Diabetes Diet
Diabetes is one of the most common diseases around the whole world. In general terms, diabetes refers to the excessive increase in the body’s blood sugar or glucose levels. The process of converting blood glucose into energy is mainly carried out by the insulin hormone, produced by the pancreas. Sometimes, the body is incapable of producing enough insulin to convert glucose into energy due to certain underlying reasons. There are many different types of diabetes but Type 2 Diabetes is the most common one. Here, we will check out the worst foods to avoid in Type 2 Diabetes, along with other essential details.
What Is Type 2 Diabetes?
Type 2 diabetes is a condition in which either your body doesn’t produce sufficient insulin or doesn’t utilize insulin properly. This type of diabetes is can easily affect people of all ages. However, it is most commonly known to affect people over the age of 35 i.e. middle-age and old-age. According to various research studies, 90 out of 100 diabetic patients suffer from type 2 diabetes. The most commonly affected people include obese people with a sedentary lifestyle and foods for diabetes.
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Symptoms Of Type 2 Diabetes
Type 2 Diabetes develops slowly over time, which is why people confuse its symptoms with aging or other health conditions. Here are some of the Type 2 Diabetes symptoms.
- Feeling More Thirsty
- Frequent Urination
- Sudden Weight Loss
- Increased Appetite
- Feeling Extremely Weak or Tired
- Nausea
- Unusually Short Temper
- Blurry Vision
- Bad Breath
- Skin Itchiness
What Foods To Avoid In Type 2 Diabetes?
Here are the foods that a person suffering from Type 2 Diabetes must stay away from.
Processed Foods
Processed foods that contain refined sugars, such as candies, cakes, and bakery products must be avoided. This is because refined sugars and refined carbohydrates are medically proven to increase blood sugar levels swiftly. Furthermore, these processed foods are not nutrient-dense and health-friendly. Thus, you need to replace these foods with natural fruits and other nutritious foods like eggs, nuts, vegetables, etc. The dietary fiber content in these healthy foods helps in slowing down the absorption of glucose to prevent blood-sugar elevation.
Artificially Sweetened Beverages
Artificially sweetened beverages like soda and diet soda are the worst for Type 2 Diabetic patients. This is because of the presence of high amounts of carbohydrates and sugars. Thus, they are known to trigger an increase in blood sugar levels. Furthermore, these beverages also contain fructose in high amounts. Several medical studies have shown that fructose is responsible for insulin resistance, diabetes, weight gain, and high cholesterol. Therefore, it’s highly recommended for diabetes patients to drink water or unsweetened iced tea rather than artificially sweetened drinks.
Processed Carbohydrates
People suffering from Type 2 Diabetes must avoid eating food rich in processed carbohydrates. Some common foods with processed carbs include saltines, white bread, chips, rice, and pasta, etc. Several medical studies have linked these foods to a sudden increase in blood sugar levels. In these studies, both gluten and gluten-free products were found responsible for sugar levels elevation. Furthermore, these foods with processed carbohydrates are low in dietary fiber content, which helps to lower down sugar levels. Therefore, replace these foods with healthy and fiber-rich foods like fruits, nuts, etc.
Trans Fats
Hydrogenated products contain artificial Trans Fats, which are medically proven to be very harmful to diabetic people. Foods rich in Trans Fat include butter spreads, mayonnaise spreads, peanut butter, frozen foods, and creamers. Moreover, these harmful fats are even added to other packed food products like muffins and bakery products for longer shelf-life. While, Trans Fats are not directly responsible for high blood sugar, yet they trigger it in different ways. For example, these fats are medically confirmed to increase insulin resistance, obesity, cholesterol, and inflammation. Thus, all the people suffering from Type 2 Diabetes need to avoid eating hydrogenated food products.
High-Fat Animal Products
Animal products containing high amounts of saturated fats and fatty acids are also harmful to Type 2 diabetics. Some examples of high-fat animal products include red meat, poultry skin, bacon, and fatty cuts of lamb, beef, or pork. In several medical studies, it was found that people who consumed high-fat animal products were more vulnerable to type-2 diabetes. This is because higher amounts of saturated fats can hinder the normal functioning of insulin. Many studies have shown that people consuming only necessary amounts of fats are lesser prone to diabetes. Thus, it is better to replace high-fat animal products with lean meats.
High-Fat Dairy Products
Several medical studies have proven that the consumption of high-fat dairy products can aggravate the insulin resistance problem. The saturated fats in high-fat dairy products only worsen diabetes but also increase chances of cholesterol and heart problems. Some examples of fatty dairy products include full-cream milk, full-fat yogurt, ice cream, cheese, and ice cream, etc. Thus, it’s highly recommended for type-2 diabetics to replace full-fat dairy products with low-fat or fat-free dairy products. This will not only help in managing the blood sugar levels but also prevent weight gain.
Fruit Juice
While fruits are considered to be a great option for type-2 diabetics, fruit juice isn’t. This is mainly because fruit juice contains very low dietary fiber than whole fruit. Furthermore, fruit juice is filled with high amounts of fruit sugar, which can quickly raise blood sugar levels. Thus, you must avoid consuming fruit juices if you have Type 2 Diabetes. If you want a healthy beverage, you can always go for seltzer or a cucumber-lime detox drink.
Packaged Foods
Most of the packaged foods are highly processed with Saturated Fats, Trans Fats, Carbohydrates, and Artificial Flavors. Furthermore, these foods contain very less amounts of health-friendly nutrients like vitamins, protein, and minerals, etc. Thus, these are directly or indirectly linked to insulin resistance and high blood sugar. So avoid consuming packaged foods like artificially-sweetened breakfast cereals, pretzels, crackers, doughnuts, chips, and cookies, etc. Alternatively, you can consume healthy snacks and foods like nuts, seeds, and fruits to manage your blood sugar levels.
Fried Foods
Fried foods, especially French fries, contain very high amounts of carbohydrates. Several medical studies have shown that deep-fried foods like French fries cause a sudden increase in blood sugar levels. Thus, it is highly recommended not to consume deep-fried foods like French fries, cheese fingers, etc.
Dried Fruits
When fruits are dried, the concentration of the sugar also increases along with other essential nutrients. Therefore, dried fruits are not a good food option for type-2 diabetics, despite being health-friendly. Due to the increased concentrations of sugar and carbohydrates, dried fruits are medically proven to raise blood sugar levels. Thus, it’s recommended to consume fruits rather than dried versions of them.
The Takeaway!
So these were the top 10 foods to avoid in type-2 diabetes. If you experience any symptoms of this health condition, get yourself to check up immediately. Also, it’s highly advised to consult a licensed dietician and get a customized diet plan created for you. Last but not least, exercise is also very important to keep all your internal body systems up and running.
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