Discover 4 foods to avoid with diabetes that you may have thought were healthy
Are you unwittingly eating some of the foods you should avoid with diabetes? There are some sneaky offenders that seem healthy but actually make it harder for you to manage your diabetes. When you have Type 2 Diabetes or prediabetes, there are certain foods that you need to avoid if you want to successfully manage your condition. You know you need to stay away from the foods that are obviously bad for people with diabetes, such as sugary frosted snack cakes and deep fried chicken. But there are some other foods that you may think are healthy are actually making it harder for you to maintain a healthy weight, keep your heart healthy, or avoid spikes in your blood sugar levels. Here are 4 healthy-sounding foods to avoid with diabetes:
Vitamin water
Many of the vitamin waters that sound so healthy actually deliver a jolt of processed sugars that can send your blood glucose levels into dangerously high spikes. These beverages are often loaded with more calories than you may realize, because they give values by portion size rather than by bottle. Sports drinks are even worse. Opt for plain water, unsweetened tea with a slice of lemon, or if you really are craving flavored waters, try adding mint and herbs to sparkling water for a new taste sensation without the dangers of processed sugar and calories.
Dried fruit
Adding fruits can be helpful in managing the sugar cravings that come with diabetes, but only if they are the right fruits. Dried fruits top the list of fruits to avoid in diabetes because they contain dangerously high levels of concentrated sugar. Other fruits to avoid with diabetes include
- canned fruit in heavy syrup
- regular jams, jellies, and preserves
- sweetened applesauce
- fruit juices and fruit drinks
Canned vegetables
You know people with diabetes are advised to eat more vegetables, but you are in a hurry and you are not near the produce section. Time to grab a can of vegetables, right? Wrong. Canned vegetables are actually bad for people with diabetes, because they typically contain high levels of sodium that can raise your blood pressure. Some of the other vegetables to avoid in diabetes diets are pickles and sauerkraut, which are both high in sodium, and veggies cooked in butter, cheese, or other sauces that add empty calories. If you want to have vegetables on hand that you can prepare at any season, look for frozen vegetables without any sauces.
White rice
Stir-fry meals appear on many diabetic friendly recipe lists, but serving them with white rice can offset the positive health benefits they deliver. White rice and other processed grains should be avoided with diabetes, because they have very little fiber and are rapidly converted to sugar. Choose whole grains such as brown rice or quinoa to serve with your stir fry to make meals that are really diabetes friendly.
Keep in mind that while these are the worst offenders when it comes to healthy-sounding foods to avoid with diabetes, even healthy foods can be a problem if you stop paying attention to portion sizes and preparation methods. For more helpful tips with living with diabetes, including exercises for diabetics and delicious, diabetic-friendly recipes that are genuinely good for you, visit www.BetterHealthKare.com.
