Stay away from obesity and diabetes. No need to avoid starch.

Eating and drinking too much in winter can easily cause your weight and blood sugar to soar. If you don’t want your weight and blood sugar to soar, do you have to avoid eating starchy foods? Which type of food is high in sugar and calories and must be eaten with caution?

If you are afraid of getting fat and having high blood sugar, whole grains and root vegetables such as white rice, brown rice, bread, noodles, potatoes, and taro, which are high in starch, are dietary landmines. It is best to avoid them and eat less! "This is a saying that is often circulated among the people.

In fact, nutrients from the six major food groups, such as whole grains and tubers, fruits, low-fat dairy products, beans, fish, meat, eggs, vegetables, oils, and nuts and seeds, are all nutrients that humans must consume to maintain health and none of them can be missing.

However, after middle age, people often suffer from overweight and high blood sugar. When taking in three major categories of nutrients with high sugar content, namely whole grains, root vegetables, fruits, and milk, they must know how to make good use of dietary techniques. In this issue, nutritionist Liu Lijuan, who specializes in dietary guidance and healthy weight loss, shares health tips for maintaining a slim body and stable blood sugar.

Whole grains and roots, can be eaten flexibly

Do you know what your fasting blood sugar level is? The normal blood sugar level when drawing blood after fasting for eight hours is below 100 mg/100 ml (100 mg/dL). Two hours after taking the first bite of a meal, your blood sugar level should return to normal. If the fasting blood sugar level exceeds 126 mg/100 ml, the random blood sugar concentration is greater than 200 mg/100 ml, and there are significant symptoms of diabetes, then the diagnostic criteria for diabetes are met.

Many middle-aged people, especially those with great work pressure, have not yet reached the stage of diabetes, but during health checks, their fasting and postprandial blood sugar levels are already in the red, so they need to change their lifestyle. At this time, it is very important to start with a nutritious diet, because diet can prevent and assist in the treatment of diseases.

Foods containing sugar (carbohydrates) will cause blood sugar to rise. Among the six major food categories, whole grains and root vegetables containing polysaccharides, and fruits containing glucose and fructose have the highest sugar content, containing 15 grams of sugar per serving. Lactose-containing milk comes in second, with 12 grams of sugar per serving.

But it does not mean that whole grains, root vegetables, fruits and dairy products are completely off-limits. Instead, they need to be eaten skillfully. For example: Each serving of whole grains and root vegetables is equivalent to approximately 1/4 bowl of rice, 7 water chestnuts, 2 large baking soda crackers, 1/2 slice of toast, 1/2 bowl of pumpkin, and 1/3 bowl of taro. If you originally eat a bowl of rice for a meal, and you want to eat pumpkin at the same time, you can eat half a bowl of rice and a bowl of pumpkin, or you can not eat rice and eat two bowls of pumpkin instead. Different staple foods can be alternated with each other very flexibly.

No more than two servings of fruit per day

If you are afraid of getting fat or worried about high blood sugar, you should pay special attention to eating a moderate amount of fruit. Because the sugars in fruits are easier for the human body to digest and absorb than whole grains and roots. It is generally recommended not to exceed 2 servings per day. Each serving of fruit is approximately equal to 13 grapes, 1 fist-sized orange or 1 small Fuji apple, 1/2 banana, and 1/3 of a Thai guava. It is also best to prepare the daily serving size in advance and control your intake. Never wash and cut a large plate and eat it all in one go.

It is recommended to consume more foods high in fiber, especially foods rich in water-soluble fiber, such as oats, apples and legumes. Moderate intake can maintain stable blood sugar. As for people who are used to drinking energy soup, they should discuss with a nutritionist how to adjust the content of the energy soup to avoid unknowingly drinking too much sugar.

Read nutrition labels, don’t just focus on calories

Modern people inevitably eat out and it is unlikely that they can cook every meal themselves. When purchasing fresh food bento for lunch, afternoon tea or snacks, it is advisable to read the nutrition label carefully. In addition to paying attention to the total calories, the amount of saturated fat, trans fat, carbohydrates, sugar and sodium are all very important. Saturated fat and trans fat in fat not only increase the risk of obesity, but also affect cardiovascular health.

The sugar in processed foods, including the sugar in sugary drinks, is often high-fructose corn syrup, which is high in added sugar and low in cost. It is mainly metabolized by the liver into triglycerides, which can easily lead to fatty liver, increase dyslipidemia, and affect blood sugar, which is harmful to health.

The normal sweetness of sugary drinks is about 10 grams of sugar per 100 ml, which is equivalent to 70 grams of sugar in a 700 ml cup of sugary drink. Drinking one more cup a day can make you gain 1 kilogram in just one month. If you must drink sugary drinks, try to choose those with less sugar rather than full sugar. For water intake, it is recommended to choose plain water, sugar-free beverages or beverages flavored with sugar substitutes, which will not increase calorie intake.

People with obesity problems often have poor insulin function. If they gradually lose about 7% of their body weight by adjusting their diet, they can improve insulin function and achieve healthier body condition and blood sugar levels. It is recommended to weigh yourself right after getting up and going to the toilet every day, which is the best way to understand the changes in your weight.

In addition to dietary adjustments, exercising for at least 150 minutes a week can increase insulin sensitivity and make insulin more effective. For example, when commuting to and from get off work, you can take public transportation and walk to the bus stop or MRT station, or get off one or two stops early and walk home. If you walk until you are out of breath and sweat a little, you can increase your daily exercise. This is very suitable for people who don’t have time to go to the gym.

The National Health Service provides free health checks for adults over 40 years old, which include screenings for blood sugar, blood fats, blood pressure, etc., and can also be used.

【Extended Reading】3 Tips to Maintain Stable Blood Sugar

Six major food categories, including whole grains and root vegetables, fruits, milk, beans, fish, meat, eggs, vegetables, oils and nuts and seeds, are all very important to health. You can ask a nutritionist to make portion recommendations based on your personal health, and then master these three tips to maintain a healthy weight and stable blood sugar.

1. Weigh yourself directly after getting up and going to the toilet every day to best understand changes in your weight.

2. When eating out, it is important to read the nutrition label carefully and pay attention to the total calories, carbohydrates, saturated fat, trans fat, sugar, and sodium.

3. For water intake, it is recommended to choose boiled water or sugar-free drinks. If you really want to drink sugary drinks, it is better to choose those with little sugar rather than those with full sugar.

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