Foods to Avoid on a Diabetes Diet

There are certain foods you should avoid on a diabetes diet, and eating healthy is essential for diabetics. Managing diabetes with diet and exercise can be simple when the right choices are made. People with diabetes can dramatically affect how they feel by making lifestyle changes to improve their health. Always talk to your doctor before following any new diet and exercise program.

Significance

Maintaining normal blood glucose levels is vital when it comes to managing the effects of diabetes. When you consume the wrong types of sugar-laden foods, blood glucose levels can spike, which makes the condition worse. Keeping diabetes under control helps to maintain overall health and wellness. When diabetes is out of control, it can damage every organ in the body, slow healing and lead to an early death.

Eating Out

When eating away from home, diabetics need to pay careful attention to the choices available to them. Fast food sodas and burgers are available in abundance, and healthy choices may be limited. Choose healthy foods, such as a turkey sandwich, rather than a burger. Avoid all sodas and carbonated drinks; instead, drink water. Eat salads or other nutritious foods. You may need to look around to find the best options, but healthy choices are available.

At the Grocery Store

Diabetics also should be careful about which foods they choose when shopping at the grocery store. Some foods that may look healthy are bad for diabetics. High fructose corn syrup, for example, is added to many foods, such as bread, jelly and even peanut butter. Read your labels and avoid foods that contain this ingredient or any other type of sugar. Stay away from alcohol and fatty and salty foods. Avoid all processed foods, cakes or anything that has sugar. Instead, by whole foods such as fruits and vegetables. You can eat fruit whole because the fiber they contain balance out the natural sugars; however, diabetics should not put fruit in a juicer, as the process removes much of the fiber. Talk to your doctor or nutritionist to address your individual needs.

White Breads

Diabetics should avoid white bread. Instead, choose sprouted bread or whole wheat. Read food labels to know what you are getting. Many processed and frozen foods are made with white flour, so be sure to avoid those. Other white flour products, such as burritos, also should be cut out of a diabetes diet.

Bad Fats

According to the American Diabetes Association, diabetics should avoid hydrogenated oils like margarine. Limit butter and stay away from other foods that contain trans fats or saturated fats. Pork fat and fatty beef are not good for people on a diabetes diet. Instead, choose healthy fats like olive oil or grape seed oil. These fats are beneficial because they contain omega-3 fatty acids, which help reduce inflammation.