Unless you are a vegetarian Meat has a huge role to play in every diet. That being said when you have diabetes you have to pay attention to a few other things as well such as cholesterol levels, saturated fat levels, and calorie count.
Most meats contain a healthy serving of fat; meaning more calories. One shouldn’t cut out fat completely out of their diet, because when it comes to meat fat can add flavoring, texture and richness to foods. It also makes you fell full and satisfied. Primarily because meat is much harder to eat than vegetables. And the longer you chew on something the more your brain recreates to thinking you are getting fuller.
The Fat content from meats also helps the body absorb fat – through various soluble vitamins; vitamin A and vitamin E.
Here are a few tips that Diabetics should keep their eyes out for.
Cut Back on Saturated Fat
Too much saturated fat is terrible long term for your health. It is a culprit in leading to heart problems whether it comes from meat of full-fat dairy products such as cheese. Too much Saturated fat raises the “bad” LDL cholesterol; this is the bad kind which leads to clogged blood vessels and the end result most of the time is either a heart attack or stroke. Heart Attack and Stroke is always a risk for diabetics but Saturated Fat can also increase insulin resistance which makes controlling ones blood sugar much more difficult.
Low in Saturated Fat
As a general rule of thumb a diabetic should choose meats that are relatively low in saturated fats. And if you do choose to make a steak or pork chop remember to trim the access fat of the piece of meat before you serve it.
Eat skinless chicken, choose low fat dairy foods and products. Instead of 2% milk try Skim Milk which is virtually fat-free.
