Contents:
- Medical Video: Is Quinoa Good For Diabetes?
- Quinoa at a glance
- The benefits of quinoa in controlling blood sugar
- A safe guide to eating quinoa for diabetics
Medical Video: Is Quinoa Good For Diabetes?
Diabetic patients (diabetics) must really maintain their diet so that their blood sugar stays normal. No need to be confused if the doctor asks you to reduce eating rice. The reason is, you can switch to quinoa, one of the best foods for healthy and filling diabetic patients. What are the benefits of quinoa for diabetics?
Quinoa at a glance
Today, quinoa is very popular as a staple food for rice. Because, Quinoa is alleged to have a nutritional value that is beneficial for health, especially for people with diabetes.
Actually, quinoa is not a grain group, but rather pseudo-cereal, namely plants that are processed and consumed as cereals and seeds. However, if you look at the nutritional content, quinoa is still considered as whole wheat which can be used as an alternative to other staple foods, both white rice, bread, or pasta.
Compared to other types of grains, quinoa contains more protein, antioxidants, minerals, and fiber. Quinoa is also free of gluten aliasesgluten free, so it's very safe for those of you who have gluten allergies from wheat or Celiac disease.
The benefits of quinoa in controlling blood sugar
Foods with a high glycemic index are the biggest enemies of diabetics. The higher the glycemic index in food, the faster the food is digested and accelerates the increase in blood sugar. The symptoms of your diabetes are getting worse.
Eating quinoa can be one solution to help control blood sugar, especially in people affected by diabetes. This is because quinoa has a glycemic index of 53, which means it is quite low compared to other staple foods so it will not make blood sugar rise quickly.
You also do not need to worry about the carbohydrate content. Every 100 grams of cooked quinoa contains about 21.3 grams of carbohydrates. While at the same dose, white rice contains around 28.73 grams of carbohydrate, higher than quinoa. What's more, white rice is another food that has a high glycemic index so that its effect on blood sugar levels increases very quickly.
The benefits of quinoa did not stop there, you know. Quoted from Healthline, this healthy food also contains all kinds of essential amino acids. This makes quinoa more nutrient dense because the protein content is very complete compared to other grains.
High fiber content in quinoa can slow down the digestive process of food in the body. Not only makes you full quickly, it can also make your blood sugar easier to control.
A safe guide to eating quinoa for diabetics
After learning about the benefits of quinoa for diabetics, you don't need to hesitate to replace white rice with quinoa. You don't need to worry about being hungry, because quinoa actually makes you full faster.
To serve one serving of quinoa as a healthy breakfast menu, you only need one third of a cup or about 76 grams of cooked quinoa. Each serving of quinoa contains 15 grams of carbohydrates that are safe for your blood sugar.
The way to make it is the same as when you cook rice. Simply mix 1 cup of quinoa with 2 cups of water, then boil for 10 to 15 minutes until the quinoa expands. The ripe sign of quinoa is when the quinoa skin starts to detach from the grain.
To make it taste healthier and more appetizing, add fruits, vegetables, or nuts to a bowl of quinoa. If you are still confused about how much to eat quinoa in a day, ask for the help of a nutritionist to measure it.
