Diabetes is a chronic condition that has become epidemic in both adults and children around the world.
Diabetes that is not under control can lead to a number of serious complications, such as heart disease, renal disease, blindness, and others.
In addition to helping you manage your diabetes, a nutritious diet will also help you lose weight if you’re overweight or maintain your weight. This is crucial since, according to the American Diabetes Association, even a 10- to 15-pound weight loss may help you prevent and control high blood sugar.
According to research, reducing some weight will also help you become more insulin sensitive, or less resistant to insulin and better able to respond to it, says Kimberlain. According to a short study published in June 2017 in Nutrition & Diabetes, effective female weight-loss maintainers had consistently higher insulin sensitivity than women who had never lost weight.
Limit or avoid eating the 10 foods listed below to prevent weight gain and maintain healthy blood sugar levels.
Every diabetic patient must limit or refrain from a specific diets listed below.
1. Avoid Alcohol or Drink Responsibly
Ask your doctor if it’s okay for you to drink alcohol before having a cocktail or even a glass of wine with dinner because it can affect your blood sugar levels. The ADA suggests that you drink in moderation if you do. If you want to be considered “moderate,” you should limit your serving size to one for women and two for men per day. 5 ounces (oz) of wine, 12 oz of beer, or 1.5 oz of distilled liquor constitute a standard serving.
Both alcohol and diabetes medications are metabolized through the liver, according to Kimberlain. “Your liver might not be able to handle this double whammy. Low blood sugar might result from using insulin, especially if you’re also drinking and not eating.
Kimberlain advises mixed cocktails like diet soda with rum (hard liquor has no carbs), hard liquor with ice, or calorie-free mixers as the best and worst options at the bar. Prosecco and other sweet wines should be avoided, as should sugary “foofy” umbrella beverages.
2. Fruit-flavored Yogurt
People with diabetes may find plain yogurt to be a healthy choice. Fruit-flavored versions, however, tell a totally different tale.
Usually manufactured from nonfat or low-fat milk, flavor yogurt is high in carbohydrates and sugar.
In fact, a serving of fruit-flavored yogurt that is 1 cup (245 grams) in size may contain roughly 31 grams of sugar, or 61% of its total calories.
A lot of people view frozen yogurt as a healthier substitute for ice cream. It may, however, have an even higher sugar content than ice cream.
Plain, whole milk yogurt, which has no sugar and may be good for your appetite, weight management, and gut health, is preferable to high sugar yogurts that can increase your blood sugar and insulin.
3. Sweetened Breakfast Cereals
If you have diabetes, eating cereal may not be the best way to start your day.
The majority of cereals are heavily processed and contain significantly more carbs than most people know, despite the health claims on their boxes.
They also offer very little protein, an essential ingredient that can help you feel content and full while regulating your blood sugar levels throughout the day.
For people with diabetes, some “healthy” breakfast cereals aren’t the best option.
For instance, Grape Nuts have 47 grams of carbohydrates per serving, compared to merely 44 grams in a 1/2-cup meal (or 56 grams) of granola. Furthermore, each serves up little more than 7 grams of protein.
Most cereals should be avoided in favor of a protein-based, low-carb breakfast if you want to control your blood sugar levels and appetite.
4. Flavored Coffee Drinks
Numerous health benefits, including a decreased risk of diabetes, have been associated with coffee (32).
But rather than being considered a nutritious beverage, flavored coffee drinks should be thought of as a liquid dessert.
According to studies, your brain does not handle liquid and solid foods in the same way. When you consume calories, you don’t make up for it by eating less later, which could result in weight gain.
Additionally high in carbohydrates are flavored coffee drinks.
For instance, a 16-ounce (473 mL) Starbucks Caramel Frappuccino has 57 grams of carbohydrates while the same-sized Blonde Vanilla Latte has 30 grams (35, 36).
Choose plain coffee or espresso with a tablespoon of heavy cream or half-and-half to maintain control of your blood sugar levels and avoid gaining weight.
5. Dried Fruit
Fruit is a fantastic source of potassium and vitamin C, two essential vitamins and minerals.
Fruit that has been dried has higher quantities of these nutrients because drying causes water to be lost from the fruit.
Unluckily, it also becomes more concentrated in sugar.
27.3 grams of carbohydrates, including 1.4 grams of fiber, are present in one cup (151 grams) of grapes. A cup (145 grams) of raisins, on the other hand, has 115 grams of carbohydrates, 5.4 of which are from fiber.
As a result, raisins have more than four times the amount of carbohydrates that grapes do. Similar to fresh fruit, several varieties of dried fruit have more carbohydrates.
You don’t have to completely give up fruit if you have diabetes. Sticking to low-sugar foods, such fresh berries or a small apple, will help you stay healthy and keep your blood sugar levels within the desired range.
6. Packaged Snack Foods
The worst snacks are pretzels, crackers, and other packaged items.
They often contain refined flour and offer little nutrients, but they are also a good source of fast-digesting carbohydrates, which can significantly elevate blood sugar levels.
Here are some common snacks’ carbohydrate counts for a 1-ounce (28-gram) serving:
20.7 grams of carbohydrates, 0.78 grams of fiber, and saltine crackers.
22.5 grams of carbohydrates, 0.95 grams of fiber, in 1 pretzel.
Graham crackers provide 21.7 grams of carbohydrates, 0.95 of which are fiber.
In fact, several of these items can actually have more carbohydrates in them than is indicated on the nutrition label. According to one study, snack foods typically contain 7.7% more carbs than what the label indicates.
It is preferable to consume nuts or a few low-carb veggies with an ounce of cheese if you are hungry in between meals.
7. Fruit Juice
Fruit juice is frequently seen as a healthful beverage, although it has similar effects on blood sugar to soda and other sugary drinks.
This applies to 100% fruit juice that hasn’t been sweetened as well as varieties with extra sugar. Fruit juice occasionally has more sugar and carbohydrates than soda.
For instance, the amount of sugar in 8 ounces (250 mL) of soda and apple juice, respectively, is 22 and 24 grams. There are 35 grams of sugar in an equivalent serving of grape juice.
Fruit juice contains a lot of fructose, much like beverages with added sugar. Insulin resistance, obesity, and heart disease are all caused by fructose.
Water with a wedge of lemon is a far superior substitute that has fewer than 1 gram of carbohydrates and is practically fat-free.
8. French Fries
If you have diabetes in particular, you may want to avoid eating French fries.
The carbohydrates in potatoes are comparatively high. 34.8 grams of carbohydrates, including 2.4 grams of fiber, make up one medium potato.
However, potatoes may do more than just raise your blood sugar levels once they have been peeled and fried in vegetable oil.
Advanced glycation end products (AGEs) and aldehydes are only a couple of the hazardous substances that deep-frying food has been shown to produce in significant proportions. These substances might encourage inflammation and raise the risk of illness.
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In fact, numerous studies have connected regularly ingesting fried foods, such as french fries, to cancer and heart disease.
Eating a small dish of sweet potatoes is your best option if you don’t want to completely eliminate potatoes.
Summary
It can be challenging to know which foods to avoid when you have diabetes. However, it might be simpler if you adhere to a few rules.
Avoiding harmful fats, liquid sugars, processed grains, and other meals that include refined carbohydrates should be one of your key priorities.
You may maintain good health and lower your risk of developing diabetic problems by avoiding meals that raise your blood sugar levels and promote insulin resistance.
Additionally, asking for support from others could be beneficial. The free T2D Healthline app from Healthline links you with people who have type 2 diabetes. Ask individuals who understand about diets and receive their advise.
