Written By: Shraddha Rupavate | Updated : February 8, 2015 5:25 PM IST
Diabetes is a condition in which dietary dos and don'ts play a very important role. It's the food choices that largely determine fluctuations in your blood sugar level throughout the day. If you don't want your sugar levels to deviate from the desirable range, you need to eliminate a few foods from your diet completely, or at least limit their intake.
1. Sugars: Direct sugars, in any form, can be extremely dangerous to diabetics, be it plain sugar, dried fruits like raisins, syrups, soda, sugary beverages, jaggery (gud) or desserts. They can all cause a dangerous spike in your blood glucose levels. The only exception here would be natural sugars present in fruits. Diabetics can have apples, oranges, strawberries, lemons and plums. Dr Pradeep Gadge, consultant diabetologist says 'Fruits like grapes, mangoes, bananas, chickoos and custard apple can be consumed in smaller quantities (one or 2 slices).'
2. Fruit juices: When you choose fruit juices over chewing on whole fruits, you miss out on their fibre content that is actually beneficial for you. 'Chewing fruits causes a steady and gradual rise in sugar levels, which is any time desirable as compared to having a sudden spike,' says Dr Gadge.
3. Refined foods: These will include food items like white bread, breakfast cereals, cakes, busciuts, buns, pastries, cookies and white pasta. Basically, anything that is made from refined flour (maida) is dangerous for diabetics. Such foods elevate your blood glucose levels as fast as simple sugars do. They also promote insulin resistance, making it even more difficult for you to control your sugar levels.
4. Fried foods: Chips, fries, samaosas and vadas are going to wreak havoc in your life if you are a diabetic. They are made from ingredients that are heavy and starchy in nature. Additionally, they are drenched in oil, adding extra calories to your diet. Most of them will be cooked in hydrogenated oils that contain trans fats, the main culprit for high cholesterol and heart disease.
5. Starchy vegetables: All vegetables that have high starch content should be avoided by diabetic individuals. These include vegetables like potatoes (aloo), sweet corn (makai ke dane) and sweet potatoes (shakarkand). However, if your sugar levels are well controlled, your dietician may simply recommend that you moderate your intake.
Photo source: Getty images
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