Hey there, health freaks.
It seems as if diabetes is becoming more serious by the day.
The number of people with diabetes rose from 108 million in 1980 to 422 million in 2014.
If you’re a person suffering from diabetes, whether type 1 or type 2, you are always watching
your diet.
Let’s talk about 8 Foods and Drinks to Avoid If You Have Diabetes.
Should I stop eating dried fruits?
How about pasta?
Can I no longer eat pizza?
Wait, not even bread?!?!
We’re talking all that AND more...
White Bread
Yup, if you’re fixing yourself a sandwich, white bread is not the kind to use.
When you have diabetes, your bread intake is one of the easiest things to lose track
of.
White bread is really high in carbs.
A single slice has just around 13 grams.
That’s 5% of your daily value of carbohydrates.
Just to make it clear, carbs should make up no more than 65% of your daily calories.
If you’re eating an average of 2000 calories a day, you shouldn’t go over 325 grams of
carbs.
Now you may be asking yourself, who’s actually calculating the amount of carbs they’re
having in a day?
Well, if you suffer from diabetes, this is important.
Not going over the recommended limit is crucial for diabetics to maintain their health.
High-carb, starchy foods like bread and bagels are shown to significantly increase your blood
sugar levels if you suffer from diabetes.
Not only that, but research also suggests decreased brain function in people with type
2 diabetes.
What’s your favorite type of sandwich?
What bread do you eat it on?
Sound off in the comment section and start a conversation with our Bestie community.
Cereal
All you breakfast enthusiasts need to take note, certain cereals are terrible if you
have diabetes.
It’s easy to think that cereal is a great health choice.
But just think about all the sugar you’re consuming.
Even some of your favorites are terrible for you.
I hate to break your heart, but Fruit Loops are loaded!
A bowl holds 26 grams of carbs with 12 grams of sugar.
Think that’s bad?
One cup of Captain Crunch contains 32 grams of carbs.
In that, there are 16 grams of sugar!
One of the problems is that there is very little protein in cereal to make up for the
high sugar count.
Because cereal is so tempting, you often eat more than one bowl.
The protein is meant to satisfy your hunger and keep you feeling full for a longer period.
But since there isn’t much, you keep on eating the cereal.
If you suffer from diabetes, the best option is to skip cereal and instead eat low-carb
meals.
Mornings will just never be the same.
Pasta
Much like white bread, pasta’s high carb content can’t be ignored.
Foods made from refined-flour should generally be avoided if you’re having problems with
blood sugar.
Take everybody’s favorite pasta staple… spaghetti.
A single serving of spaghetti and meat sauce has over 40 grams of carbs.
In that, there are just 5 grams of fiber, and almost 8 grams of sugar.
But it's not just the regular kind that’s bad.
A study from 2014 showed that eating gluten free pasta could also raise your blood sugar
levels.
If you are at risk of diabetes, the smartest thing to do would be to avoid eating pasta
entirely.
I know it’s difficult, but this is the reality.
Dried Fruits
I mean, sure…
Dried fruits have plenty of health benefits.
You can get tons of important nutrients just by snacking on a few during the day.
These include Vitamin C and potassium.
But let’s face it, there’s just too much sugar.
Your go-to dried fruits all have too many carbs and way too little fiber.
Take raisins for example, a single cup holds 115 grams of carbs, with just a few grams
of fiber.
Diabetics need to stick to low-sugar fruits like watermelon, avocado, lemons and raspberries.
French Fries
Now this one should be obvious.
French fries can serve as a weapon against your diabetes.
Potatoes are high in carbs.
Just a medium-sized one has almost 35 grams, with very little fiber.
As you can imagine, eating french fries can cause your blood sugar to sky rocket.
A medium serving at McDonald’s is 43 grams of carbs.
That’s 16% of your daily value!
Now just think about all the times you’ve craved McDonald’s fries and instead opted
for a large serving.
Not to mention adding sugary ketchup makes it even worse.
Aside from increasing your blood sugar, they can also produce toxic compounds that get
into your system.
From here, they cause inflammation and increase your risk of other diseases.
On top of diabetes, studies have linked fries to things like heart disease and even cancer.
Before we continue, are you trying to get more Vitamins in your life?
Check out our recent video discussing the Top 6 Meals That Are High in Vitamin B12!
Now back to our video on 8 Foods and Drinks To Avoid If You Have Diabetes.
Pizza
I know, I’ve gone a bit too far with this one.
It’s time to face the truth.
Aside from having a ton of calories and sodium, pizza is loaded with carbs.
Some slices are so thick, it feels like eating a cheesy loaf of bread.
Pizza is a lot like beer, once you have one, it’s hard to stop.
Before you know it, you’ve had 6 or 7 slices, and close to your daily value of carbs.
The average slice of cheese pizza holds 26 grams of carbohydrates.
The biggest problem is that while it is delicious, it won’t fill you up right away.
This is because that same slice usually has under 2 grams of fiber.
This is why you have one slice after another.
Not only will you gain weight, your blood sugar will also suffer.
It’s important to be cautious with pizza when you have health problems.
But there is light at the end of the tunnel.
If you suffer from type-2 diabetes, you don’t have to avoid pizza altogether.
Just try going for the thin crust slices.
And make sure to limit your intake.
Another good thing you can do is add more veggies to your pizza.
This means holding the extra cheese and meat toppings.
Fruit Juice
Now juice isn’t for everyone.
I personally grew out of it in my adult years.
If you also suffer from diabetes, this isn’t really one you need to worry about.
You likely avoid juice to begin with.
But many can’t go a day without a cup of their favorite juice.
Believe it or not, some of the tastiest brands are just as sugary as Coca Cola.
Think about this…
8 oz of soda and apple juice have just about the same amount of sugar.
This is just under 25 grams.
A fresh cup of apple juice has almost 30 grams of carbs.
Now don’t get me wrong, apple juice has a ton of great Vitamin C. But for unhealthy
people who are at risk of diabetes, it can send your blood sugar through the roof.
Unfortunately, orange juice is similar.
A cup of that can be 26 grams of carbs, with 20 grams of sugar.
With fruit juice, one thing we need to focus on is fructose.
This is the specific type of sugar found in fruit.
Not only can fructose increase insulin resistance, it also ups your chances of becoming obese
and getting heart disease.
If you’re craving something refreshing, water is your best option.
If you want to spice things up, add a touch of lemon.
Pretzel
Oh yeah, I went there.
One of your favorite sports snacks is terrible for diabetics.
A serving of 20 mini-pretzels holds 25 grams of carbs.
That’s almost 10% of your suggested intake for the day.
There is also reason to believe that they may contain more carbs than shown on the nutrition
label.
This is where it gets tricky.
Pretzels are super addictive.
You can finish an entire bag before the 4th quarter of the football game.
Snack foods in general are terrible, but the mix of calories, sodium and carbs in pretzels
is dangerous for unhealthy people.
If you’re watching the big game, it's best to choose finger foods that are healthier
with less salt and carbs.
Try things like carrots and celery.
Just 10 baby carrots contain 3% of your daily sodium, as well as 3% of your daily carbs.
Celery sticks are similar in quantity.
You can also try things like unsalted nuts.
I mean sure you won’t get any sodium, but think about all the carbs you’ll miss out
on as well.
There are plenty of other great snacks to have that aren’t going to spike your blood
pressure.
Anything to make the big game more enjoyable without the health risks.
Do you suffer from, or know somebody with diabetes?
Would you consider cutting any of these foods?
Let us know in the comments below.
We would love to hear from you!