of fibre, which prevents spike in blood sugar levels. Spinach has very low glycaemic index too. The high concentrations of polyphenols and vitamin C, both of which have antioxidant properties are also believed to play a role in regulating blood sugar levels. Spinach also contain decent amount of magnesium, which may further reduce risk.

Spinach is an excellent non-starchy and diabetic-friendly vegetable

2. Cabbage

Cabbage's high fibre content may help keep the blood stable in diabetes. Make sure you wash them clean before cooking to make sure the leaves are not infected. You can have them in broths, stews and salads.

Cabbage's high fibre content may help keep the blood stable in diabetes

3. Kale

High fibre veggies, like kale, have the ability to induce satiety, it takes the longest to digest. This in turn ensures that it is not metabolised quickly, and do not cause spike in blood sugar levels.