Written By: Satata Karmakar | Updated : November 27, 2020 9:22 AM IST
Suffering from diabetes? Not just sugar, stay away from these foods as well.
When you have diabetes, your diet is one of the cornerstones of your care plan. But, it's not just how much sugar you consume that makes a difference. Controlling your diabetes requires a careful balance of lifestyle habits, including eating right, exercising, and taking your proper medication. But it can be tricky to navigate proper nutrition, especially with foods that sound healthy but can actually wreak havoc on your blood sugar and overall health (such as some of the below foods diabetics should avoid).
# FRUIT SMOOTHIES
Sure, it seems healthy, but a pulverized, low-fiber smoothie made primarily of fruits can cause diabetes. Smoothies can be large whacks of carbs and sugar, especially if there's no protein or healthy fat that acts similarly to fiber to slow digestion and prevent blood sugar from spiking. If you are someone who loves to start the day with a glass of smoothies, then start with a green smoothie. Include healthy fats such as slices of avocados and some greens such as celery and spinach.
# WHITE BREAD
Bread is a staple breakfast food. You can have bread, but just not the white kind. Do you want to know why you should avoid white bread? Well, white sandwich bread is a refined grain, not a whole grain. When eaten as is, it has a high glycemic index and can directly lead to elevated blood sugar levels. If you want to have bread then have multigrain or brown bread.
# SODA
You all know soda is never good for you when health comes into the picture. According to the studies, within the first 10 minutes of drinking a soda, about 10 teaspoons of sugar hit the system. It's rapidly absorbed and signals an insulin release, which is a problem for people with diabetes since they have insulin resistance.
# ARTIFICIAL SWEETENERS
Yes, you read it right. Contrary to popular belief, these fake sweeteners are not healthy for people with diabetes to consume. According to the studies, drinking artificially-sweetened beverages daily was associated with a 36 percent greater risk for metabolic syndrome, and a 67 percent increased risk for type 2 diabetes.
# PROCESSED MEAT
Are you someone who loves cold cuts and processed frozen meats? Well, you must know that this is really not a great idea if you are suffering from diabetes. The high sodium contents in those few slices of processed meat can trigger your diabetes unimaginably. A diet high in sodium is especially taxing for patients with diabetes, as it increases your already-heightened risk for high blood pressure (hypertension) and heart disease.
Diabetes is a chronic hormonal disease, which causes high levels of sugar in the blood. It is a result of either the lack of insulin, a hormone produced by the pancreas, or your body's inability to respond to this hormone. High blood sugar levels caused by the lack of this hormone is called type 1 diabetes. It is a genetic condition caused by faulty genes that make this chemical and affects mostly young adults and teenagers. When your blood sugar levels escalate due to the failure of response to this hormone,it is known as type 2 diabetes.
PREVENTIVE MEASURES FOR DIABETES
Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disorder associated with your genes. There is no way one can prevent it. The risk of type 2 diabetes, on the other hand, can be brought down by lifestyle modifications like healthy eating and regular workouts. You need to be extra cautious if you have a family history of this condition. Stress management is an important factor behind diabetes risk reduction. Practicing yoga regularly can help you maintain emotional equilibrium.
