Learn the best and worst diabetes food items and which can be eaten in moderation!
Do you know how to eat well with diabetes? When it comes to managing your diabetes, one important topic is the food choices you make. Knowing what is the best and worst diabetes food selections will play a vital role in maintaining your blood glucose levels and other vital bodily functions. To be on the safe side we have made a list of good food choices and foods to avoid with diabetes:
1. Vegetables
Green leafy vegetables are an excellent food choice for diabetics that are full of fiber and nutrients. When selecting vegetables you should choose a variety of colors from green and red, to orange and purple. Kale, broccoli, peppers, onions, carrots, beans, beets, celery, asparagus, eggplant, mushrooms, spinach, yams, turnips, zucchini, and tomatoes are good choices. Vegetable foods to avoid with diabetes are potatoes, peas and corn, which are starchy and count as carbohydrates. The recommended amount of vegetables for diabetics is one cup of raw vegetables or ½ cup of cooked vegetables.
2. Carbohydrates
While your body needs a good amount of carbohydrates (starches) to function well, too much of it will upset the delicate balance of your blood sugar. Carbohydrate foods to avoid with diabetes include: white bread, cereals that have a lot of sugar and a small amount of whole grains, processed grains such as white flour and rice, crackers, white flour tortillas, pastries, cake, pie, white pasta, and America’s favorite French fries. Carbohydrates that are recommended include: quinoa, oatmeal, brown rice, amaranth, millet, and baked sweet potatoes. Other carbohydrate foods to avoid with diabetes are: dried beans, soy products, fruit, juice, milk, yogurt, cookies, candy, soda and juice. The key to balancing carbohydrates is to keep the number of carbohydrate grams equal to the number of insulin you take. You can check your blood sugar before you eat carbs and then check it again about two hours later to see how it affects your glucose level.
3. Fruits
Fruit provides your body with essential vitamins and minerals, fiber, and carbs, and is low in sodium and fat. Fruits to avoid in diabetes include: fruit drinks, canned and sugared fruit, nectarines, jam, jelly, preserves, oranges, plums, papaya, grapes, bananas, grapefruit, chewy fruit rolls, peaches, strawberries and sweetened applesauce. It isn’t that you need to stop eating these food entirely, but you should be aware of how much and plan to only eat small amounts.
Most of these fruits are high in sugar content, which will increase your insulin and blood glucose levels, and are fruits to avoid in diabetes. Portion control is crucial when eating fruit and a portion should be no larger than the palm of your hand. Some fruits like pears and watermelon break down sugar fast and release it into your system quickly; other fruits like apples and cherries take a longer time to break down.
4. Dairy
Diabetics can have dairy but it should be kept low in fat. The worst diabetes food that is in the dairy category include: yogurt, whole milk, half and half, sour cream, cottage cheese and ice cream. Acceptable dairy choices are 1% skim milk, and non-fat or low-fat dairy items.
5. Drinks
When selecting drinks at the food market always read the labels to see how much fat, sugar, salt and calories each item contains. Some of the worst diabetes food to drink is coffee with sugar and cream, energy drinks, regular soda, alcohol, fruit drinks, beer, chocolate drinks, dessert wines, sweetened teas, and flavored drinks. Acceptable healthy drink choices for diabetics are water, black coffee with sugar substitute and low-fat milk, unsweetened tea, light beer, and a small amount of dry wine.
Now that you know the worst diabetes food that you should avoid, you will be able to make better eating choices that will help you manage your blood glucose levels. Learn more at. www.BetterHealthKare.com
Sources:
http://www.ehow.co.uk/about_5164195_fruits-avoid-diabetes.html
