Anybody following a type 2 diabetes diet will know that ‘brown’ foods like whole grains and whole wheat bread and pasta are recommended instead of the white varieties, but did you know why?
Did you know that there is something you can do to make them more potent? And did you know that there is one very special whole grain that recent research suggests may actually reduce the damage to blood vessels caused by diabetes, so reducing the risk of serious complications such as strokes and heart problems?
Why Grains Should Be Whole In A Type 2 Diabetes Diet
Whole grains including whole wheat products should always be selected over white because they are unrefined and so contain the natural fiber that is removed from white wheat, rice and other grains.
Grains contain a high amount of carbohydrate and in white grain products, this is very quickly digested and converted to glucose in the body, which can cause an increase in your blood sugar levels.
The fiber in whole grains delays absorption and so makes unrefined carbs much healthier. Fiber is good for just about everybody but it is particularly important for diabetics because of the help that it gives in regulating blood sugar following a meal.
How To Increase The Potency Of Whole Grains
When we buy foods that are the seeds of a plant, they usually come dried. This includes whole grains like rice, millet and quinoa, dried beans, seeds and some nuts. These foods contain growth inhibitors in their dried state, so that they do not sprout when the conditions are too dry for them to have a chance of growing.
Where the germ has not been removed or damaged by refining or excessive heat (e.g. some nuts are cooked or heated high to be shelled), you can make these foods more healthy to eat by soaking them before you cook them.
This revitalizes them. The growth inhibitors are washed out into the soaking water (which you should throw away) and many proteins and other healthy nutrients begin to develop as the grain prepares to germinate and sprout.
Different foods require different soaking times. As a general rule, soak rice and most beans for 8 hours or overnight, and lentils and seeds for 2-4 hours.
You can test if the germ is still healthy in the varieties of dried grains, beans and seeds that you buy. Just follow instructions for sprouting that particular food. If a sprout begins to grow on most of them, you have a good variety. If not, try another brand.
Pre Soaked Brown Rice – Magical Ingredient In A Type 2 Diabetes Diet
Brown rice that has been soaked before cooking has an extra special ingredient that may actually reduce the damage to nerves and blood vessels associated with diabetes, according to research published in the Journal of Nutrition and Metabolism.
This is supported by research in the Journal of Lipid Research which suggested that brown rice that has been germinated by pre soaking can help to normalize blood sugar levels.
It also helps to boost the neurotransmitter known as GABA, which experts say can lower blood pressure.
Since high blood pressure is associated with both the development of type 2 diabetes and a risk of strokes and other vascular problems, this can have huge benefits for diabetics.
So start soaking your brown rice! One portion a day, soaked and then cooked, could make all the difference when included in a type 2 diabetes diet.
Thanks for the Read! I’m gonna share this with my friends and family!