People with diabetes should pay more attention to their diet than others. That’s because the food and drinks you consume directly affect your blood glucose levels.
And, constant high blood glucose can lead to many diabetes complications, such as loss of vision, heart disease, kidney failure, nerve damage, etc.
So, to prevent this from happening and lead a normal life with diabetes, people should watch what they eat and drink. Even though there’s no specific diet for diabetics, they should make certain dietary changes and stay true to them as much as they can.
Also, the quality of the food they eat as well as the portion size is equally important and affects their blood sugar control.
Here are some general good and bad choices for people with diabetes.
Bad Food Choices
Avoid processed and fast food and focus on whole and nutritionally valuable foods. Although the average American diet consists mostly of sweetened, salty, high-fat, and high-preservative foods, they have little nutrition for each calorie.
Also, trans-fats increase the bad cholesterol while reducing the good cholesterol, harming the cardiovascular system.
Another wrong choice for people with diabetes is high fructose corn syrup. It’s cheaper than cane sugar, but also sweeter. However, it’s directly absorbed into the blood as it doesn’t require digestion, resulting in a greater need for insulin.
Moreover, Healthline is another dietary factor people with diabetes should consider.
Even though you don’t have to cut it completely from your diet, you should still reduce it. Excess salt and sodium increase the risk of hypertension in people with diabetes, which is the leading cause of heart disease.
For example, you should avoid high-sodium foods like canned vegetables, canned soups, salad dressings, and cold cuts.
Good Food Choices
Instead of processed, chemically preserved foods, choose whole foods rich in nutrients.
The type and quantity of carbohydrates matter for people with diabetes. That’s because once digested, they turn into a source of glucose. But, there are two types of carbs, simple and complex.
The simple ones contain only 1-2 sugar molecules, so they are easier to digest and spike your blood glucose levels. They include fruit drinks, honey, maple syrup, molasses, jams, corn syrup, candy, jellies, fruit drinks, and table sugar.
On the other hand, complex carbs digest more slowly, causing less impact on blood sugar levels. For example, foods high in fiber slow digestion and keep you full for longer. They include green veggies, whole grains, lentils, beans, and peas.
It’s best to consume the same carb quantity per meal from day to day. So, if you had 40 grams of complex carbohydrates this morning, you should have the same quantity tomorrow morning.
Still, you will learn how each type and quantity of carbs affect your blood sugar levels over time.
Conclusion
As you can see, you don’t need to follow a specific diet to control your blood sugar. Instead, follow these tips avoid or limit the foods which spike your blood sugar, and eat anything else in a moderate amount.
