20 Common Foods to Avoid If You Have Diabetes
As anyone with diabetes will tell you, a large part of keeping one’s diabetes under control is to watch what one eats on a daily basis. We’re sure we don’t need to tell you to avoid any foods which are high in sugar.
But it’s a bit deeper than this simple piece of advice. For example, there could be some seemingly ‘healthy’ foods which hide much more fats and sugar than they lead on. After all, it’s the sugar you should avoid as fats and carbs also play a part in heightening your blood glucose levels.
But instead of getting into details and statistics, here is a simple list of 20 foods you should avoid if you have diabetes.
1. Dried Fruits
The reason is that, since the fruit needs to go through a dehydration process, its natural sugar (fructose) content becomes highly concentrated. Don’t get us wrong, it certainly is a healthier alternative than, say, cookies, but your blood sugar will still rise from it.
So why not play it safe and opt for fresh fruit instead? Grapefruit or strawberries are always a good choice.
2. White Flour, Rice, and Bread
And that’s a fatal mistake indeed. For example, low-quality carbohydrates such as rice, or those made with white flour like pasta or bread, have a very similar effect to sugar once the whole digestive process starts.
In other words, you can bet they interfere with your glucose levels. However, that does not mean you should give up on carbs. Simply to a healthier variety. For instance, whole grains such as barley or oatmeal will aid you in keeping the bad carbs’ influence at bay.
3. Full-Fat Dairy Products
So, as someone with diabetes, you’d do best to steer clear of whole-milk dairy products, such as ice cream, full-fat yogurt or cream cheese. Saturated fats are also damaging to your health in other ways: they can increase your insulin resistance.
Once again, this doesn’t mean you should avoid dairy products altogether. Instead, look for fat-free or low-fat dairy the next time you go shopping.
4. Fatty Meat Cuts
Not to mention they can be a cause of inflammation throughout your entire body. The best thing you can do is to replace these meat cuts with lean protein like fish, skinless chicken, turkey, etc.
5. Pastries
To make things worse, they are also rather high in sodium content and may even contain the dreaded trans fats. If you find you simply cannot resist, then always make sure to opt for the sugar-free and fat-free alternatives.
And your best bet is homemade pastries using healthy ingredients. That way you can be sure you’re getting the proper stuff since you or someone close to you has made them in the comfort of your home.
6. Fried Foods
This includes, among many others, French fries, fried chicken, and potato chips. Deep-fried foods are especially dangerous since they bathe in so much oil that, other than being extremely unhealthy is also packed with so many unnecessary calories.
Furthermore, there is no shortage of fast food restaurants which fry their food in so-called hydrogenated oils. This also makes these already unhealthy foods high in trans fats.
There is no safe boundary when it comes to the consumption of fried foods, so take special care to avoid them as much as you can.
7. Alcohol
In such cases, it’s always a good idea to check with your doctor about just how much is ‘safe’ for you to consume.
Some people sometimes feel almost ‘forced’ to drink some alcohol for the sake of politeness when at social events. But even in such cases, make sure to stay within moderation. How much is that exactly?
Ideally, it should be no more than one glass for women and two glasses for men. That would be about 12 ounces of beer, 5 ounces of wine, and about half an ounce of liquor.
8. Fruit Juice
But that doesn’t mean it’s healthy in general; it is simply healthier than some other options. But fruit juices still contain high concentrations of fructose and this normally causes one’s blood sugar to skyrocket.
So in situations where you crave something refreshing, it’s always a better alternative to grab some natural flavor seltzer.
9. Sugary Foods
But you’re only human, and sometimes sugar cravings happen. In those cases, always opt for the healthy fresh fruits.
10. Cereal
Most of the cereals you will find in the supermarkets have added sugar to them for the sake of making them taste better. You don’t have to give up cereal, but be sure to check the label on the boxes for any excess sugars or even dried fruits.
11. Energy Bars
So bars which are supposed to supply you with more energy naturally have more of those things than necessary. You can always choose bars which are packed with protein and carbs instead of the variety high in fats and sugars.
12. Melons and Bananas
Still, some fruits contain far more sugar than others (even if it’s a much healthier sugar than the processed kind), and this may also heighten your blood sugar.
Such fruits include above all bananas and melons, but there are also stone fruits such as peaches which may have an effect on your glucose levels. There are plenty of other fruits to enjoy which pose no danger, so don’t be shy to give them a try!
Forgive us for this terrible rhyme, folks; we just couldn’t help ourselves.
13. Blended Coffee
You can still satiate any caffeine cravings you may have, by opting for a sugar-free cup of coffee with low-fat milk. And while the taste may not be as ‘rich’, we can guarantee you that your body will be ever-so-thankful.
14. Processed Meats
And you are practically doubling your chances for a heart attack by eating a sodium-rich diet, especially if you have type II diabetes. You can always act your local deli for any meats which have a lower sodium content.
Additionally, you’d do well for yourself by avoiding any toppings which are full of fats and carbs. Instead, why not dress your meat sandwiches in some cucumbers, spinach or mustard?
15. Non-Homemade Smoothies
Most store or café-bought smoothies contain added sugars, which, we’re sure you’ll agree, defeats the whole purpose of being ‘healthy’. Plus, most smoothies are served in very large portion sizes and are basically a meal in a cup. Or, more specifically and accurately, dessert in a cup.
And since being diabetic means you should pay special attention to leading a healthy lifestyle, why not put your blender to good use and whip up a smoothie at home, one you know will be healthy since you’ll be the one adding the ingredients.
16. Chinese Foods
The top-most places are taken by sweet and sour foods which contain sugary sauce, as well as fried dishes such as, say, orange chicken.
17. Flavored Water
And yes, that sugar content is still lower than in sodas, if one drinks the whole bottle their blood sugar is still bound to go up.
18. Frozen/Purchased Pizza
It’s super tasty, and with so many places to choose from, one can easily obtain this fast food wherever they are.
But here’s the problem: many commercially made pizzas are packed with so many excess calories which can put a dent in any of your diet plans, and we’re only talking about one single slice here!
So you don’t have to force yourself to give up on pizza for good, but you’d be wise to make your own pizza at home instead and make sure to choose healthy ingredients such as veggies and fresh herbs.
19. Nachos
So it isn’t really very surprising that they don’t make the cut on the list of diabetes-friendly foods.
20. Restaurant Hamburgers
But before you fall into a depression, we’re not suggesting you completely give up hamburgers. According to The American Heart Association, you should try and limit your daily saturated fat intake to no more than 7% of your total calorie intake.
You can do this by looking at the nutritional information before making your order or ask the chef to take it easy on the fats.
We realize that trying to live a normal everyday life while still managing your diabetes can be rather difficult to pull off. But we promise you it becomes easier once you’ve learned the dos and don’ts.
After all, all you really need to do in order to keep your blood sugar levels in check is to learn and listen to your body.
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