We have to focus on eating healthy meals, especially if we want to keep our blood sugar in check. That’s why it’s important to know which foods we should stay away from since choosing the wrong ones can spike our blood sugar levels.
Since the body breaks down the carbohydrates, like sugary soda and white bread, into sugar, these foods can cause insulin resistance.
In other words, they affect the body’s ability to respond normally to the production of insulin.
These 7 foods spike blood sugar levels. So, it is best to avoid them.
7 Foods That Spike Blood Sugar Levels
Here are the 7 foods that can affect the blood sugar level and cause insulin resistance. These are the foods we should stay away from.
1. White Bread
This everyday food can increase the risk of developing diabetes. The problem with white bread is that the body quickly digests it and can cause blood sugar to increase.
Plus, any products made with refined flour can cause the same effects.
According to researchers, people who eat more whole grains and less refined grains have a lower chance of gaining body fat that can cause type 2 diabetes and heart disease.
2. Packaged Foods
Poor eating habits can result in blood sugar spikes. Packaged foods are known for increasing the risk of developing this metabolic condition.
Together with other commercially prepared baked goods, packaged foods can affect blood sugar levels and cause weight gain.
Furthermore, they are high in trans fats, which can increase bad cholesterol and decrease the good one in the blood. As a result, foods like these can cause inflammation which is the root cause of many chronic conditions.
Even a tiny amount of trans fats can have some harmful effects on our overall health.
Therefore, it is best to choose wholesome snacks, like almonds, due to the health benefits they can offer.
3. Sweet Drinks Like Soda
To properly manage our blood sugar, it is important that we avoid drinks filled with sugar, like soda for example.
According to a study published in the Journal Diabetes Care in 2010, researchers discovered that people who drank 1 or 2 sugary drinks every day, had a 26% chance of increasing their risk for developing type 2 diabetes.
Therefore, it is best to replace sugary drinks with tea, fresh juice, water, or seltzer to manage the disease.
4. Fast Food
Fast food is tasty and tempting, which is why people constantly crave it. However, fast food contains a lot of calories, fat, and salt.
As a result, it can increase the risk of blood sugar spikes. Plus, it will make it more difficult for people to get and stay healthy and fit.
According to research published in the Journal of Nutrition, eating fast foods can increase blood sugar by 35%.
Therefore, it is immensely important that people with unstable blood sugar stay away from such harmful foods.
5. White Rice
White rice is not good for our blood glucose.
According to a study published in JAMA Internal Medicine, people who eat five or more servings of white rice per week have a higher chance of developing the chronic condition.
The reason why white rice is bad is that it contains less fiber than brown rice. Therefore, it can’t keep the blood sugar stable.
6. Whole Milk
Whole milk dairy products are loaded in saturated fats. Therefore, they can cause heart issues.
Studies show that consuming a diet high in saturated fats can increase the chance of insulin resistance and obesity.
Therefore, it is better to switch to eating no-fat dairy products that contain fewer calories. These products can also prove beneficial for our waistline.
7. Red Meat
We don’t have to stop eating red meat entirely. In fact, we can eat red meat but in moderation.
In addition, it is important to avoid foods such as bacon and cold cuts. These meats contain plenty of saturated fats which could increase the chance of unstable blood glucose.
According to research issued in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, people who eat a lot of processed meats like sausages, hot dogs, and bacon, every day, have more than 50% chance of developing diabetes.
To reduce the risk of developing this metabolic condition, it is best to eat healthier sources of protein like low-fat dairy products.
Here are some good examples of foods for those with high blood sugar levels.
7 Foods to Eat
Eating these foods won’t cause a significant spike in our blood sugar levels and will help keep them in check:
- Raw, cooked, or roasted vegetables
- Greens
- Berries
- Melon
- Whole-grain, higher-fiber foods like peas, dried beans, and lentils
- Protein like lean meats, cottage cheese, Greek yogurt, and eggs
- A little good fat like avocado, olive oil, salmon, and other fatty fish
