Search for news

Diabetes-Friendly Foods And Beverages To Avoid

Oct 29, 2023 By Nancy Miller

In both children and adults, diabetes has become a global epidemic. Heart disease, and other problems can result from uncontrolled diabetes. In addition, prediabetes has been associated with these symptoms. In particular, some meals can increase your risk of illness by increasing your blood sugar and insulin levels and promoting inflammation.

Why Does Diabetes Affect Carb Intake?

The three macronutrients—carbohydrates, protein, and fat—are the primary fuel sources for your body. Carbohydrates are the most influential on blood sugar levels. Why? Because your body breaks them down into glucose or sugar, your bloodstream absorbs them.

Starches, sugars, and dietary fibre are all examples of carbs. However, unlike other carbohydrates, fibre is not digested and absorbed by the body. Therefore it does not affect blood sugar levels.

A meal's digestible or net carb content can be calculated by subtracting fibre from total carb content. For instance, if a cup of mixed veggies includes 10 grams of carbohydrates and 4 grams of fibre, its net carb count is 6 grams.

Sugar-Sweetened Beverages

Anyone with diabetes should avoid drinking sugary drinks. There is a lot of sugar in them; a 12-ounce can of cola has 38.5 grams of sugar. Sweetened iced tea and lemonade include over 45 grams of carbohydrates per serving, all of which come from sugar. Fructose, abundant in these beverages, has been related to insulin resistance and diabetes. Research has shown that drinking sugary drinks may raise the likelihood of developing complications from diabetes, such as fatty liver disease.

Trans fats

Synthetic trans fats are nasty for you. They are produced by strengthening unsaturated fatty acids by adding hydrogen. Margarines, almond butter, spreads, creamers, and frozen meals are all sources of trans fats. In addition, the food industry frequently adds crackers, muffins, and other baked goods to increase their longevity on store shelves.

Even though trans fats do not directly improve blood sugar levels, they have been related to several adverse health outcomes, including increased inflammation, insulin resistance, belly fat, decreased HDL cholesterol, and reduced vascular function. Increased risk of heart disease is one reason why further study is needed to better understand the connection between trans fats and insulin resistance.

Wheat Bread, Rice, And Pasta

High-carb, processed meals like white bread, rice, and pasta are bad for you. Consuming refined flour items like bread, bagels, and pasta causes a dramatic rise in blood sugar in patients with type 1 and type 2 diabetes. White flour goods aren't the only ones to get this reaction.

Some studies have suggested that gluten-free pasta, especially those made with rice flour, might increase blood sugar levels. People with type 2 diabetes and cognitive impairment benefited less from eating high-carb diets, according to another study.

There is very little fibre in these processed meals. Sugar is absorbed into circulation more slowly when the thread is present. Other studies have shown that persons with diabetes may considerably lower their blood sugar levels by switching from these low-fibre diets to those high in fibre.

Yogurt With Fruit

People with diabetes may benefit from consuming plain yoghurt. Fruit-flavoured options, however, are a very different beast. Yogurts with added flavourings are often manufactured with low- or non-fat milk and are high in sugar and carbohydrates. Approximately 61% of the calories in a 1-cup serving of fruit-flavoured yoghurt may originate from sugar.

Frozen yoghurt is often considered a more wholesome dessert than ice cream. The sugar content, however, may be comparable to or even higher than that of ice cream. Plain, whole milk yoghurt has no added sugar and may help with hunger control, weight management, and gastrointestinal health as opposed to the sweetened varieties.

Sugary Morning Cereals

Eating cereal might be one of the worst ways to start your day if you have diabetes. Despite the health claims on their labels, most grains are heavily processed and contain significantly more carbohydrates than many consumers realize.

In addition, they don't offer much in the way of protein, an essential ingredient for maintaining steady blood sugar levels and a feeling of fullness throughout the day. Some so-called "healthy" morning cereals should be avoided by diabetics as well.

Moreover, each has no more than 7 grams of protein per meal. Skipping cereal in favour of a protein- and fat-rich low-carb breakfast will help you maintain healthy blood sugar and appetite levels.

Latest Posts