Superfoods Part 6: Foods That Promote Gut Health

Superfoods Part 6: Foods That Promote Gut Health

by | Oct 25, 2021 | diet, digestion, gut health, immune system, nutrition, vitamins

woman with bag of groceries
This is the final installment of my first six-part series on superfoods, this time focussing on foods that promote gut health. I welcome you to read the other articles in the series, “What Is a Superfood and What Is So Super About Them?”, “Supercharge Your Diet with Superfoods for Weight Loss”, “Critical Superfoods for a Healthy Heart”, “Essential Superfoods for Diabetics and Pre-Diabetics”, and “Ten Essential Superfoods for Radiant Skin”.

The foods you feed your body play a big role in how well your body works and how healthy and well you feel. Some foods offer very little nutritional value, as you might have heard of “empty calories” while others contain high levels of vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients that boost health and help you tremendously . Eating these superfoods can play an important role in keeping your gut functioning at its best.

Your Digestive System

Your digestive system, also called your gastrointestinal system, or your gut, is important for turning food into fuel and helps keep you healthy. When you eat, food travels from your mouth, through your esophagus, to your stomach. From the stomach, food passes through your small intestine, large intestine or colon, and rectum, and passes out of your body through the anus when you go to the bathroom. Together, these organs form a tube stretching through your body that is about 30 feet long! Other organs, such as the gallbladder, liver, and pancreas also help with digestion by producing enzymes that break down food.

The primary role of the digestive system is breaking down proteins, carbohydrates, and fats into smaller pieces that the body’s cells can more easily absorb. However, the gut also performs several other jobs as well:

  • Absorbing vitamins and minerals
  • Soaking up water
  • Eliminating waste
  • Helping the immune system get rid of harmful germs
  • Communicating with the brain to control digestion, appetite, and emotions

Gut Bacteria

Another very important part of the digestive system is bacteria. Some bacteria, such as E. coli or Salmonella, can make you sick if you eat foods that are contaminated with them. However, other “good bacteria” live in our intestines and are very important for keeping us healthy. Their roles include:

  • Helping the body digest food
  • Crowding out more harmful bacteria
  • Keeping harmful substances from getting into the bloodstream
  • Helping form a barrier on the cells of the intestine
  • Boosting the immune system
  • Creating new vitamins that our bodies can use
  • Helping control appetite and how our body uses fat
  • Communicating with the brain in order to control moods and emotions
  • Helping the body fix damaged cells

The gut bacteria may also play a role in all sorts of different diseases, including cancer and asthma. Adopting habits that help gut bacteria thrive can help our bodies work properly and make us feel healthy.

Keeping Your Gut Healthy

belly
Many different lifestyle habits, including the foods we regularly eat, have a big impact on how our digestive systems and gut bacteria function. The choices we make can help make our health better or worse. Certain eating habits can optimize our guts. Eating smaller meals can make it easier for our bodies to digest foods. Eating more slowly and chewing food for longer amounts of time before swallowing can also break down food more efficiently and helps us swallow less air. Additionally, creating an eating schedule and having meals at the same times each day may help our guts work better. Other measures to keep your gut working at its best include:

  • Exercising: Getting a lot of physical activity helps the muscles in the digestive system move properly, encourages the growth of more healthy bacteria, and causes lower levels of inflammation in the gut.
  • Sleep: When you get regular sleep on a consistent schedule, your gut gets time to rest and reset. Lack of sleep can cause digestive system inflammation. People who don’t get good quality sleep are also more likely to have gastrointestinal diseases.
  • Lowering stress: High stress levels can make the cells in the intestines more “leaky,” leading more harmful substances to be absorbed into the bloodstream. Some people may often get constipation, diarrhea, or other symptoms of gut diseases during times of stress, because the digestive system isn’t working at its best. See my article, “How Stress Affects the Gut and What You Can Do About It” for more.

One of the biggest factors in how your digestive system and your gut bacteria function is the foods that you eat. Proper nutrition keeps you at your healthiest. This is where superfoods come in. Eating foods that are easily broken down by your gut, that keep the cells of your digestive system working properly, and that keep your gut bacteria healthy can help you get the most nutrition out of your food and prevent disease.

Digestive Disorders

When the organs of the digestive system stop working properly, several different diseases and conditions can occur. A couple of the most common are:

All of these conditions may have more specific treatments that help with specific symptoms. However, the food you eat also plays a big role in when and how often these symptoms come up. Eating some hard-to-digest or less nutritious foods can lead to frequent digestive issues. On the other hand, regularly eating nutrient-packed superfoods helps your gut work the way it’s supposed to.

Probiotics

Probiotic Food picture
You now know that healthy bacteria is one of the keys to a healthy gut. But where do these “good germs” come from? While babies pick up their first gut bacteria during or immediately after birth, adults can introduce more healthy bacteria into their systems using probiotics. Probiotics are live bacteria and yeasts that boost health. Eating foods that contain probiotics helps maintain a good balance of healthy bacteria in your system. These foods have been linked to a lower risk of diabetes, high blood pressure, and obesity. Probiotics may also help treat IBS symptoms, such as diarrhea.

What Foods Have Probiotics?

You can buy probiotics in supplement form, or you can get them from fermented superfoods. These include:

  • Cultured dairy products such as yogurt and kefir
  • Sourdough bread
  • Fermented cabbage like kimchi and sauerkraut (choose unpasteurized products in order to get probiotics)
  • Fermented soybean products like tempeh, miso, and natto
  • Kombucha (fermented tea)

Yogurt is one of the most widely available fermented superfoods. It is jam-packed with healthy bacteria. Choose yogurt brands that are labeled as having “live active cultures”. These cultures may include Lactobacillus, L. acidophilus, L. bulgaricus, or S. thermophilus. Yogurt makes for a great breakfast or afternoon snack. It can also be used in a sauce or a dip as a substitute for mayonnaise or sour cream. In addition to eating probiotic foods, you can also eat prebiotic foods to support gut health. While probiotics contain actual live bacteria, prebiotic foods help feed those bacteria. They can also help the body absorb nutrients such as calcium, decrease the risk of allergies, and improve the immune system. Some items that help good bacteria grow are oats, barley, cereals, dairy products, asparagus, artichokes, onions, garlic, bananas, beans, and honey.

Fiber

healthy produce and fish
Fiber is material that can’t be digested by the body. While it might seem odd to eat something that your body can’t absorb, fiber serves other important purposes. Fiber allows the digestive system to soak up more nutrients, feeds gut bacteria, and helps prevent constipation. Fiber has other benefits, too – it can help the body control cholesterol and blood sugar levels and reduce a person’s risk of conditions like diabetes and heart disease. There are two types of fiber, soluble and insoluble, and both are important for good health. Foods that come from plants that have a lot of fiber can also help build up a layer of mucus in the intestines. This is a good thing – it’s where the healthy bacteria live and work to digest food. Fibrous foods help build up this layer, while foods that are processed or have a lot of sugar wear down this layer. There is one caveat to eating a lot of fiber. Many high-fiber superfoods fall into a category called FODMAPs. FODMAPs are molecules found in certain fruits (apples, blackberries, cherries, dates, pears), certain vegetables (artichokes, asparagus, broccoli, cabbage, garlic, mushrooms, onion, peas), dairy products, beans, wheat, and some types of sweeteners (honey, high fructose corn syrup, sorbitol). FODMAPs are perfectly fine for most people to eat. However, some people, such as those with IBS, may be more sensitive to these foods and should eat them in lower amounts. If you want to avoid these foods, try to find other ways to get a lot of fiber into your diet.

Fiber-Filled Foods

Whole grains have large quantities of both soluble and insoluble fiber, in addition to B vitamins, phytonutrients, and iron. Whole grains use the entire kernel of the grain. Refined grains are more processed, which removes a lot of the fiber as well as vitamins and minerals. To get more whole grains into your diet, substitute them for refined grains – for example, use brown rice instead of white rice, or wheat bread or pasta instead of the regular variety. Or try reaching for oatmeal for breakfast, or popcorn for a snack. You can also try cooking up some new grains as a side dish, such as quinoa, bulgur, or wheat berries. Nuts, seeds, and legumes also have high levels of fiber. Legumes include foods like beans, lentils, peas, peanuts, and soybeans, and are often thought of as superfoods because of all the health benefits they provide. Many legumes can be easily incorporated into side dishes. Nuts and seeds also make for great salad toppers, or a filling snack in between meals. Fresh produce also contains a lot of fiber. Some high-fiber fruit and vegetable superfoods include:

  • Berries: In addition to fiber, berries often have other health-boosting nutrients like vitamin C and antioxidants. They can be easily added to any meal. Try topping yogurt, cereal, or oatmeal with blueberries or strawberries. Or blend frozen berries with other superfoods like yogurt, almond milk, or coconut water to make an extra nutritious smoothie. Add them to other meals by throwing them on top of salads or into desserts.
  • Leafy greens: Superfoods like spinach, kale, and collard greens have a lot of vitamins A, C, E, and K, B vitamins, calcium, iron, and magnesium. Make up a salad with some greens, sauté them in olive oil, or toss some in a soup for an easy superfood boost.
  • Cruciferous vegetables: Broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, and bok choy are a part of the cruciferous vegetable family. Some leafy greens like kale also fall into this category. Cruciferous vegetables contain immune-boosting phytochemicals as well as vitamins like folate and vitamin K. Try steaming, roasting, or stir-frying cruciferous vegetables as a side dish.

Polyphenols

Many plant-based superfoods contain polyphenols, antioxidants that repair damage and heal cells. When we eat these molecules, the cells of our intestines can’t absorb them very well, so they start piling up in the large intestine, where our gut bacteria use them as food and break them down so that our bodies can benefit from them. Polyphenols can help the digestive system in several ways. They can:

  • Help keep bad bacteria from growing
  • Encourage good bacteria to grow
  • Help bacteria form a stronger barrier in order to protect the intestines from damage
  • Boost metabolism and help fight diabetes, obesity, and high blood pressure
  • Reduce inflammation
  • Improve the immune system
  • Protect against colon cancer

Coffee and tea both contain different types of polyphenols. Many fruits also contain these molecules, especially blueberries, kiwis, apples, and reddish-colored fruits like strawberries, raspberries, cherries, and blackberries. Other foods with polyphenols are onions, soy, red wine, and dark chocolate.

Conclusion

model of a body
The health of your gut plays a role in the health of other systems of the body. A digestive system that works well can help fight off germs and prevent diseases. One great way to stay healthy is to eat a variety of different superfoods, including probiotics and foods that contain fiber and polyphenols. Making these foods part of your regular meals can help treat digestive disorders such as IBS and prevent other chronic diseases like heart disease, diabetes, and even cancer.

If you would like to discuss any digestive issues you may be experiencing with Dr. Connor, please make an appointment.

Superfoods Part 5: Ten Essential Superfoods for Radiant Skin

Superfoods Part 5: Ten Essential Superfoods for Radiant Skin

by | Sep 1, 2021 | diet, nutrition, skin health, vitamins

Young woman holding apple

This is the fifth article in my series on superfoods, with this one focussing on superfoods for healthy skin. I encourage you to visit the “Nutrition” section of Ask the Doctor for my other articles on superfoods.

You are what you eat. The foods that make up your diet can either supply your body with nutrients that help it work its best, or cause problems like damage and inflammation. You can help your skin become healthy, hydrated, and glowing by eating a lot of vitamin and antioxidant-packed superfoods.

Giving Your Skin Proper Building Blocks for Health

Why are certain foods better for your skin than others? While we may think of our skin as a single layer, it actually has seven layers and many different parts. In addition the skin is the largest organ in the body and is part of the integumentary system that also includes hair and nails.

Skin cells make up the outermost skin layer, called the epidermis. This layer protects the body, but is also most likely to be damaged by things like UV light from the sun.

Below the epidermis lies the dermis. This layer contains several things important for skin health, such as:

  • Sweat pores, which get rid of waste
  • Collagen and other proteins that give the skin structure and keep it firm but elastic
  • Immune cells, which fight off germs
  • Blood vessels that deliver nutrients and oxygen to the rest of the skin

Eating a balanced diet can help keep each of these components working properly.

1. Flax Seeds

Bowl of flaxseeds

Flax seeds are small brown or yellow seeds that are packed with nutrients. They are high in omega-3 fatty acids, which have many health benefits throughout the body. Research has found that omega-3 molecules can help the skin by:

In one study, people who ate more omega-3’s tended to have less skin aging associated with light damage. Other experiments have also found that omega-3’s can decrease skin irritation and redness and improve skin hydration and smoothness. Omega-3’s have other health benefits as well, such as boosted heart, brain, and eye health.

If you want to add flax seeds to your diet, try adding them to your breakfast by spooning a tablespoon on top of oatmeal or cereal. You can also add this superfood to yogurt or a smoothie, or bake them into breads, muffins, or even cookies! I often tell my patients to try them on salads as a crunchy topping as well. It is better to eat ground rather than whole flaxseeds, because your body can more easily digest and absorb nutrients from the ground form. Buy them pre-ground, or chop up whole seeds in a coffee grinder. You can also find omega-3s in seafood, plant oils such as canola oil, and in other nuts and seeds.

2. Salmon

Superfoods for Skin
Salmon is another excellent source of healthy omega-3 fatty acids. It is also a good source of protein, as well as several other molecules that promote healthy skin.

Salmon contains a lot of coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10). This molecule is a damage-fighting antioxidant. The human body can produce its own CoQ10, but levels tend to decrease with age, stress, and certain diseases. Therefore, eating food-based sources of CoQ10 may help keep us healthy as we get older. This enzyme can lead to healthier skin by protecting against damage and helping skin cells make more energy. In one study, people who took a CoQ10 supplement for 12 weeks had more elastic, smooth skin and fewer wrinkles.

Salmon is also full of selenium, a mineral that neutralizes damage-causing free radicals. It can help skin cells heal DNA damage and leads to less damage following exposure to UV light. The combination of CoQ10 with selenium may protect against many signs of aging, leading to more vitality and health, a better quality of life, and improved physical activity.

As if all of this weren’t enough, salmon has still more skin-boosting compounds. This superfood has a lot of vitamin D, which may help protect against some skin diseases. It’s a , which promote skin health and wound healing. Another antioxidant, astaxanthin, can increase the amount of collagen in the skin, leading to fewer wrinkles and rough spots and better elasticity.

3. Yogurt

Bowl of Yogurt

As we’ve discussed before, yogurt is a great source of probiotics, or the “good” bacteria that inhabit the gut and help your body work better. When it comes to your skin, eating these healthy microbes can balance your skin’s pH and improve its ability to act as a protective barrier. By calming inflammation and reducing stress, probiotics can also help fight acne. It may also help with skin conditions such as rosacea and dermatitis.

Yogurt also contains other nutrients that support skin health, like vitamin A, vitamin D, and B vitamins. For better results, avoid flavored yogurts, which tend to contain high levels of inflammation-promoting sugar. On the other hand, if you’re not a yogurt fan or have dietary restrictions to eating yogurt but still want a probiotic boost, look to other cultured or fermented foods such as miso, komboucha, sauerkraut, or kimchi. You can also consider probiotic supplements.

4. Oranges

Sliced orange
The skin normally contains a lot of vitamin C. This nutrient acts as an antioxidant and helps the skin build up more collagen. It may also play an important role in healing wounds once the skin is damaged. As a result, vitamin C is often added to skin products like creams and serums. However, some evidence also shows that eating foods with vitamin C can lead to skin health. For example, researchers in one study collected diet information from 4000 women. They found that women who ate more vitamin C-containing foods often had fewer wrinkles and less skin dryness.

Vitamin C is found at high levels in oranges and orange juice. Be careful when going the juice route, however – many fruit juices contain high levels of sugar, which isn’t good for the skin. Other citrus fruits like grapefruits also have a lot of vitamin C, as do kiwis, bell peppers, strawberries, and broccoli.

5. Tomatoes

Tomatoes

Did you know that a food’s color can sometimes tell you what nutrients it contains? Many red, orange, and yellow fruits and vegetables get their color from carotenoids. These molecules are very important for heart and eye health, and also help the skin.

Tomatoes contain high levels of one important carotenoid called lycopene. Scientists have found that when people eat more lycopene, their skin is smoother and appears more youthful. Eating lycopene or tomato-based products can even help people get less sunburned. It’s also possible that lycopene may also help prevent skin cancer.

The body can more easily absorb lycopene when tomatoes are cooked, especially when they’re cooked in olive oil. Try eating roasted tomatoes as a side, or make a sauce to serve over whole-wheat pasta. Tomatoes can also give you a good helping of vitamins A and C.

6. Sweet Potatoes

Sliced Sweet Potatoes
There are other carotenoids besides just lycopene. Sweet potatoes are a great source of beta-carotene, a carotenoid that the body transforms into vitamin A. Like lycopene, beta-carotene can also protect against sun damage and sunburn. It can also help the body make more collagen, leading to fewer wrinkles.

Getting high doses of beta-carotene may actually lead to increased damage, so it may be better to get this nutrient from foods rather than from supplements. In addition to sweet potatoes, you can get beta-carotene from superfoods like carrots, squash, and leafy greens like kale.

7. Avocadoes

Avocado
Avocadoes are a superfood powerhouse full of nutrients that are good for the skin. They are sources of healthy fats, including omega-3’s and vitamins C and E.

Some fats are healthier than others. Avocadoes contain a lot of monounsaturated fats, which are the building blocks of many different types of cells, including your skin cells. These monounsaturated fats improve the elastic quality of skin and can lead to fewer wrinkles when eaten more frequently.

The carotenoid zeaxanthin can also be found in avocadoes. It protects the skin from damage-causing light. Clinical trials have also shown that eating zeaxanthin as a supplement can lead to fewer facial lines and wrinkles.

Avocadoes are also high in lutein, yet another type of carotenoid. Lutein can help prevent eye disease and improve memory and thinking ability. It can filter out damage-causing ultraviolet light, protecting the skin. When carotenoids are eaten at the same meal as healthy fats, they work even better because the body can absorb them more easily. Avocadoes provide the perfect combination of these fats and carotenoids.

8. Broccoli

Broccoli

Broccoli is loaded with nutrients. Eating this superfood will provide your skin with vitamins A and C, as well as multiple carotenoids like lutein and beta-carotene.

Eating your broccoli is also a good way to get vitamin K. This nutrient plays a big role in blood clotting, and can help the skin repair wounds and bruises.

Broccoli contains the mineral zinc. Because the body can’t store zinc, we need to make sure we’re getting it regularly through our diets. Zinc helps the skin by:

  • Allowing skin cells to divide to produce new cells
  • Strengthening the immune system
  • Healing cells from damage
  • Smoothing the skin
  • Helping heal wounds

Finally, broccoli has sulforaphane, a molecule also found in other cruciferous vegetables like cabbage and bok choy. Research into sulforaphane is in the early stages, but some experts believe that it can protect the skin from sun damage and keep the skin looking more youthful. Some studies also show that sulforaphane can help protect against several different kinds of cancer, including skin cancer.

9. Green Tea

Cup of Green Tea
Green tea is a superfood with many health benefits. This brew contains a mixture of polyphenols, compounds that act as antioxidants to neutralize free radicals within cells. Like some of the other superfoods on this list, green tea uses these antioxidants to protect the skin from UV damage. Typically, when the skin is exposed to UV light from sources like direct sunlight or tanning beds, skin cells will turn on biological pathways that create inflammation and encourage the development of tumors. Polyphenols in green tea can help turn down these processes.

In one study of 60 women, those who drank green tea had less redness after being exposed to UV light. These women also had better blood flow in the skin, meaning that their skin cells could get more oxygen, and had smoother, better hydrated skin. In mouse studies, green tea polyphenols can also help prevent skin cancer, although this effect hasn’t yet been well studied in humans.

You can also find some of these polyphenols in dark chocolate and red wine. However, eating too much sugar or drinking too much alcohol can also have negative effects on the skin, so these may not be the best sources for getting skin-boosting polyphenols on a regular basis. Replacing a cup of coffee or bottle of soda with green tea can help give your skin a healthy boost.

10. Turmeric

Turmeric spilling out of bowl

Turmeric is a spice that is a part of the ginger family. It is traditionally used in Indian, Southeast Asian, and Middle Eastern cuisines in curries and rice dishes. Turmeric contains the molecule curcumin, which has been studied in recent years for a large variety of health benefits.

Curcumin can turn on antioxidants within skin cells, helping them better respond to stress and damage. This helps cells resist stress and stay healthy. This molecule also helps cells build up new collagen, which is important for both wound healing and for keeping the skin firm and wrinkle-free. Finally, early research has found that curcumin can help reduce the symptoms of certain skin disorders, such as psoriasis and dermatitis.

Turmeric also contains another useful compound called silymarin. The milk thistle plant is the primary source of silymarin, but the molecule is also found in some other vegetables and spices. Silymarin plays a protective role in the skin and also helps prevent collagen from breaking down. The combination of silymarin and curcumin also helped block cancerous cells in laboratory experiments, but this has not yet been tested in humans.

Try adding turmeric to rice, quinoa, soups, stews, or curries. You can also blend turmeric into a smoothie or whisk into eggs for a superfoods breakfast.

Conclusion

Start early! If you’re younger, eating a healthy diet can help your skin continue to look radiant and healthy for the long term. If some signs of aging have already begun to appear on your face, there are still things you can do to slow or even reverse damage. Eating a variety of nutrient-packed superfoods on a regular basis can help build up the health of skin cells and the underlying dermal layer, and keep your skin looking and functioning at its best.

If you would like to discuss your skin, or treatments that we offer, such as microneedling with Skin Pen, please contact our office to make an appointment.

7 Health Habits Worse Than Fast Food (Eat This Not That! article)

7 Health Habits Worse Than Fast Food (Eat This Not That! article)

by | Aug 18, 2021 | diet, sleep

7 Health Habits Worse Than Fast Food (from Eat This, Not That!)

“There are a whole lot of other bad choices we’re making, and, over time, they are possibly doing a lot more damage than an occasional cheeseburger. Read on for 7 habits worse than fast food—and to ensure your health and the health of others.” Look for Dr. Connor quoted in the article!

To further discuss, make an appointment with Dr. Connor.

7 Health Habits Worse Than Fast Food
8 Ways You’re Ruining Your Body, According to Science (Eat This Not That! article)

8 Ways You’re Ruining Your Body, According to Science (Eat This Not That! article)

by | Aug 16, 2021 | diet, sleep

8 Ways You’re Ruining Your Body, According to Science (from Eat This, Not That!)

“We’re all trying to do our best when it comes to staying healthy. But it seems that sometimes it’s a losing battle—we try to eat right and exercise, yet we’re still not feeling our best. Turns out there are a lot of other things we are doing to ourselves that aren’t helping—from not getting enough sunlight or sleep to just not coping well with stress.” Look for Dr. Connor quoted in the article!

To further discuss, make an appointment with Dr. Connor.

8 Ways You're Ruining Your Body, According to Science
The Biggest Health Myths of All Time (Health Central article)

The Biggest Health Myths of All Time (Health Central article)

by | Jul 27, 2021 | diet, skin health

The Biggest Health Myths of All Time

There are a lot of urban myths out there such as:  If you drop food on the floor and pick it up within three seconds, is it still OK to eat it? Should only women over 40 years old use a retinol? Do eating carrots improve vision? Can blue light from screens damage your eyes? Determine what is fact and what is fiction by reading what the experts say. Our own Dr. Connor is quoted in this Health Central article. 

To further discuss, make an appointment with Dr. Connor.

The Biggest Health Myths of All Time
Superfoods Part 4: Essential Superfoods for Diabetics and Pre-Diabetics

Superfoods Part 4: Essential Superfoods for Diabetics and Pre-Diabetics

by | Jul 19, 2021 | diabetes, diet, nutrition

Superfoods for prediabetes and diabetes
This article is part of my series on superfoods. Learn more about superfoods, superfoods for weight loss, and critical superfoods for a healthy heart. Stay tuned for more to come in this series.

Diabetes occurs when the body can’t process carbohydrates and sugars as well as it should. The foods that we eat can play a big role in preventing and managing this condition. Turning to superfoods is a great, nutritious way to get your metabolism working more efficiently.

Is Diabetes Something You Need to Be Concerned About?

The older you get, the higher your risk for developing chronic conditions such as diabetes, so it’s important to learn more about how to protect your health and wellness as you age.

There are a few different types of diabetes. Type 1 diabetes is a condition that you are usually diagnosed with when you are younger, although this is changing as there are many adults who have a new diagnosis of this type of diabetes. People with this disease cannot make any insulin, a hormone that helps the body use sugar as fuel. People with type 2 diabetes may produce some insulin, but their body does not use the insulin hormone very well. Additionally, gestational diabetes is a third form of this disease that may be diagnosed when a person is pregnant. All of these forms of diabetes cause a person to have high levels of blood sugar, which can damage the body and lead to further health problems down the road.

It’s also important to be aware of a condition of elevated blood sugar that does not meet the criteria for a diagnosis of “diabetes.” This condition is sometimes called “prediabetes”. People with this condition have slightly elevated blood sugar levels, and have a higher chance of developing type 2 diabetes, heart disease, or stroke. While one out of every three Americans has “prediabetes”, the vast majority of them don’t know it! For this reason and many other reasons, it is very important to get your blood sugar checked at regular physical exams so that you have a better idea of whether you may be at risk and to get the information you need to stay healthy.

Risk Factors for Diabetes

If you have any of the following factors, your risk of getting type 2 diabetes may be higher:

  • You have prediabetes
  • You are overweight or obese
  • You are at least 45 years old
  • You have a close family member, such as a parent or sibling, who was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes
  • You don’t get very much exercise
  • You are Black, Hispanic or Latino, Native American, or Alaska Native

Controlling Your Diabetes Risk

If you want to reduce your chances of being diagnosed with diabetes, you can make some lifestyle changes. Getting more physical activity and losing extra weight is a great place to start. Additionally, if you eat a more nutritious diet, you can better control your blood sugar levels. This can help you prevent or manage diabetes.

Superfoods are a great way to eat better. There isn’t one official definition that says which foods count as “superfoods,” but in general this label is given to foods that are jam-packed with nutrients that your body needs in order to stay healthy. Many superfoods can help keep your body’s blood sugar levels in a more normal range.

Superfoods for Better Blood Sugar Levels

Superfoods for Diabetes
The foods you eat have a big effect on how stable your blood sugar levels are. Certain food choices are better than others when it comes to avoiding high blood sugar spikes or low blood sugar crashes.

Why Is Controlling Blood Sugar Levels Important?

When we eat food, the body breaks down carbohydrates into smaller sugar molecules, which enter the bloodstream. For most people, the pancreas makes insulin and sends it around the body. Insulin then helps the cells in different organs absorb sugar from the blood and convert it into energy. After a meal, blood sugar levels rise temporarily and then eventually go back to normal as sugar is removed from the blood.

In people with diabetes, who don’t make or cannot use insulin, cells can’t absorb sugar. These sugar molecules stay in the blood for longer periods of time, and often reach high levels. Additionally, diabetes makes a person more likely to have blood sugar levels that get too low if they miss a meal, take too much medication, or exercise a lot.

The Glycemic Index

Overall, the goal is to keep blood levels stable. You can do this by paying attention to the glycemic index of the carbohydrates that you eat.

Foods that contain carbohydrates include grains (bread, cereal, pasta, rice), fruits and fruit juices, starchy vegetables (potatoes, corn, peas), dairy products, foods with fiber (beans and lentils), sugary desserts and snacks, and sugary drinks.

The glycemic index (GI) is a number that rates all carbs on a scale from 0 to 100. Low GI foods:

  • Take longer for the body to break down, and require your body to actually work harder to break down these types of foods
  • Cause your blood sugar to rise slowly and steadily
  • Give you longer-lasting energy
  • Make you feel full for a longer period of time

On the other hand, high GI foods:

  • Increase your blood sugar levels very quickly, and then rapidly drop those blood sugar levels back down to low levels
  • Make you crave more carbohydrate-rich foods once your blood sugar levels plunge
  • Make you more likely to overeat or to eat when you are not truly hungry

When people with diabetes eat mostly low GI foods, they have better control over their blood sugar levels. One of the reasons many superfoods are so good for you is because they have a low GI.

Whole Grains

Whole grains, as opposed to refined or processed grains, contain high levels of fiber. Fiber is a type of complex carbohydrate that has a low GI. Your body can’t completely break down fiber, so it doesn’t make your blood sugar levels increase as much. People who eat high levels of fiber have a lower chance of becoming diabetic. In particular, people who eat at least three servings of whole grains per day have a 20-30% lower chance of getting diabetes.

When people with diabetes eat low GI, whole grain foods on a regular basis, they also have lower levels of inflammation. This can help fight obesity, high blood pressure, and heart disease, and help the body become more responsive to insulin.

Most whole-grain foods can be considered a superfood, not only because of their fiber content, but also because of their high levels of B vitamins, iron, zinc, magnesium, and antioxidants. Examples of whole grains are:

  • Whole-wheat pasta, or baked goods like bread or crackers made with whole-wheat flour
  • Brown rice
  • Grains often served for breakfast, such as steel-cut oats, stone-ground grits, or amaranth
  • Grains that are often prepared as sides, such as quinoa, barley, millet, or bulgur
  • Popcorn

Low GI Superfood Fruits

Some superfood fruits have a low GI, while other potentially less healthy fruits have a higher GI. A fruit’s GI is primarily based on how much fiber the fruit contains. Some fruits have more fiber, and therefore, a lower GI.

Eating low GI fruit helps people with diabetes lower their blood sugar and blood pressure levels. Examples of low GI fruits are:

  • Apples
  • Pears
  • Oranges, grapefruit, tangerines, and other citrus fruits
  • Berries such as strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, and cranberries
  • Peaches
  • Plums
  • Nectarines

Berries may also provide diabetics with additional benefits. They contain antioxidants that have shown the ability to improve insulin and cholesterol levels, and are linked to a lower likelihood of developing diabetes.

To get the maximum amount of fiber from your fruits, try strategies like:

  • Eating whole fruits rather than drinking fruit juice. Juice has had most of the fiber removed, and often has added sugars, meaning that it has less nutrients and a higher GI.
  • Avoiding fruit products like canned fruits that contain added sugar.
  • Eating fruit with the skin on, if it’s edible.

The Power of Legumes

Legumes – beans, lentils, and peas – are superfoods that offer a ton of nutritional benefits. They also contain high levels of fiber, making them a good low GI food option. Other nutrients found in legumes include:

  • Protein
  • B vitamins
  • Copper
  • Iron
  • Magnesium
  • Manganese
  • Zinc
  • Phosphorus

In one study of over 100 people with diabetes, those who ate at least one cup of legumes per day had lower blood sugar levels and a reduced chance of developing heart disease.

However, despite these health benefits, on any given day only about 8% of Americans say they eat legumes. Get more of these superfoods by adding black beans, kidney beans, chickpeas, cannellini beans, pinto beans, soybeans, and lentils to your meals.

Other Superfoods for Diabetics

Superfoods for Diabetes

In addition to eating more low GI foods, people with prediabetes or diabetes can make other dietary changes. There are many more nutritious superfoods that can be beneficial to people watching their blood sugar levels.

Fatty Fish

While many different types of seafood can be a part of a healthy diet, fish with a high fat content are typically the only ones to receive the “superfood” label. This is because these fish contain the highest levels of omega-3, a healthy form of fat.

Omega-3’s are great for the heart. This is especially good news for diabetics, who have a higher chance of heart disease and stroke. There is some evidence that omega-3’s may also help prevent other health conditions, including certain types of cancer and Alzheimer’s disease, although research has found conflicting results.

When diabetics eat fatty fish on a regular basis, their bodies can better control blood sugar levels. However, this result is not seen when people with diabetes or elevated blood sugar levels eat large amounts of lean, non-fatty fish.

Fatty superfood fish include:

  • Salmon
  • Mackerel
  • Tuna
  • Herring
  • Sardines

Eggs

This superfood is a great way to start your day. Eggs may help with weight loss, which is important for preventing and managing diabetes. Scientific studies have found that eggs can:

Eggs can also specifically help with diabetes. When diabetic folks eat two eggs per day, they tend to have lower cholesterol, blood sugar, insulin, and blood pressure levels. Replacing a carb-heavy breakfast with eggs may be a good way to improve the way your body processes food.

Leafy Greens

While these veggies do contain a small amount of carbohydrates, they are considered a low GI food and won’t significantly change blood sugar levels. Additionally, leafy green vegetables provide a lot of vitamin C, which is particularly important for people with diabetes.

Spinach, kale, chard, and other leafy greens also contain antioxidants like lutein and zeaxanthin, which can improve eye health. It’s important for people with diabetes to take care of their eyes, because they are more likely to have eye problems.

Yet another nutrient provided by leafy green superfoods is vitamin K. This key vitamin can help the body make better use of insulin, reduce inflammation, and decrease diabetes risk.

Tree Nuts

Tree nuts, including almonds, walnuts, pistachios, cashews, hazelnuts, and pecans, have low levels of carbohydrates. They also contain some of the same nutrients as many of the other foods on this list, including protein, fiber, and omega-3’s.

Scientific research has found that tree nuts can help people with diabetes in several ways:

  • When nuts are eaten along with carbohydrates, the blood sugar doesn’t spike as much as when carbohydrates are eaten alone.
  • Some research has shown that nuts can decrease appetite and calm inflammation.
  • A clinical trial found that eating a lot of almonds every day led to lower cholesterol, insulin, and blood sugar levels.
  • When people with diabetes ate walnut oil every day in one study, they had better blood sugar levels.
  • A study of over 16,000 diabetics found that people who ate more tree nuts were less likely to have heart disease.

Yogurt

Eating this superfood may be a good way to stave off diabetes. Research has found that people who eat 80-125 grams of yogurt per day are 14% less likely to develop this health condition. In particular, dairy products with high levels of protein may be extra effective at preventing diabetes. Eating Greek yogurt gives you more protein per serving, and often contains less sugar, too.

Other fermented superfoods, including kefir, sauerkraut, and kimchi, may also help prevent diabetes. These foods supply the body with healthy bacteria that can help improve the body’s metabolism.

Conclusion

People with diabetes need to be especially careful to make sure that the foods they eat aren’t causing problems with blood sugar levels. Many superfoods can help by keeping these levels more stable and helping the body better respond to insulin. Whether you’re worried about developing diabetes in the future, or are trying to manage this condition right now, eating more superfoods every day can give you better health benefits.
Make an appointment with Dr. Connor to further discuss how superfoods can benefit your health.

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