Many people living with diabetes should know the foods to avoid with diabetes. As you know that diabetes is one of the dangerous diseases killing millions of people every year.
It kills young and old, children and youths, men and women, boys and girls.
According to several studies, diabetes is a major health problem in the health sector This results in other chronic illnesses like cardiovascular diseases(CVD)(2).
The reality is that there are certain foods that can increase the risk of developing diabetes. They can also worsen your diabetic conditions.
For that matter, this article provides you with the foods to avoid with diabetes.
Foods to avoid when with diabetes
These foods are mainly high in carbs, unhealthy fats, and added sugar foods. However, before digging into the core of the topic, let use review on why carbs intake are of more concern for people with diabetes.
Reasons to avoid high-carb diets while living with diabetes
Actually, carbs are broken down into sugar, or glucose, and absorbed into your bloodstream.
This has great effects on your blood sugar level and insulin.
For that matter, if you eat a high-carb diet, then you are likely to raise your blood sugar levels that may cause high death rate.
Furthermore, raise in blood sugar levels can cause serious damage to your blood vessels and can cause wide array of cardiovascular diseases.
Here are the common foods to avoid diabetes
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Avoid drinking of Soda
Added sugar juice is not goods for people living with diabetes.
They can increase your blood sugar level and boost your blood triglycerides which are linked to the risk of insulin resistance and diabetes. In fact, 250 to 354ml of soda contains over 36 grams of carbs.
Drinking soda can also result to the fatty liver that can cause several cardiovascular diseases.
Studies show that the presence of high fructose in soda can result in unhealthy weight gain resulting in belly bulges and high cholesterol level.
Another study show that high sugary foods like a drink of soda can lead to an increase in insulin resistance and fat deposit in your abdominal cavity.
This are linked to arteries dysfunctions and other chronic illnesses.
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Fried Potato
Potatoes contain high amount of carbs that is not healthy for people with diabetes.
In fact, potato are starchy vegetables and starchy vegetables are very high in carbs .
They contain over 46 grams of carbs per serving. To be précised, a small piece of potato contains 37 grams of carbs.
Studies show that when potatoes are fried, the content of carbs are optimized and other harmful substances and this can increase your body inflammation (9).
They further suggest that the excess body inflammation caused by eating fried potatoes can lead to chronic illnesses like diabetes, obesity, cancer, heart disease, blood pressure and many more.
Actually, fried foods are not that healthy for excessive or frequent consumptions.
They can results in several chronic diseases including erectile dysfunction. Therefore, you need to eat as little as you can to avoid health complications.
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Avoid most fruit juice
You may like fruit juice, however, if you are living with diabetes then you have to stop drinking too much fruit juice.
The fruit juice contains high amount of sugar and carbs.
This can increase your blood sugar level and lower your insulin sensitivity. In fact, most fruit juice are high in carbs and sugar even the unsweetened fruit juice.
For instance, grapefruit juice contains 32 grams of sugar, which is almost similar to soda(16).
The presence of fructose in fruit juice may lead to heart disease, stroke, overweight, obesity, and insulin resistance.
For that matter, you need to limit intake of fruit juice if you are living with diabetes and blood pressure.
Your life is very important than that fruit juice that you like drinking.
So be smarter, you can drink chamomile tea, green tea or carry your bottle of water as an alternative way of preventing diabetes.
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Refined carbs
Refined flour are very high in carbs and other toxic substances.
They can increase your blood sugar level and lead to insulin resistance and other heart diseases.
In fact, refined carbs are low in nutrients and rich in carbohydrates. Refined carbs contains almost 21 grams of carbs in one-ounce serving.
Furthermore, refined flour are not healthy, they can lead to several chronic diseases such as cancer, heart disease, diabetes, high cholesterol levels, blood pressure, obesity and overweight, arthritis and many more.
For that very reason, I know you like backed products, but you need to avoid or limit the consumption of those products.
It is very important to eat real foods that provides the best micronutrients that are healthy for your living. Just start today and don’t wait until it is too late.
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Quit Alcohol
Generally, alcohol is not healthy for your wellbeing. They contains several harmful substances that are linked to a wide array of chronic diseases.
In fact, drinking alcohol increases your blood sugar levels, triglycerides levels, bad cholesterol levels and pulse rate. This can damage your blood vessels leading to several cardiovascular diseases.
Drinking too much alcohol can lead to insulin resistance, blood pressure, diabetes, cancer, belly bulges and many more.
Not enough, studies shows that drinking alcohol can lead to impaired judgments, family conflicts, divorce, erectile dysfunctions, jobless or loss of job.
Several studies show that excessive drinking of alcohol is the major cause of road worldwide.
Therefore, alcohol does not only lead to chronic illnesses, but also death through road accidents.
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Sweetened coffee drinks
Coffee is one of the best drinks that have a wide array of health benefits(25). In fact, coffee helps reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases.
However, sweetened coffee is not good for those with diabetes and blood pressure.
Flavored coffee contains fructose and high in carbs that can raise your blood sugar levels worsening your diabetes condition.
Furthermore, the presence of calories can also lead to unhealthy weight gain which is linked to belly bulges.
The most common sweetened coffee drink, caramel Frappuccino, contains over 30 grams of carbs for only 454-ml per serving.
Some even contains more than 60 grams of carbs in 454ml per servings. This shows how drinking sweetened coffee can raise your blood sugar level and lead to heart diseases.
Therefore, you need to avoid flavored coffee. Go for the unsweetened coffee to maintains your health benefits of taking coffee.
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Sweetened yogurt
Yogurts are supper amazing type of drink with several health benefits. However, added sugar yogurt is not the best option for those living with diabetes.
Lab test show that one cup of about 245-gram serving of sweetened yogurt contains approximately 47 grams of sugar and loaded with carbs, which are linked to diabetes and blood pressure.
In fact, sweetened yogurt can lead to unhealthy weight gain resulting in belly bulges, overweight and obesity. It can also lead to high blood pressure, insulin resistance, cancer and heart disease. Furthermore, it may be the reason you are not losing weight.
For that matter, it is recommended to drink plain yogurt that is free from chronic illnesses.
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White bread
White bread has been linked to several chronic illnesses including blood pressure, cancer, diabetes, overweight and obesity.
This is due to the presence of high carbs and calories.
It also contains unhealthy fats, which are linked to raising blood sugar levels and spikes insulin.
In fact, white bread is a processed food, and most processed foods contain low fiber, which means, eating white bread may spikes your blood sugar levels, triglycerides levels, cholesterol levels and insulin in your bloodstream.
This can lead to high risk of death from diabetes and blood pressure.
For that matter, high carbs foods are not healthy for those with diabetes and mental deficits.
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Avoid pasta
Pasta is another processed foods that are not healthy for those with diabetes and other chronic illnesses.
They contain high carbs and low in fiber. The high carbs can raise your blood sugar levels, triglycerides levels and cholesterol levels.
All this are linked to insulin resistance, cancer, diabetes, blood pressure and other chronic diseases.
Research shows that eating gluten-free pasta raises the blood sugar levels just like taking white bread.
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White rice
Eating white rice is not recommended if you are living with diabetes.
They contain high carbs that is associated with diabetes and cardiovascular diseases.
Studies also show that white rice can lead to other chronic illnesses. In fact, white rice has the greatest effects on diabetes as compared to pasta(36).
For that matter, limiting taking white rice even when you are healthy is all you need to do. Another best alternative is eating brown rice or go for whole food for better health.
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Processed foods
While living with diabetes, you need to avoid eating processed foods.
Processed foods contains healthy fats including trans fats and saturated fats.
These unhealthy fats can lead to a wide array of chronic diseases.
Actually, processed foods are not healthy for everyone.
There are several real food and whole foods that you can eat and get essential micronutrients for better future.
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Trans fats
Foods rich in trans fats are not healthy for your consumptions at all cost.
They are linked to high cholesterol levels, triglycerides levels, blood sugar levels and narrows the blood vessels.
These can result in diabetes, insulin resistance, excess body inflammation,blood pressure, cancer, cardiovascular disease and obesity(40).
Common foods rich in trans fats that you should avoid are as follows:
- Margarine
- peanut butter
- spreads
- creamers and frozen dinners
- crackers
- muffins
- other baked goods
In general, most food manufacturers add trans fats to backed foods to help extend shelf life.
For that matter, it is important to void any backed foods that are labeled “partially hydrogenated” to keep off from taking trans fats foods.
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Added-sugar foods
Sweetened foods, especially drinks and backed foods contains high sugar.
Actually, these foods contains low protein. They increase your hunger hormones and makes you eat more often.
This can lead to high carbs and calories intakes, which may spikes your blood sugar level and insulin.
Furthermore, added sugar foods are fattening and can make you gain unhealthy weight.
Studies show that added sugar foods can lead to overweight, obesity and belly bulges. This is due to high carbs and calories.
For instance, taking a cup of granola (110 grams) serving will add over 60 grams of carbs.
This can raise your blood sugar level and worsen your diabetic conditions.
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Pizza
Pizza is one of the delicious food that most people like. However, do you know its worst part?
It contains high sugar, carbs and unhealthy substances.
Pizza is a processed food that contains unhealthy substances that are used to extend its shelf life. They can reduce your body’s immune system.
Eating pizza can lead to belly bulges, overweight, high blood pressure, diabetes and other heart diseases.
Studies show that eating pizza is linked to raise your blood sugar level, triglycerides, and cholesterol levels that can result in arteries’ dysfunctions and blood vessel damages.
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Honey
I know honey is very sweet and may like it. However, honey can raise your blood sugar levels while living with diabetes.
Whether taking honey, agave nectar or maple syrups, they are not good for you if you have diabetes and blood pressure.
All these can lead to increases in blood sugar, insulin and body inflammation as cited in the study (51).
Therefore, you need to avoid honey, maple syrups, and agave nectar to prevent diabetes and live a healthy life
Summing it up
The list above provides you with some of the common foods to avoid with diabetes.
They contain high carbs, calories, processed foods, refined carbs and unhealthy fats that can spikes your blood sugar, insulin and inflammatory markers.
This can lead to other chronic illnesses including obesity, cancer, cardiovascular diseases among others.
