Diabetes: The Foods That You Need to Avoid

Diabetes is a disease that affects millions of people from around the world. It occurs when your body either isn’t able to produce enough insulin or use the insulin it’s producing effectively. The best way to manage diabetes is to avoid eating foods that raise your blood sugar levels. Read on to learn the worst blood sugar offenders.

Sugary Beverages

Drinking sugary drinks is one of the worst things a diabetic can do in their struggle to manage diabetes. Beverages like soda and high fructose corn syrup laden fruit juices are high in carbs which helps you to put on weight and requires more insulin production. The fructose is also strongly tied to insulin resistance and can lead to conditions like fatty liver diseases.

Trans Fats

Industrial trans fats are simply bad for you. There are really no health benefits of eating them. They are produced by combining unsaturated fatty acids and hydrogen to make the unsaturated fatty acids more stable. You will find trans fats in margarines, spreads, peanut butter, creamers, frozen dinners, etc. Trans fat does not raise your blood sugar levels, meaning it doesn’t trigger the production of excess insulin. But it increases inflammation, belly fat, and insulin resistance. And they can lower “good” HDL cholesterol levels.

White Bread, Pasta, and Rice

These are the 3 grains that you will probably struggle to give up no matter what because they taste delicious. But they are terrible for diabetics to eat because they function essentially as empty carbs, meaning they raise your blood sugar levels but do not provide you with much nutritional benefit in turn. It is best to replace these foods with whole wheat and whole grain products that are rich in dietary fiber. The dietary fiber will reduce “bad” cholesterol levels, blood pressure, and blood sugar levels.