Are you suffering from Diabetes? You need to avoid these foods.

Diabetes is an incurable disease and has to be controlled. Uncontrolled diabetes can put a person in significant health risks and cause heart diseases, lung disease, and other problems. If a person eats the wrong kinds of food, the chances of getting these problems to increase and hence, food habits need to be controlled and monitored.

What is Diabetes?

Diabetes is a chronic illness that obstructs the body from processing blood sugar. Without proper management of diabetes, the blood sugar levels in the blood might increase and cause other severe diseases.

Types of Diabetes

Different kinds of diabetes exist. Some might be genetic while others may be a result of an unhealthy lifestyle. The types of diabetes are-

1. Type 1 diabetes- This type of diabetes occurs when the body is not able to produce insulin. The people having Type 1 diabetes are dependent on insulin injections every day.
2. Type 2 diabetes- In Type 2 diabetes, the body’s ability to produce insulin is not compromised, but it’s the cells ability to take up insulin that is affected.
3. Gestational diabetes- This happens in pregnant women when the cells become less sensitive to the insulin produced by the body. This type of diabetes is temporary, and balance is restored after birth.

 

Causes of diabetes

Various factors such as can cause diabetes–

1. Being overweight or obese
2. Genetics
3. A continuous high blood pressure
4. Polycystic ovary syndrome in a woman.
5. Unhealthy lifestyle and food habits.
6. Being over 45 years

 

Foods to avoid when you have diabetes

Certain foods should be avoided when you have diabetes. These types of foods are rich in carbohydrate and can cause blood sugar levels to spike. Total control over food habits is essential if one wants to stay in good health and avoid the riskof diseases. Some of the foods that a diabetic person should avoid are listed below:

1. Beverages with added sugar

Soda and sweet beverages have high carb content which tends to increase blood sugar levels even further. They might also be the cause of obesity and other severe diseases.

2. Trans fat

Trans fat is unhealthy even for an average person as they have unsaturated fatty acids. They are present in frozen food, muffins, peanut butter and spreads. Trans fat causes insulin resistance by the body and is also responsible for belly fat and increased risk for heart disease.

3. Processed grains

Grains have starch and processed, and refined grains affect blood sugar levels quickly. Hence white bread, white rice, white pasta and food made with flour should be avoided.

 

4. Pineapple

Pineapple is a high glycaemic content food, and it is effortless to overeat them. Having too much of pineapple should be avoided and also canned pineapples should not be consumed.

5. Mangoes

Mangoes have high carbohydrate and sugar content.  Mangoes are delicious, and one can have 2 or 3 mangoes at a go but too of mango can increase blood sugar levels, and its consumption should be minimal.

6. Dried fruits

Dried fruits contain considerably higher sugar and carbohydrate content than natural ripe fruits. Especially the ones that are coated with chocolate or yogurt should be avoided entirely. It is not out of limit, but the consumption should be minimal.

7. Fruit juice

To make only a cup of fruit juice, many fruits might be used which increases the carbohydrate and sugar levels. As the body cells cannot break down blood sugar, consumption of these juices will further increase sugar levels in the body.

8. Packed Snacks

Snacks that are packed have fewer nutrients and are made with refined flour which is harmful to diabetic patients as they have a high carb that raises blood sugar levels rapidly.

9. Deep fried foods

Deep fried foods generally have a lot of toxic substance like aldehydes which may cause inflammation and increase the chances of getting diseases.

 

10. Full-fat dairy

They have saturated fats that can raise your low cholesterol levels but increase the chances of heart disease. Having a diet with high saturated fat may increase your body’s resistance to insulin. Hence it is best to avoid cream cheese, ice-cream, cream, etc.

11. Meat containing high fat

Some parts of meat might have high-fat content which should be avoided. It increases the risks for heart diseases and also can lead to fatty liver, and as the person already has diabetes, the risks increase. So, food containing high-fat levels should be avoided.

12. Alcohol

Alcohol can interfere with the blood sugar levels in the body, so it is generally suggested to keep alcohol consumption to a minimum when you have diabetes.

13. Avoid coffee with high sugar

Many coffee shops serve coffee with an immense amount of sugar, milk, and cream. One has to keep in check the sugar intake and also avoid flavored coffee.

14. Fast food

Fast foods are deep-fried, and the restaurants use white flour for preparing burgers and sandwiches which is extremely unhealthy for diabetic patients. One can have such fare, but it has to be very limited so that it does not cause any problems to the body and does not have a severe effect on the sugar levels.

 

Do’s and don’ts

1. Be careful of what you eat.
2. Check your carb intake.
3. Check your blood sugar levels regularly.
4. Avoid foods with high sugar unless your sugar levels are really low.
5. Go for regular walks.

 

Not all the foods listed are off-limits. People can have these foods but must keep a check on the intake. You can eat fruits if your blood sugar levels drop down and also treat yourself once in a while. You must maintain a healthy lifestyle to keep diabetes in check and restrict your daily food habits and change them into a healthy diet. Diabetic patients can lead a normal except a few restrictions here and there to avoid aggravating the problem.

 

Author Bio

Dr.Sohil is a health professional who has an undying love for writing and an immense need to empower people with knowledge about home remedies, natural cure, fitness, and power yoga.  He is someone who follows what he preaches and who has contributed a lot of medical articles for many a website, primarily to www.howtocure.com. In his free time, you can find him catching up with movies, going to treks and spending time with his dog.