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- Want To ‘Reverse’ Type 2 Diabetes? Add These 4 High-Fiber Foods To Your Diet: Black Beans, More (shefinds.com)
Fighting Type 2 Diabetes? These Foods Can Help
Type 2 diabetes is a chronic condition affecting how the body processes blood sugar. Often linked to insulin resistance and lifestyle factors like poor diet and inactivity, it can be managed, and sometimes even reversed, through dietary changes. High-fiber foods are key, stabilizing blood sugar, improving insulin sensitivity, and promoting fullness.
Registered dietitian Charmaine Ha Dominguez, MPH, RDN, recommends four high-fiber foods for managing, and potentially reversing, type 2 diabetes: black beans, broccoli, edamame, and blueberries.
Black Beans: Loaded with soluble fiber, black beans slow digestion and sugar absorption, preventing blood sugar spikes. They also have a low glycemic index, promoting a gradual rise in blood glucose. Dominguez notes that black beans are “extremely high in soluble fiber, which can help lower blood lipids, helping you reverse insulin resistance,” adding that their magnesium content supports glucose metabolism.
Broccoli: This low-calorie, low-carb vegetable is high in fiber, slowing digestion and preventing blood sugar spikes. According to Dominguez, broccoli’s chromium content supports glucose metabolism and helps stabilize blood sugar.
Edamame: These young soybeans are packed with fiber, slowing sugar absorption and maintaining steady blood sugar levels. Their plant-based protein also promotes satiety, reducing overeating and supporting weight loss – important factors for improving insulin sensitivity. Dominguez points out that edamame’s high protein and fiber content helps stabilize blood sugar.
Blueberries: Rich in antioxidants, especially anthocyanins, blueberries improve insulin sensitivity and reduce inflammation. Dominguez highlights their ability to lower fasting insulin and glucose, and improve insulin sensitivity.