Foods To Avoid If You Have Diabetes

Diabetes is a chronic disease with serious consequences such as blindness, heart disease, kidney disease, and other health complications.

The consumption of certain foods can increase your blood sugar, insulin levels, and promote inflammation which may put you at the risk of disease. This article contains several foods to avoid if you have diabetes.

White bread, rice, and pasta

White bread, rice, and pasta are high-carb processed foods. These processed foods have little fiber. Fiber helps slow the absorption of sugar into the bloodstream. Bread and other refined flour foods increase blood sugar levels in people with type 1 and type 2 diabetes. Eating high fiber, whole foods may help reduce blood sugar levels.

Fried foods

You may want to steer clear of fried foods especially if you have diabetes. Deep-frying foods produce a high amount of toxic compounds that may promote inflammation and increase the risk of disease. High consumption of fried foods may cause heart disease and cancer.

Fruit juice

Fruit juice is often considered a healthy beverage but its effect on blood sugar is the same as that of soda and other sugary drinks. Just like sugar-sweetened beverages, fruit juice is packed with fructose which can worsen insulin resistance, promote weight gain, and increase the risk of heart disease.

Dried fruit

Fruit is a great source of vitamins and minerals, including vitamin C and potassium. When dried, moisture content is lost which leads to a higher concentration of these nutrients. Unfortunately, its sugar content gets more concentrated as well. Therefore, if you have diabetes, steer clear of dried fruits. You don’t have to give up on fruits generally, however, stick to low sugar fruits such as fresh berries or a small apple which can provide health benefits while keeping your blood sugar levels checked.

Conclusion

Knowing the foods to avoid when you have diabetes can be tough sometimes, however, following a few guidelines can make it easier to achieve.