3 ways stress affects diabetes

3 ways stress affects diabetes

Staying cool under pressure is an important part of managing your blood sugar. Here are three surprising ways stress affects diabetes, and how to keep it under control

Eating right and getting your body in motion every day are pillars of any program for managing diabetes or losing weight. A third element that may be just as important is getting a handle on stress.

Research is now beginning to reveal just how important stress management is when it comes to diabetes. One study, at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina, found that when people used easy relaxation techniques, they dropped their A1C numbers (an indication of blood sugar levels over a period of several months) significantly. In fact, about a third of the volunteers lowered their A1C levels by one percent or more after a year—an effect on a par with that of diabetes drugs. And those results were beyond what they gained through diet and exercise.

Here are three ways that stress can impact your diabetes, and how to keep it in check.

1. Stress hormones raise blood sugar

Why does taming tension bring blood sugar down? A number of factors appear to be at work. First, when you're on edge, your body pumps out stress hormones, such as cortisol, to help you react to danger (part of the "fight or flight" response). Among other things, these hormones make your heartbeat and breathing speed up. They also send glucose stores into the blood to make energy immediately available to your muscles. The result: higher blood sugar.

2. Stress contributes to insulin resistance

That's bad enough when you have diabetes, but there's more: Stress hormones also make it more difficult for the pancreas to secrete the insulin that's needed to move glucose out of the blood. Some of these hormones may also contribute to insulin resistance—a triple whammy.

3. Stress leads to weight gain

A major reason to keep chronic stress in check is that cortisol is known to increase appetite. Yes, that's right: Stress makes you eat more. It also encourages cells in your abdomen to conserve fat—in other words, it packs on the belly weight that seriously raises your risk of a heart attack. Regularly practicing our relaxation methods will help lower your levels of stress hormones to reverse this trend. It should also help you stick to your eating and exercise goals.

Think about it: When you're stressed, you're probably tempted to chow down on whatever fatty, high-calorie snacks are in reach. You're also less likely to stop and think about hitting the pavement for a nice, long walk when you're busy fretting over deadlines, family problems, or that fight with your spouse. When you practice the art of relaxation, you'll step back and see the big picture, and your true priorities—including taking care of your body—will emerge. Mastering stress has other beneficial "side effects." Specifically, it helps ward off emotional problems that are linked with poor blood sugar control, particularly depression and anger.

Track your sugar—and your stress level

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Studies find that stress affects blood sugar differently from one person to the next.How do your sugar levels change when you're all charged up? To find out, each time you check your glucose level, rate how stressed you feel at that moment on a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 being a sunny day at the beach and 10 being the worst day of your life. Write the number down next to your reading. After two weeks, look at the numbers together (plotting them on a graph can help) to see how much your blood sugar swings in response to various levels of stress.

Dos and don’ts of cooking for diabetes

Dos and don’ts of cooking for diabetes

Cooking shouldn’t be a chore, even with dietary restrictions. Follow these suggestions for helpful ideas on making cooking fun—even when you have diabetes

By Kat Tancock

A diabetes diagnosis can be a shock when it comes to preparing meals. All of a sudden, old stand-bys may be off limits, and new recipes time-consuming to prepare, if only because they’re unfamiliar. But it’s important to stay positive, says Nova Scotia-based registered dietitian Mary Sue Waisman, author of Dietitians of Canada cookbookCook! 275 Recipes Celebrate Food from Field to Table. “When you cook, you’ve got control,”she says. “It’s a basic principle that I think is really helpful for people.”

Basically, it all comes down to blood sugar and nutrition. Not only do you want meals with a low glycemic index, meaning that blood sugar will rise slowly rather than spiking, but you want meals that are rich in nutrients the body needs—vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, fibre—and lower in those we tend to overindulge in, such as fat, salt and sugar. “Look to have a colourful plate filled with lots of vegetables and whole grains and perfect in portion size,” says Waisman.

So how do you get there? Follow these dos and don’ts for healthy meals that are full of flavour and fun to prepare.

Don’t: Cook multiple meals

“When you’re cooking if you have diabetes, it’s a healthy way for everybody to eat,” Waisman says. Take advantage of your dietary upgrade by getting the whole family involved in choosing and preparing meals. “It’s a good time to establish lifelong cooking skills,” she adds.

Do: Surround yourself with the best choices

“I tell people to get naked with food and look for it in its most basic form,” says Waisman—meaning, as unprocessed as possible. Fill your pantry with healthy ingredients so you’ve always got a quick meal on hand. “In my view,” says Waisman, “if you’ve got some dried beans, whole grains and evaporated milk in your cupboard, you can make a lot of things.”

Don’t: Fall for the multigrain trick

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Many bread and cereal products are labelled “multigrain” as though it’s a health claim—but all the term means is that more than one variety of grain is used, cautions Waisman. “These grains could still be refined,” she says. Instead, the word to watch for is “whole,” as in whole wheat or whole grain. That way, says Waisman, “you get all the nutrients that are in the germ, endosperm and bran, and all the benefits of the grain.”

Do: Be selective about meat

When you eat meat, Waisman recommends choosing leaner cuts (avoid visible fat and a lot of marbling) and lower-fat options such as round roasts and sirloin tip. “Stay away from things like rib roasts and higher-fat ground meats,” she says, as well as high-sodium processed picks like sausages and deli meats. As for poultry, “you’re better off if you can buy and cook things skinless.”

Don’t: Let sodium sneak in

Waisman recommends stocking up on canned lentils and beans: “You can do so much with them and they’re so affordable.” But if you do buy canned beans (or other canned goods with salt added), make sure to rinse them well before using. “You need to drain them and rinse them and drain them again to get up to 40 percent of the sodium off,” she says.

Do: Stock up on herbs and spices

“When you’re trying to reduce fat and salt and sugar,” says Waisman, “you can increase the flavour with a wide assortment of herbs and spices. Go wild with them.” As inspiration, she suggests steamed carrots with cumin and chili powder, green beans with nutmeg, asparagus with lemon zest or fresh strawberries with balsamic vinegar and freshly ground black pepper.

Don’t: Supersize portions

“We’ve become very accustomed to very large portion sizes in North America,” Waisman says. “It’s something I can’t emphasize enough.” Instead of filling, and then cleaning your plate as a habit, start with smaller portions and eat until you’re satisfied, not stuffed.

Do: Choose the best cooking methods

If you own a deep-fryer, it might be time for it to retire. Instead, says Waisman, choose cooking methods that reduce or limit fat while adding flavour. For meat, try baking, broiling, roasting or grilling—“you’ve got means by which the fat drains away.” And for all foods, favour slow-cooking methods that make foods more flavourful. “I really advocate steaming and roasting vegetables to bring out the rich, deep flavour,” Waisman says. Fruits are also delicious roasted or grilled for a healthy dessert—just top with a sprinkle of ground nutmeg, cinnamon or ginger.

Don’t: Forget the value of leftovers

On the day of our interview, Waisman had chicken breasts in the fridge marinating in lemon juice and garlic, ready to be grilled and served alongside brown rice and a salad of black beans, chickpeas, celery, corn, canola oil, balsamic vinegar, fresh tomatoes and feta cheese. And dinner the next day? The same ingredients, chopped and rolled up in a whole-grain wrap. “I’m a big believer in cook once, eat two or three times,” she says. “People think you have to cook something different every night but you don’t.”

Do: Get inspired and make it fun

“Pick up a cookbook and look at the pictures and find something that appeals to you,” Waisman suggests. “It should get your taste buds tingling.” Try cooking with friends or family members to share and develop ideas, and make sure not to go overboard with complex feasts that take hours to prepare. “We don’t have to make fancy dinners,” Waisman says. “But if you can find a way to find your favourite foods, kick up the flavour a little bit and cook them healthfully I think that’s a good place to start.”

How to track your blood sugar levels

How to track your blood sugar levels

Learn to stay on top of your blood glucose levels with these expert tips on watching your numbers

By Lisa Bendall

Keeping track of your blood sugar levels is an important part ofmanaging your diabetes. Theseblood glucose readings help you make the best choices about meals and snacks, physical activity and taking medications.

"I tell clients it’s their science experiment," says Karen McDermaid, a diabetes educator in Moosomin, Sask. "How do [their level of] exercise, what they’re eating and what medications they’re on affect their blood sugar?" A good record of your blood glucose levels also helps your healthcare professional or diabetes educator decide whether your medication or insulin may need to be adjusted.

How often should you check your blood sugar? That depends on a few factors, including whether you have type 1 or type 2 diabetes and whether or not you’re using insulin. But anyone with diabetes will have more control over their disease if they’ve got a good handle on their sugar levels.

Track your blood sugar levels in writing

Tracking your blood glucose means more than just jotting down a number from time to time. You can also include the time of day, what you ate, whether you exercised and what medication you took. All of these details will fit together like puzzle pieces to get an overall picture of how your health is doing.

How you decide to record this information will depend on you. If you can settle on a system that you find easy, then you’re more likely to keep better track of your blood glucose. Some people like writing in a logbook.You can download logbook pages free of charge from many websites. Prefer to go paperless? Many blood glucose monitors will store not only your glucose readings and the date and time, but additional information about food and activity level, with the option to transfer all this data to your computer.

The best way to test

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A blood glucose monitor is the tried-and-true method for keeping track of your levels. And today’s models make it easier, faster and less painful to test your blood throughout the day.

Four times a year you should also have an A1C test, which is done at a lab and measures how much glucose your red blood cells have been exposed to over the past three months. This can be a helpful tracking method because it provides a big-picture look at your glucose levels, not just a day-to-day one.

A continuous blood glucose (CBG) system uses a tiny sensor implanted under the skin. The sensor, which is used for a few days before being removed, detects the glucose levels in the body and transmits this information to a wireless monitor. With a CBG system you can track the real-time ups and downs of your blood glucose levels, so it helps you know what’s happening right down to the minute. Research shows thatadults with type 1 diabetes who use CGB have better control over their glucose levels. But CBG technology isn’t yet accurate enough to completely replace a regular glucose meter, so both devices should be used together.

Scientists at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) are working on a tattoo made of special ink that could one day help people track their blood sugar levels. The ink contains fluorescent nanoparticles that react to glucose by lighting up. A small monitor held over the skin like a wristwatch would detect the light changes and display the person’s current glucose level.

What if you want to "track" your blood glucose levels simply by paying attention to the way you feel? Not a great idea. You can have high blood glucose and not realize it. In fact, thousands of Canadians have diabetes right now and don’t know it, because they feel just fine. Of course, you should pay attention to symptoms of high blood sugar like extreme thirst or frequent bathroom breaks, and signs you might have low blood sugar, like irritability and weakness. But make sure you’re taking tests as well.

Plan what comes next

You’ve been tracking your blood glucose levels over time. Now what? Talk to your healthcare provider or diabetes educator about what this information means. Should changes be made to your lifestyle, diet or medication? That’s where your careful records come in handy. "Testing just for the sake of seeing a number isn’t of value. People need to know what those numbers means and what they can do about them," says McDermaid.

If you’ve been tracking your sugar levels, you’ll start to see trends: You’ll notice the number comes down when you have your morning walk, or goes up when you indulge in a doughnut. "It allows you to have those ‘a-ha’ moments," McDermaid says. And that’s how keeping track of your blood glucose levels keeps you in the driver’s seat.

How to survive the holidays with diabetes

How to survive the holidays with diabetes

The holidays can be a stressful time, even more-so if you have diabetes. Here are 10 tips for getting through the holidays with diabetes

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Make the holidays fun

Family celebrations are supposed to be welcome distractions from everyday cares. But for someone with diabetes, they can make "everyday cares" bigger problems than they already are. With holidays come fatty, high-carb feasts, irregular eating schedules, and plenty of family stress to go around. Take a few of the following steps to make holiday gatherings what they should be: fun.

Diabetes: Your guide to treatments that work

Diabetes: Your guide to treatments that work

Here are seven treatments for diabetes that have been proven to help control your blood sugar and increase your response to insulin

Diabetes isn't going away any time soon. Caused by a combination of genetics and lifestyle factors, it's preventable up to a point, though you might not know it given the increasing number of people with the disease. But treating it once you're diagnosed is even more challenging, especially as the disease progresses and medications stop working as well.Good blood sugar control is critical to avoiding problems like nerve damage and catastrophes like blindness and amputation. But taking care of your heart is equally key since most people with diabetes eventually die of heart disease—so it's essential to make sure your blood pressure and cholesterol are under control.

Oral medications

At first, your doctor may have you try to bring down your blood sugar by improving your diet and adding regular exercise, but unfortunately, the percentage of people who can stay off medication is low. There are many different drugs available, and your doctor may use them alone or in combination. It's agreed that metformin (Glucophage) is the best one to use first. In a review of 29 clinical studies, it reduced the risk of complications like retinopathy and neuropathy as well as death, and it worked better than anything else for controlling blood sugar, cholesterol, blood pressure, and weight.

Because diabetes is a progressive disease, most drugs, including insulin, become less effective the longer you take them. Your doctor may increase your dosage or change your regimen altogether if you aren't seeing good results.

Insulin

If your insulin-producing cells (located in the pancreas) begin wearing out, you'll eventually need injections of this hormone. In terms of taking animal vs. human insulin, either is fine, although animal insulin is usually cheaper. An analysis of 45 studies found no significant differences between blood sugar control or episodes of low blood sugar in people taking either purified porcine (pig) insulin or semi-synthetic human insulin, the two forms most often studied, and no differences in negative side effects.

Exercise

It won't "cure" your diabetes, but it can make your cells more sensitive to insulin, which naturally lowers blood sugar. Fourteen clinical trials comparing people with type 2 diabetes who exercised with those who didn't found that the exercisers dropped their A1c levels (a long-term measure of blood sugar control) by 0.6 point—a significant amount. People who exercised also became much more sensitive to insulin, reducing the strain on the pancreas, and their triglyceride levels dropped.

If you're wondering whether you should do aerobic exercise or lift weights, the answer is yes to both. A1c scores dropped an average of 0.51 point after two weeks in people who walked on treadmills or rode bikes and an average of 0.38 point in those who worked out on weight machines. Those who did both got an additional 0.46 point drop.

Since exercise gobbles up blood sugar, if you're using insulin, you may even be able to substitute an exercise session for an injection. Talk to your doctor.

Weight loss

Drop about 10 percent of your body weight, and your fasting blood sugar level could drop by 26 percent, along with big reductions in cholesterol, blood pressure, and triglycerides. That adds up to a lower risk of heart disease and other diabetes complications. If you're extremely overweight, consider bariatric surgery, in which a surgeon cinches your stomach into a small pouch so it holds less food. The surgery effectively cured the disease in 73 percent of people with recent-onset diabetes. It's not to be entered into lightly, however, since it carries significant risks.

Cinnamon

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Laboratory studies find that this aromatic spice has insulin-like effects on cells, helping them take up more glucose from the bloodstream. While just a handful of clinical trials have evaluated its use in people with diabetes, most found thatsupplementing with cinnamon does lower blood sugar levels. One study found that people taking 1 gram a day of cinnamon (about 1/4 teaspoon) had glucose levels averaging 156.5 mg/dl after 40 days, compared to 223.2 mg/dl in those taking a placebo. Stick to 1 gram; two other studies showed similar effects even at higher doses.

Laser surgery for eye complications

Having diabetes puts the eyes at risk; a condition called diabetic retinopathy can even cause blindness. A procedure known as pan-retinal laser photocoagulation, in which a laser is used to make hundreds of tiny cuts or burns in the eye to reduce the growth of abnormal blood vessels, can stem the loss of vision. And if you develop macular edema, or swelling of the retina from leaking blood vessels, focal retinal laser surgery, which aims to close the leaking vessels, is the procedure recommended to preserve your vision.

Antidepressants plus capsaicin cream for nerve pain

There are no medications specifically marketed to treat diabetic neuropathy, which can cause excruciating pain. But based on analysis of 25 studies, reviewers recommended starting with an antidepressant and a cream containing capsaicin, the ingredient in hot peppers that interferes with the nerves' ability to transmit pain signals. Tricyclic antidepressants such as desipramine (Norpramine), imipramine (Tofranil), and amitriptyline (Elavil) worked much better than newer antidepressants for relieving pain.

What diet strategy is best?

Here's a sad fact: We don't really know. That's the conclusion of reviewers who analyzed 18 studies involving 1,467 participants who followed any of a number of different diets, including low-fat/high-carbohydrate, high-fat/low-carbohydrate, and low-calorie regimens. All that the reviewers could say after evaluating these studies was thatexercise works for maintaining blood sugar control and that there is an "urgent need" for studies looking at diet. That said, hardly any doctor or nutritionist would argue against a diet rich in fruits and vegetables, beans, and whole grains and low in saturated fat.

6 diabetes-friendly snacks

6 diabetes-friendly snacks

Living with diabetes means you need to monitor your diet carefully, but it doesn't mean giving up flavour or pleasure from food. Try these low-sugar recipes to satisfy your appetite between meals

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Stuffed Mushrooms

These mushrooms are filled with a delicious mixture of finely chopped zucchini, spinach and hazelnuts, then topped with grated Parmesan cheese and baked for delicious, hard-to-resist party bites. They look their best if the mushrooms are all about the same size.

Eat breakfast to beat diabetes

Eat breakfast to beat diabetes

Eating breakfast has been linked with lower rates of both obesity and insulin resistance—making it an excellent option for everyone. Find out why, then click through for tips on making it easy

Treat yourself to breakfast

Begin with the first rule: Eat within two hours of getting up. Actually, the two-hour rule is pushing it—that's the absolute maximum time you should wait before eating. It's better to consider eating within the first hour to be your real goal, with an extra hour of leeway if your morning gets out of control.

Research at Harvard University has linked eating breakfast with lower rates of both obesity and insulin resistance. And in a survey of successful dieters conducted by the U.S. National Weight Control Registry, an impressive 78 percent say they eat breakfast every day, while only a miniscule 4 percent say they never do.

Starting your day with a bite to eat is a good idea even if you don't have diabetes or need to lose weight. The most obvious reason is that your body needs fuel after going so many hours without nourishment, and eating breakfast tops off your tank so you feel more energetic and alert. But that's not all. Getting breakfast into your system kicks your calorie-burning furnace into gear and keeps it burning hot throughout the morning. Otherwise, it will stay on "low" because your body turns it down while you sleep to conserve energy. Eating breakfast gives your body permission to turn up the thermostat so you burn the calories from your morning meal (assuming the portions are reasonable), and the coals stay hot so you're more likely to burn stored fat.

Eating a healthy breakfast—especially one that contains whole grains, such as wheat or bran cereal—also seems to make it easier to choose healthier foods all day long.Studies confirm that breakfast eaters are better able to resist fatty and high-calorie foods. Need more inspiration? Consider this: In a study from Vanderbilt University in Nashville, overweight women who usually skipped breakfast started eating it every morning, and after three months, they had lost an average of 1.8 kg (4 lb) more than women in a group that didn't eat breakfast.

Need help getting started on the breakfast habit? Try these easy tips for starting a breakfast routine.

The top 20 foods for beating diabetes

The top 20 foods for beating diabetes

What you eat can help you control and fight your diabetes. Incorporate these healthy foods into your diet

Every time you roll your shopping cart into the supermarket, you’re making a decision that goes far beyond whether you’re going to have pork or pierogies for dinner.You’re actually choosing between being a victim and a victor. What you put in your cart goes a long way toward determining whether you’ll be compromised by diabetes or start controlling and eventually even beating it.

That’s why we’ve assembled the following list of the 20 best foods for fighting diabetes. Every time you go to the store from now on, take this list with you and check off each item. In fact, if your favourite store has a delivery service, sign up for it so your supplies are automatically replenished every few weeks.

Research proves that making a few key changes to your diet—such as eating more produce, fewer refined carbohydrates, plenty of lean protein, and more “good” fat—helps improve blood-sugar control and cuts the risk of diabetes-related complications.Don’t make the mistake of thinking that one or two or even five foods on this list will transform you. You need most of them—yes, even the flaxseed—because together they represent a new approach to eating, a lifestyle rather than just a diet.

1. Apples

Because they offer so many health advantages, put these at the core of your diet.Apples are naturally low in calories, yet their high fibre content (4 grams) fills you up, battles bad cholesterol, and blunts blood-sugar swings. Red Delicious
and Granny Smith are also among the top 10 fruits with the most disease-fighting antioxidants.

Eat them whole and unpeeled for the greatest benefit, or make a quick “baked” apple. After washing and chopping one apple, put it in a bowl with a dusting of cinnamon and microwave until soft (about 4 minutes). Enjoy with yogourt and oat bran sprinkles for a nutritious dessert, or serve over oatmeal for breakfast.

2. Avocado

Rich, creamy, and packed with beneficial monounsaturated fat, avocado slows digestion and helps keep blood sugar from spiking after a meal. A diet high in good fats may even help reverse insulin resistance, which translates to steadier blood sugar long-term. Try putting mashed avocado on sandwiches instead of mayonnaise or on bread instead of butter. To keep what’s left over from turning brown, spritz the flesh with cooking spray or coat with lemon juice and wrap in plastic.

3. Barley

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Choosing this grain instead of white rice can reduce the rise in blood sugar after a meal by almost 70 per cent—and keep your blood sugar lower and steadier for hours. That’s because the soluble fibre and other compounds in barley dramatically slow the digestion and absorption of the carbohydrate. Even brown rice can’t compare. Add barley to soups, serve it as a side dish, or make it the basis for a stir-fry or casserole. Pearled, hulled, or quick-cooking varieties are all crackling good choices.

4. Beans

When menu planning, think “bean cuisine” at least twice a week. The soluble fibre in all types of beans (from chickpeas to kidney beans to even edamame) puts a lid on high blood sugar. And because they’re rich in protein, beans can stand in for meat in main dishes. Just watch the sodium content. Always rinse canned beans before using. To save time cooking beans, invest in a pressure cooker. Soaked beans are tender in just 10 to 15 minutes.

5. Beef

Yes, beef is a diabetes-friendly food, as long as you choose the leanest cuts and keep portions to one-fourth your plate. Getting enough protein at mealtime keeps you feeling full and satisfied. Plus, it helps maintain muscle mass when you’re losing weight, so your metabolism stays high. The skinniest beef cuts are eye of round, inside round, ground round, tenderloin, sirloin, flank steak, and filet mignon. To lean up other cuts, put them in the freezer for 20 minutes. This hardens the meat so it’s easier to slice off the fat. Lean cuts can be tenderized and made more flavourful by marinating in any mixture that contains vinegar, wine, or citrus juice. The acid softens them up.

6. Berries

Think of them as nature’s M&Ms: sweet, convenient, colourful, and satisfying. Berries are full of fibre and antioxidants. The red and blue varieties also contain natural plant compounds called anthocyanins. Scientists believe these may help lower blood sugar by boosting insulin production. Put some in an easy-to-grab location or freeze a handful to suck on or use as ice cubes.

Sponsored link: Berry Simple Smoothie from Splenda

7. Broccoli

Hey, don’t make that face. Broccoli is filling, fibrous, and full of antioxidants (including a day’s worth of vitamin C in one serving). It’s also rich in chromium, which plays an important role in long-term blood sugar control. If you don’t already love it, either “hide” it in soups, pasta dishes, and casseroles, or sauté it with garlic, soy sauce, and mustard, or dark sesame oil (or any combination thereof) for a taste you’ll fall for.

8. Carrots

Don’t believe what you hear about carrots rapidly raising blood sugar. While the type of sugar they contain is transformed into blood sugar quickly, the amount of sugar in carrots is extremely low. That’s good news because carrots are one of nature’s richest sources of beta-carotene, which is linked to a lower risk of diabetes and better blood-sugar control. Sick of raw sticks? Make some “fries” by slicing carrots into thin strips, scattering on a baking sheet, and flavouring with olive oil, salt and pepper. Roast at 400°F (200°C) for 40 minutes. Who needs McDonald’s?

9. Chicken or turkey

These meats can be high-fat disasters or perfectly healthy fare. It all depends on the cut and how it’s prepared. Breast meat, whether ground or whole, is always lower in fat than dark meat such as thighs and drumsticks. Never eat the skin because of its high saturated fat content, and when buying ground turkey, make sure the package says ground turkey breast. Otherwise, you may as well be eating hamburger. And need we remind you, the Colonel is not your friend. (Why are you eating anything that comes in a bucket anyway?) If you stick to these rules, you’ll enjoy a nice, low-calorie dose of sustaining protein. No time to cook? Pick up a rotisserie chicken.

10. Eggs

Eggs are another excellent, inexpensive source of high-quality protein—so high, in fact, that egg protein is the gold standard nutritionists use to rank all other proteins. An egg or two won’t raise your cholesterol, and will keep you feeling full and satisfied for hours afterward. Such a magic food deserves a little sleight of hand in its preparation. To flip an egg, spritz the skillet with cooking spray, wait for the egg white to bubble and, in one continuous motion, slide the pan quickly toward you and then forward with a slight upward flick of the wrist. Bow to your guests.

11. Fish

The single deadliest complications of diabetes is heart disease, and eating fish just once a week can reduce your risk by 40 per cent, according to a Harvard School of Public Health study. The fatty acids in fish reduce inflammation in the body—a major contributor to coronary disease—as well as insulin resistance and diabetes. And unless you’re pregnant, don’t worry too much about potential chemical contaminants. An exhaustive review of the scientific literature on fish and human health by Harvard researchers led to the conclusion that eating it far outweighs any accompanying risks.

12. Flaxseed

No, this is not something you fill the bird feeders with come winter. Rather, these shiny brown seeds hit the diabetes trifecta: They’re rich in protein, fibre, and good fats similar to the kind found in fish. They’re also a source of magnesium, a mineral that’s key to blood-sugar control because it helps cells use insulin. Ground flaxseed spoils quickly, so buy whole seeds in bulk, keep in the fridge, and grind as needed. Sprinkle on cereal, yogourt, or ice cream or blend into meat loaf, meatballs, burgers, pancakes, and breads. It works in just about anything—including bird feeders.

13. Milk and yogurt

Both are rich in protein and calcium, which studies show may help people lose weight. And diets that include plenty of dairy may fight insulin resistance, a core problem behind diabetes. Go low-fat or fat-free, though. If you don’t like the taste of skim milk, try 1 percent. It’s a little thicker and creamier than skim. Likewise, reduced-fat Greek-style yogurt tends to taste richer than its Canadian counterparts because of how it’s made. Drizzle with honey and imagine you’re on the Mediterranean.

14. Nuts

Because of their high fibre and protein content, nuts are “slow burning” foods that are friendly to blood sugar. And even though they contain a lot of fat, it’s that healthful monounsaturated kind again. Roasting really brings out the flavour of nuts and makes them a great addition to fall soups and entrées. Just spread shelled nuts on a cooking sheet and bake at 300°F (150°C) for 7 to 10 minutes.

15. Seeds

Like nuts, seeds of all types—pumpkin, sunflower, sesame—are filled with good fats, protein, and fibre that work together to keep blood sugar low and stave off heart disease. They’re also a natural source of cholesterol-lowering sterols, the same compounds added to some cholesterol-lowering margarines. Fill an empty Altoids mint tin with your favourite unsalted seeds and stash it in your purse or pocket in case of snack emergencies. Or tell the waiter to hold the croutons on your Caesar and substitute pumpkin or sunflower seeds instead.

16. Oatmeal

Ever wonder why oatmeal is so good for you? It’s because it’s loaded with soluble fibre which, when mixed with water, forms a paste. Just as it sticks to your bowl, it also forms a gummy barrier between the digestive enzymes in your stomach and the starch molecules in your meal. So it takes longer for your body to convert the carbs you’ve eaten into blood sugar. Don’t like oatmeal in the morning? Buy oat flour and use it as a thickener in autumn stews, casseroles, and soups. Or add ground oatmeal (not the instant kind) to muffin, pancake, or waffle batters. You won’t even know it’s there.

17. Olive oil

This stuff is liquid gold. In fact, it contains an anti-inflammatory component so strong that researchers liken it to aspirin. This may be one reason why people who follow a Mediterranean diet—a traditional way of eating that emphasizes olive oil along with produce, whole grains, and lean meat—have such low rates of heart disease and diabetes, both of which are linked with inflammation. Unlike butter, the good fat in olive oil won’t increase insulin resistance and may even help reverse it. A touch of olive oil also slows digestion, so your meal is less likely to spike your glucose. Dribble it on salads, baked potatoes, pasta…just about anything.

18. Peanut butter

One study found that eating peanut butter dampens the appetite for up to 2 hours longer than a low-fibre, high-carb snack, making this childhood favourite a grown-up weight-loss ally. The monounsaturated fats in PB also help control blood sugar. Looking for a new way to enjoy it? Try raw or steamed veggies with this peanut dip: Bring 2/3 cup water to boil in a saucepan, stir in 1/3 cup creamy PB, 1 clove minced garlic, 2 teaspoons fresh-grated ginger, 2 medium chopped scallions, 2 tablespoons of brown sugar, 2 tablespoons of soy sauce, and a dash of chili powder. Simmer 2 minutes, remove from heat, and stir in 1 tablespoon of lemon juice. Wait until it cools, then start dipping!

19. Whole-grain bread

Eating white bread is practically like eating table sugar when it comes to raising blood sugar. So if you eat a lot of it (and this includes bagels), simply switching to whole grain may improve your sensitivity to insulin. In one study of nearly 1,000 men and women, the higher their intake of whole grains, the greater their insulin sensitivity and blood-sugar stability. Don’t mistake any old brown bread, or even multigrain, for whole grain. If it doesn’t have the word “whole” in the first ingredient, don’t buy it. And look for the coarsest bread you can find; the coarseness will slow digestion.

20. Sweet potatoes

Choose a baked sweet potato instead of a baked white potato, and your blood sugar will rise about 30 percent less. Sweet potatoes are packed with nutrients and disease-fighting fibre, almost 40 percent of which is the soluble kind that lowers cholesterol and slows digestion. They’re also extra rich in carotenoids, orange and yellow pigments that play a role in helping the body respond to insulin. Plus, they’re full of the natural plant compound chlorogenic acid, which may help reduce insulin resistance.