Following a low carb diet may help in diabetes prevention; it prevents sugar spikes and dramatically reduces the risk of diabetes-associated complications. To manage diabetes symptoms, people should avoid foods like sweetened drinks, pasta, white bread, flavoured yoghurt, canned fruit juices, and packaged food items. Foods for diabetes prevention include fruits, green leafy vegetables, lean proteins, and foods with less sugar.
The number of diabetes patients is dramatically increasing worldwide. Diabetes is a chronic disease that causes higher than normal blood sugar levels. Uncontrolled diabetes may give rise to serious health complications, including renal insufficiency, blindness, heart disease, and other problems. Your food choices matter a lot when you have diabetes. Eating the wrong foods can spike your blood sugar and increase your risk of health complications. While picking the right foods to eat when you have diabetes can help maintain your blood sugar. If you have diabetes, you are probably told by someone to avoid certain food items for diabetes prevention and control. What are those foods that cause diabetes? Let’s find out what to put on the menu when planning your diabetes prevention diet. This information guide lists 11 food items that people with diabetes should avoid along with foods that help in diabetes prevention.
- Sweetened foods and beverages- Food that is made of processed sugar like candy, desserts, and soda are the worst food choices for someone with diabetes. These are high in carbohydrates and lack nutritional value, and they can also cause a sharp hike in blood sugar. Besides, they have fructose, which has a strong connection with insulin resistance and diabetes.
- Saturated fat- Saturated fat contributes to raise cholesterol, which further increased the risk of stroke and heart attack. Eating less saturated fat like butter, cream, tarts, cakes, chocolate, fudge, and toffees can help reduce the risk.
- White bread, pasta, and white rice- Eating white bread, pasta, and other refined foods have been shown to cause a significant reduction in blood sugar levels
- Salt-The recommended safe level salt in the diet is 6 gm per day. Consuming more than this may contribute to diabetes-associated complications. Cut down your intake of processed food items such as take away meals as these contain a very high amount of salt.
- Alcohol- People with diabetes should drink alcohol in moderation. Consuming more than five drinks at one time may be risky for you if especially if you are a diabetes patient. Consider having at least three alcohol-free days in a week.
- Dried fruits- Fruits contain vitamins, minerals, and other essential nutrients that support a healthy body. Dried fruit lacks water and leads to a higher concentration of these essential nutrients. But unfortunately, the process of making dry fruits end up having more concentrated sugar content as well. This means the dried fruit contains three times as many carbs as fresh fruits do. Make a smart choice by choosing fruits low in sugar for optimal blood sugar.
- Fruit juice- Fruit juices are considered healthy beverages, but for diabetes patients, it may bring high blood sugar level as any other sweetened beverage do. High fructose content can worsen insulin resistance, cause a diabetes patient to gain weight as well as increase the risk of heart disease.
- Honey or Maple syrup- Many diabetes patients try to minimize their sugar intake by removing white sugar from their dining table as wells ignoring treats, like cakes, candies and ice creams. However, other forms of sugar may also contribute to high blood sugar levels. These include honey, maple syrup, and brown sugar. They are found to have similar effects on the blood sugar levels as white sugar does.
- Flavoured yoghurt-Plain yoghurt can be a good option for those who are suffering from diabetes. However, flavoured variety, including frozen yoghurt contains much more sugar than a dessert. They are low in fat but contains more carbs and sugar, which may contribute to high blood sugar and insulin levels.
- Packaged snacks- Aside from sugar, packaged snacks like chips, crackers, cookies, snack cakes, doughnuts contain unhealthy fats that brighten your risk for developing high blood cholesterol and heart disease.
- Flavoured coffee- Flavoured coffee drinks are containing a large number of liquid carbs, which can cause a spike in blood sugar levels and unable to satisfy your hunger.
Also Read: 5 Worst Foods for Type 2 Diabetes
Some people with diabetes can manage their symptoms by replacing these food items with foods for diabetes prevention. These may include and be more physically active. Many people may need diabetes medicines, as well. Diabetes patients may need medication along with healthy eating and physical activity to control the condition. Most people start their treatment with oral metformin pills which lower the amount of glucose and help your body to utilize insulin in a better way. These glucose-lowering drugs are available in eh brand name Janumet 50+50, Glucomet 50 mg, Glizid 50 mg. All are effective at reducing blood glucose levels, and you can get them on the prescription of a doctor.
The Verdict
Knowing which foods to avoid for diabetes prevention can sometimes be severe. Your aim towards diabetes prevention should include staying away from foods that cause diabetes, such as unhealthy fats, sugary foods, processed grains, and other food items containing refined carbs. Avoid foods that lead to a hike in blood sugar to help keep you healthy and reduce the risk of future complications.
