If you have a family member or friend who is diabetic, you may wonder what you can buy them, especially when they are one of those people who seemingly have everything. It's usually then that they only want consumables, something to eat or drink. One of the biggest online searches people with diabetes make is €snacks for diabetics.€ You can be sure if others are looking for healthy treats for diabetics, your friends or family members will too. And when you have discovered some of the best snacks for diabetes, your popularity rating will definitely improve.
Here are 5 tips for edible diabetic gifts.
Biltong & Dried Wors
Of all the options for edible gifts for diabetics, biltong and dried wors have to take first prize. These have to be the best snacks for diabetics. Containing either very little or absolutely no carbohydrates at all, they get full marks for being diabetic friendly. One of the new innovations is being able to give biltong gift hampers. Available online from Biltong SA, you can have them delivered anywhere in South Africa. This means that you can shop from the comfort of your home and either have the gift delivered to you, so you can proudly give it to the recipient yourself, or you can have it delivered directly to them. That's a great surprise for any occasion.
Fruit
One of the most important things you need to know when it comes to giving diabetic gifts is that their blood sugar level has to remain as stable as possible. So to start with avoid giving, so called 'healthy' gifts such as fruit baskets or packets of dried fruit. It may seem like a good idea, but fruit contains a lot of sugar and dried fruit even more. So that's not the right route to go. If you are sending a hamper or gift pack to a diabetic after surgery for example, make sure you select one that does not contain fruit.
Chocolate
Believe it or not, there is some chocolate that diabetics can eat. Regular chocolate bars are not suitable as diabetic gifts, due to their high content of milk solids and a vastly increased amount of sugar. You want to select a chocolate that contains more cocoa solids, so choose dark chocolate with 70% or more of cocoa content. Diabetics can add this to their repertoire of occasional treats. Dark chocolate is a good gift for a diabetic.
Wine
This is a little bit of a controversial gift for diabetics. Known to contain sugar, diabetics should not drink too much alcohol, but recent research has discovered that a little wine added to the diabetic diet is not detrimental - in fact it could be beneficial. The study was carried out on 11 000 individuals. Dr. Grahame Hillis who co-authored the research said candidates who had a moderate intake of wine saw an increase in sensitivity to insulin which, for type 2 diabetics, is a good thing. So wine is an acceptable diabetic gift, as long as it is enjoyed in moderation. I would imagine a bottle of wine would be a nice Christmas gift for a diabetic.
Nuts
Nuts are also a great gift for diabetics. The best to offer are the raw variety as when they are roasted, it's usually in unhealthy oils. When they are salted, it increases dramatically the amount of sodium in one's diet which is not healthy. Useful as a healthy snack for diabetics, select raw almonds or macadamia nuts for premium health benefits.
Conclusion
There are lots of options for eating well and healthily for diabetics. Focus on low carbohydrates products. For diabetic gift suggestions scour the internet and look for products that are fun, healthy and convenient to give. All of the above are fantastic gifts for diabetics. I hope they have given you some ideas as to what to buy for the diabetic in your life!
Sources:
http://www.biltongsa.com
Alcohol in diabetics http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/822118
http://www.livestrong.com/article/460838-dark-chocolate-diabetes/
http://www.livestrong.com/article/434467-nutrition-of-peanuts-vs-almonds/
Here are 5 tips for edible diabetic gifts.
Biltong & Dried Wors
Of all the options for edible gifts for diabetics, biltong and dried wors have to take first prize. These have to be the best snacks for diabetics. Containing either very little or absolutely no carbohydrates at all, they get full marks for being diabetic friendly. One of the new innovations is being able to give biltong gift hampers. Available online from Biltong SA, you can have them delivered anywhere in South Africa. This means that you can shop from the comfort of your home and either have the gift delivered to you, so you can proudly give it to the recipient yourself, or you can have it delivered directly to them. That's a great surprise for any occasion.
Fruit
One of the most important things you need to know when it comes to giving diabetic gifts is that their blood sugar level has to remain as stable as possible. So to start with avoid giving, so called 'healthy' gifts such as fruit baskets or packets of dried fruit. It may seem like a good idea, but fruit contains a lot of sugar and dried fruit even more. So that's not the right route to go. If you are sending a hamper or gift pack to a diabetic after surgery for example, make sure you select one that does not contain fruit.
Chocolate
Believe it or not, there is some chocolate that diabetics can eat. Regular chocolate bars are not suitable as diabetic gifts, due to their high content of milk solids and a vastly increased amount of sugar. You want to select a chocolate that contains more cocoa solids, so choose dark chocolate with 70% or more of cocoa content. Diabetics can add this to their repertoire of occasional treats. Dark chocolate is a good gift for a diabetic.
Wine
This is a little bit of a controversial gift for diabetics. Known to contain sugar, diabetics should not drink too much alcohol, but recent research has discovered that a little wine added to the diabetic diet is not detrimental - in fact it could be beneficial. The study was carried out on 11 000 individuals. Dr. Grahame Hillis who co-authored the research said candidates who had a moderate intake of wine saw an increase in sensitivity to insulin which, for type 2 diabetics, is a good thing. So wine is an acceptable diabetic gift, as long as it is enjoyed in moderation. I would imagine a bottle of wine would be a nice Christmas gift for a diabetic.
Nuts
Nuts are also a great gift for diabetics. The best to offer are the raw variety as when they are roasted, it's usually in unhealthy oils. When they are salted, it increases dramatically the amount of sodium in one's diet which is not healthy. Useful as a healthy snack for diabetics, select raw almonds or macadamia nuts for premium health benefits.
Conclusion
There are lots of options for eating well and healthily for diabetics. Focus on low carbohydrates products. For diabetic gift suggestions scour the internet and look for products that are fun, healthy and convenient to give. All of the above are fantastic gifts for diabetics. I hope they have given you some ideas as to what to buy for the diabetic in your life!
Sources:
http://www.biltongsa.com
Alcohol in diabetics http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/822118
http://www.livestrong.com/article/460838-dark-chocolate-diabetes/
http://www.livestrong.com/article/434467-nutrition-of-peanuts-vs-almonds/