Diabetes is referred to as a condition that causes your blood sugar to go too high. This can cause problems like difficulty eating, making it hard to control your blood sugar and weight gain. To prevent diabetes, it's essential to eat healthy foods and keep your blood sugar under control.
Before discussing dietary considerations for managing diabetes, it's equally important to address the pharmaceutical side of diabetes management. While a balanced diet plays a crucial role in controlling blood sugar levels, medications and therapies are often necessary to maintain optimal health. In this section, we will explore various pharmaceutical treatments and how they work in tandem with lifestyle changes.
Diabetes management often requires the use of medications. These drugs are designed to control blood sugar levels, prevent complications, and improve the quality of life for those living with diabetes. The most common medications include:
For many, especially those with type 1 diabetes, insulin therapy is a critical component of treatment. Insulin must be injected, as it cannot be taken orally. The types of insulin used vary in how quickly and how long they can control blood sugar:
In addition to medications, advanced therapies like continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) systems and insulin pumps are revolutionizing diabetes care. CGMs provide real-time insights into glucose levels, helping individuals make more informed decisions about diet and medication. Insulin pumps, on the other hand, continuously deliver insulin, eliminating the need for multiple daily injections.
Research in diabetes care is ongoing, and new treatments are on the horizon. These include novel drug formulations, like GLP-1 receptor agonists, which not only help in managing blood sugar but also promote weight loss, and SGLT2 inhibitors, which help remove excess glucose through urine. Staying informed about these advancements can offer new hope and options for diabetes management.
Now, here is the list of six foods that you should avoid with diabetes.
Processed foods
Processed foods like chips and other salty snacks can cause your blood sugar to go up. The salt in these foods will lead to weight gain, which is vital for those with diabetes.
Soda
Soda can trigger a spike in blood sugar levels that may cause you to feel hungry again soon after drinking it. If you have diabetes, the sugars and artificial sweeteners in soda could increase your risk of heart disease and stroke complications. If you consume sugar-sweetened beverages every day, you increase your risk for type 2 diabetes. The American Diabetes Association recommends limiting your consumption of sugar-sweetened drinks to no more than 6 ounces per day. After monitoring your blood sugar and body weight, you should get additional tips on monitoring and limiting sugar consumption while consuming sugar-sweetened beverages.
Fruits
Fruit is not necessarily bad for people with diabetes; many fruits are low on the glycemic index, meaning they won't spike your blood sugar levels too much. But some fruits have fructose, which may raise your risk of insulin resistance or, worse yet, diabetes itself. So if you have diabetes, try cutting back on fruit intake until you're more stable on a healthy diet.
Refined Sugar
Refined sugar is any type of sugar that doesn't come from nature, like brown sugar, honey, or maple syrup. It's often found in processed foods and drinks. Refined sugars are considered high in carbs and calories, so these foods may make you gain weight and cause it to be hard to control your blood glucose levels.
Gluten
Gluten is a protein from wheat and other grains that can affect your body's balance of good and bad gluten proteins, which lead to improper blood glucose levels. When the blood glucose levels are too high, you can develop diabetes.
Sodium
Sodium causes the body to absorb too much water into its cells through urination, so if you don't keep your sodium levels under control, it can lead to high blood pressure (high blood pressure is also known as hypertension), which can also lead to diabetes. In addition, having too much sodium will also cause your legs (called peripheral vascular disease) and your arms (called plexopathy) to swell up with fluid because they're filled with extra water when they're not used during exercise or working out at the gym.
If you're struggling to eat healthy because you have diabetes, it's easy to fall into the trap of eating processed foods. Processed foods usually contain sugar and unhealthy fats and can cause blood sugar spikes. Instead, focus on foods low in sugar and saturated fat. You'll be able to control your blood sugar while still maintaining a nutritious diet.
Eating a healthy diet is known to be the first step to controlling your blood sugar. This includes avoiding foods that can put your blood sugar in the danger zone. Here are some good "diabetes-friendly" food choices:
Fruits and vegetables. Fruit and vegetables should be in every meal, whether eating breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Vegetables are rich in fiber, which helps keep your blood sugar levels under control while also providing vitamins and minerals like potassium.
Carbohydrates. When it comes to carbohydrates, focus on whole grains because they're low in calories and high in fiber and nutrients like potassium and magnesium. Whole grains also have a lower glycemic index than refined carbs like white bread or pasta, so you won't spike sugar levels even when you eat them regularly. Also, make sure to avoid sugars added to processed foods and beverages like juices and sodas because these can impact your diabetes symptoms by raising insulin levels if present in excess amounts.
Fats and oils. Eating oily fish is another option for people with diabetes who want to reduce type 2 diabetes risks by keeping their cholesterol down.
Diabetes is a serious condition and requires a lot of work on the person's part. It's important to eat healthily and keep blood sugar levels in check.
Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for professional consultation or advice related to your health or finances. No reference to an identifiable individual or company is intended as an endorsement thereof. Some or all of this article may have been generated using artificial intelligence, and it may contain certain inaccuracies or unreliable information. Readers should not rely on this article for information and should consult with professionals for personal advice.