Diabetes management starts with the consumption of wholegrains.


While we do not know the exact reason, it is believed that eating whole grains can help you control your blood glucose levels. The bran and fibre in wholegrains take a longer time to digest. This leads to a lower and slower spike in your blood glucose levels, thereby putting less stress on your body to produce insulin.

In addition, wholegrains are rich in vitamins, minerals and phytochemicals that may help reduce the risk of Type 2 diabetes[2].

Eating more wholegrains also:

  • helps you to lose weight
  • lowers your bad cholesterol
  • increases your good cholesterol

To reap these benefits, add more wholegrains to your meals!

Related: You Are What You Eat

5 Tips for Adding More Wholegrains to Your Meals

Examples of One Serving of Wholegrains 
  1. Always talk to your doctor or healthcare team before you make any change to your meal plan.
  2. Instead of eating refined starchy carbohydrates, choose wholegrain carbohydrates. For example, replace white rice with brown rice and white bread with wholemeal bread.
  3. Make the change slowly. Give yourself time to get used to the taste of whole grains.

For example:

    • Mix brown rice with white rice when cooking for your family.
    • Make an interesting sandwich using one slice of white bread and another slice of wholemeal bread.
    • Have wholegrain cereals (rolled oats) with low-fat milk for breakfast.
    • Try a variety of whole grains to make your snacks and meals more interesting (e.g. wholegrain chapatti, wholemeal pasta and biscuits).
  1. Read food labels when you shop. Foods high in whole grains usually have "wholegrain" appearing as the first item on the ingredient list.

Or lookout for the Healthier Choice Symbol when doing your grocery shopping.

Choose wholegrains products with the healthier choice symbol. 
  1. When eating out, choose hawker centres and dining outlets that serve whole grains such as brown rice. Look out for the ‘wholegrain identifier’ label which is usually displayed at the stall front.
Look out for food products that are wholegrains friendly.  

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References

  1. Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. (n.d.) Simple Steps to Preventing Diabetes.
    Retrieved Oct 2016 from https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/diabetes-prevention/preventing-diabetes-full-story/#diet
  2. Ludwig, D. S. (2002, May 8). The glycemic index: physiological mechanisms relating to obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. Journal of the American Medical Association, 287(18), p.2414-243
    Retrieved Oct 2016 from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11988062