Most doctors would strongly discourage you from drinking juices because they are high in sugar. This is actually true for most fruit juices, especially those you buy from the store. Vegetable juice, on the other hand, is a different kind of story.
Vegetable juice is packed with nutrients that keep us healthy and helps fight illnesses. Recent studies also show that some leafy greens are able to fight cancer cells. Regardless if you’re suffering from diabetes or not, green juices are very beneficial.
Consuming leafy greens such as spinach can help reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes, according to WebMD. This is made possible because of their high concentration of polyphenols and vitamin C. Vegetables reach in manganese are on top of the list as well since they help reduce insulin resistance.
Not all veggies are beneficial to this suffering with diabetes. Just remember these 2 rules when picking your vegetables either to eat or to juice:
- Keep to the greens
- Avoid starchy veggies like potatoes
If you’re someone who wants to make healthy juices regularly, it’s best that you have a type of juicing machine that’s easy to clean. There’s nothing more discouraging than having a hard time cleaning up after every use.
The juice recipes that follow are both low in sugar and low on carbs. They are filled with nutrients to help you regulate your blood sugar, lower your body’s overall acidity level, boost energy without the sugar, and can even miraculously heal you of your condition.
We have also included information on how these ingredients help diabetics improve their health. By the time you’re done with this article, you’ll also gain considerable knowledge on how to make your own version of low sugar juice.
4 Amazing Low Sugar Juices For Diabetics
You will notice that all of the juices below include cucumber and celery as part of their ingredients. These 2 vegetables have very high water content, which helps in diluting the juice especially those with strong flavors.
Not everyone has the stomach to drink pure green juices, even if they have already been diluted. That is why adding a green apple or small organic carrots can help sweeten them up. These fruits are low in sugar. If you’re going to choose between the 2, apples are better since they have a low glycemic index.
While a slow juicer is great for juicing leafy greens, some centrifugal juicers are designed to handle this type of veggies as well. Breville is a great and popular brand when it comes to centrifugal juicers.
Sugar Stabilizer Juice
Ingredients:
- 10-12 organic brussels sprouts
- 2 cups organic string beans
- 1 organic cucumber
- 1 peeled organic lemon
Acidity Buster Juice
Ingredients:
- 2 stalks organic celery
- 1 organic cucumber
- 1 organic green apple
- 1 cup organic spinach
Low Sugar Rush Juice
Ingredients:
- 4 leaves organic kale
- 1 organic cucumber
- 3 cups organic spinach
- 5 stalks organic celery
- ½ bunch organic parsley
Bitter Better Juice
Ingredients:
- 2 large bitter melons
- 1 medium cucumber
- ½ lemon
Why Are These Juices Good For Diabetics?
Diabetes is a very serious condition. Aside from the actual recipe, we believe you should also know why they work. It’s equally important to describe how each of these ingredients helps to counter this condition. That way, you can mix and match the ingredients depending on your preference, or their availability in your nearest grocery store.
Although we recommend that you use the organic variety, you can still use the non-organic types. It is way better than not having to drink these green juices at all.
Brussel Sprouts
Brussel sprouts are low in sodium and cholesterol-free. They are also packed with antioxidants, vitamin C, and manganese. Manganese is very important for diabetics as it helps to lower the body’s resistance to insulin.
String Beans
Also known as green beans and snap beans, this legume is a good source of vitamins C, A, and K. It also contains a lot of minerals including manganese, which is why this veggie is very suitable for our Sugar Stabilizer juice recipe.
Cucumber
While cucumber is great for diluting the juice by adding more water to it, the benefits you get doesn’t stop there. Cucumber produces a compound called sterols responsible for reducing bad cholesterol. This veggie also helps the cells of your pancreas to produce more insulin.
Lemon
Lemon is highly recommended to those with diabetes. It helps to alkalize the body, which counters acidity and restore the body’s pH balance. According to an article on Health.com, a recent study shows that an acidic body can interfere with proper insulin function. Lemon is also rich in soluble fiber to target cholesterol and vitamin C for antioxidants.
Celery
Celery is rich in calcium which helps protect blood vessels and makes bones stronger. It also helps keep blood glucose levels from shooting up and prevents blood sugar fluctuation. Like lemon, celery also has an alkalizing function to combat acidity.
Apple
Of all the ingredients used in all of the recipes here, an apple has the most carbohydrates but it’s not as bad as other fruits. The main purpose of using an apple is to sweeten up or add flavor to the juice. Another good thing about apples is that it has low-glycemic-index, which means sugar is slowly released into the bloodstream.
Spinach
If we are going to rank which vegetable here has the most magnesium content, spinach wins hands down. A cup of spinach contains 40 percent of the recommended daily magnesium intake. This is a very important mineral for those with diabetes since it’s what helps regulate blood sugar levels. Spinach is also packed with nutrients, as Diabetes Daily pointed out in their article, “Low in calories and high in vitamins, spinach is one of the most nutrient-dense foods in existence.”
Kale
Kale performs a similar function as spinach, and is also rich in vitamin K. Vitamin K is responsible for enhancing insulin sensitivity. As you may have already known, insulin resistance is one of the reasons one ends up having diabetes. This is especially helpful to those with type 1 diabetes as it keeps it from getting worse.
Bitter Melon
To some previous diabetics, bitter melon is the miracle veggie. A number of people actually became free of this condition after regularly adding bitter melon to their diet. It is really bitter, though, which is a small inconvenience if you’re going to think about the benefits you will reap. Based on this article from Diabetes.co.uk, this veggie has substances that can effectively lower blood sugar levels and even has its own version of insulin.
Wrapping It Up
Diabetes, just like any other condition, can be kept from getting worse with the right nutrition. Most of the time, keeping the blood sugar from spiking is enough to allow your body to naturally heal itself. These juices are a good source of nutrition. However, it is not an all-in-one solution.
Juices are getting bad publicity about lacking in fiber. However, not all fibers are removed during juicing. Regardless, It is best to partner it up with foods rich in fiber. As always, we strongly suggest consulting with your doctor about the specifics of these juice recipes before creating them.