What foods should diabetics avoid?

Diabetes is a metabolic disease that affects a large number of people around the world and can be a product of our genes or our habits. Whatever its origin, the goal is always to keep blood glucose levels under control by avoiding both hypoglycemia and hyperglycemia. To achieve this, there are some foods that diabetics should avoid .

Glucose Peaks: The Enemy of Diabetes

Eating a cake full of sugar and refined flours, with almost no fiber or protein, can lead to a sudden rise in blood glucose, a condition that increases the risk of diabetes-related consequences if it is repeated frequently.

But in addition, after such hyperglycemia we can “correct” the glucose values using insulin or, try to reduce it with exercise, for example.

If the insulin is too much or if the exercise consumes a lot of glucose, we can have a reactive hypoglycemia , that is, after a sudden rise in glucose, it drops below 70 mg / dl, causing hypoglycemia that also implies a risk for our Organism, whose brain and many other important organs use glucose as the main fuel.

So the enemy of diabetes are blood glucose spikes, both down and up, something we can avoid or at least try to control with the help of a good diet and other lifestyle habits.

Foods That You Should Avoid If You Have Diabetes

As we have said, the main daily goal of those suffering from this metabolic disease is to avoid the peaks of glucose that can harm health, so we must avoid foods that are quickly digested and contain at the same time a large percentage of hydratesresponsible for one Sudden elevation of glucose. For example:

• Sugary drinks : Soft drinks, flavored waters and other sugary drinks of industrial origin are not only a source of sugar in liquid form that can pass quickly into the body, but their intake has been linked to an increased risk of metabolic diseases in a published study In the journal Circulation . On the other hand, many of these beverages are sweetened with fructose, a sugar that we mistakenly consider healthy and also increases the risk of insulin resistance and diabetes, as Massachusetts scientists concluded .
• Honey, syrups or natural syrups : Although these alternatives to sugar are not only simple calories and hydrates but can provide antioxidants, minerals and vitamins good for the body, they are also a source of sugars such as glucose and fructose,according to a study published in The Journal of Nutrition , quickly elevate blood sugar and have similar negative effects than table sugar that is always avoided
• White bread and refined cereals : During industrial processing to achieve white flour and products derived from it, grains lose a large percentage of fiber, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants, resulting in a food that is digested more easily and offers energy Which quickly reaches the body. That’s why Australian scientists have proven that these processed foods with a high glycemic index are not recommended if we are to avoid a sudden rise in blood glucose. Instead, we can turn to whole grain bread or fiber or add to the pasta foods rich in protein or fiber that are good alternatives to control glycemia .

• Pastries and commercial snacks : these products are not only a source of sugars in substantial proportions and of refined flours or cereals, they also often have trans fats , poor quality nutrients that induce negative metabolic changes, among them, they reduce the sensitivity to insulin And increase the risk of developing diabetes, according to a study in the journal Obesity .
• Fruit Juices : Although they are derived from fruits, both bottled and natural juices are not recommended for those suffering from diabetes . The first ones above all can have a lot of added sugar among which is the fructose, but the home-made juices are not a good choice as it removes much of the fiber that owns the fruit and therefore, a natural fruit juice can raise Abruptly blood glucose. In addition, its sugar content may be similar to other sugary drinks and have the same negative effect on the body as concludes a research published in The Lancet . For those with diabetes, it is best to consume a whole piece of fruit.
• Burned and fried food: the high cooking temperature can give rise to toxic substances and derivatives glycation process in our body can cause among other things, insulin – resistance or diabetes as say US scientists. .

Beyond sugar, these are the foods that you should avoid if you have diabetesbecause their effect on the body does not contribute to the control of the disease but, on the contrary, can harm it and promote the development of glucose peaks and their consequences.