Toby Smithson

Some foods are just big-time healthy, and with diabetes so closely connected to food and nutrition, these are the foods you want to incorporate into your daily eating habits.Oats are a whole grain, so they are a great start toward healthy right off the bat.Oats are most noted for bringing a specific soluble fiber called beta-glucans to the rescue.

Much about managing diabetes can be costly, but food doesn’t need to be one of them. A diet that’s right for diabetes is a diet that’s right for virtually anyone, and there are enough foods that fit the bill for blood glucose control and heart health that your budget can remain flexible, and your choices are still many.

An elevated body mass index (BMI), where body weight to height falls into the overweight, obese, or even higher category on that scale, is very common among people with type 2 diabetes, and it isn’t just a coincidence. Excess weight is a distinct risk factor for developing type 2 diabetes, and excess weight makes blood glucose more difficult to control after diabetes is diagnosed.

One trick to eating healthier is keeping diabetic-friendly choices available at all times. You can fight the urge to hit the fast-food drive-through and instead whip up a convenient and healthy breakfast, lunch, dinner, or snack if you keep the right foods handy. Some healthy foods to always have on hand in your pantry include: Olive oil or canola oil for healthy, unsaturated fats Egg substitute for the high-quality egg white protein without the fat and cholesterol Frozen fruits and vegetables for healthy choices at every meal Herbs and spices, fresh or dried, to replace salt with intense flavors Whole-grain, high-fiber tortillas for sandwich-like lunches without the full amount of carbohydrates in bread Canned tuna (in water) to have healthy seafood available anytime — aim to eat seafood twice each week Almonds, walnuts, or peanuts for healthy fats Black beans (or your favorite beans) for healthy carbohydrate, protein, and soluble fiber Buy no-added-salt varieties of canned beans Low-fat dairy products, including 1 percent or skim milk, and no-fat regular or Greek yogurt.

Preparation for diabetes meal planning and nutrition starts with a very minor kitchen makeover. Your kitchen should be set up for ease of food preparation, and that includes everything from measuring cups and scales to the right ingredients. Preparing food at home more often than not simply makes diabetes management easier, so your kitchen should make food preparation convenient.

A heart-healthy diet can help prevent the complications of diabetes for years to come. Part of that healthy diet is learning to manage your intake of carbohydrate foods. You can do a lot to help your body work better by adopting and sticking to a heart-healthy diet. When it comes to diabetes, food is medicine.

Many people with diabetes think that they can't have "fun food," such as good breads or sweet and creamy ice cream. With a little tweaking and swapping, you can enjoy many different kinds of foods that you might have believed were off limits! Ice cream: Choose low-fat, no-sugar-added ice cream and count the carbohydrates.

You can use the health benefits of leisure and laughter to diabetes as your justification for a vacation or even a relaxing night with a funny movie. If that doesn't seem like an excuse anyone would really buy, maybe some evidence can help your case. The negative effect of stress on health, especially the kind of chronic stress that often goes hand in hand with diabetes, is well established.

Healthcare professionals could probably put together a list of 1,000 myths and inaccuracies surrounding diabetes, and new ones pop up regularly in patient interactions. Nutrition inaccuracies may not rise to the level of mythical, but in this information age there is a self-proclaimed expert around every turn.