Diabetes is a chronic disease affecting millions of people around the world. In the U.S., figures from the 2020 National Diabetes Statistics Report show that 34.2 million Americans have diabetes, while 88 million American adults have prediabetes.
If uncontrolled, diabetes can lead to serious issues such as heart disease, kidney disease, blindness, and other complications.
To avoid these problems and stay on top of your condition, it helps to remember that a healthy diet can be your medicine. On the other hand, poor food choices can raise your blood sugar and insulin levels, which can worsen your disease and put you at risk for high cholesterol and high blood pressure, among many others.
To help you out, this article lists some of the worst foods for people with diabetes or prediabetes.
1. Sweetened Drinks
It is best to avoid drinking sodas, fruit punches, and iced teas as they have a lot of sugar and calorie content. On top of this, they have little to no nutritional value.
If you’re looking for something sweet, your best option would be to infuse water with different berries and fruits. With this, you get to enjoy natural sweetness while staying healthy.
2. Whole Milk
Drinking milk is good for your health, but you must be careful of the variety you are consuming.
Whole milk has a high-fat content which can easily make you gain weight. Other healthier options are skim milk as well as almond milk, rice milk, or soy milk for the lactose intolerant. That said, you must still make sure to get the low sugar varieties for these kinds of milk.
3. Processed Lunch Meat
Packaged lunch meats, including deli cold cuts, bologna, and ham are high in saturated fat and sodium. If you’re looking for ingredients for your sandwich, for example, look for low sodium meats.
4. Pancake Syrup
Regular pancake syrups are high in carbohydrates, so you must avoid these. In its place, you can consume light or low-calorie syrup, but make sure that you only use them sparingly.
5. White Bread, Rice, and Pasta
These processed foods are all high in carbohydrates. Moreover, they are known to significantly increase blood sugar levels in people with diabetes. To add to this, gluten-free pasta and high-carb bagels can also raise blood sugar and even decrease brain function in people with type 2 diabetes.
A healthier alternative to white bread would be its high-fiber variety. The latter can lower blood sugar levels in people with diabetes significantly while also bringing down their cholesterol levels and blood pressure.
5. Fried Foods
With diabetes or without, fried foods are not good for your health. These foods absorb a lot of fat and, when consumed, can lead to high cholesterol levels. These can also make you gain weight and increase your risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
Rather than frying your favorite chicken or fish meals, it’s better to bake or broil your food instead.
Conclusion
Living with diabetes and keeping track of your diet may sometimes be tough. That said, keeping a list of foods to avoid like the ones listed above can help make this task at least a little easier. You can also help yourself further by setting clear diet goals, such as staying away from unhealthy fats, processed foods, and those that increase your blood sugar. Doing this diligently can help you stay healthy and reduce your risk of developing future complications.
If you’re looking for a primary care doctor in Secaucus, NJ to help you manage your diabetes better, we’re the ones to call! At Garden State Medical Group, we are dedicated to providing exceptional care for every patient. Start a telemedicine call today with one of our specialists so we can start caring for you.