Diabetic Foods to Avoid

Insulin, a hormone produced in the pancreas, helps the cells in absorbing glucose, which is eventually converted to energy. At times however, our body either fails to produce the required amount of insulin, or doesn't respond to the available insulin in the body, which in turn triggers a medical condition called diabetes. A person suffering from any type of diabetes has to follow certain norms when it comes to dietary habits. As the consumption of sugar or fat rich food is strictly prohibited, a person suffering from diabetes has a substantial list of diabetic foods to avoid at his disposal.

Foods to Avoid for People With Diabetes

It's very important for a diabetic to know what food to eat and what to avoid. Food rich in sugar, cholesterol etc., is very harmful for people suffering from diabetes, and hence is best avoided. It is widely believed that a diabetic should strictly avoid fast food, and not just food with high sugar and fat content. While that is absolutely true, recent studies have revealed that even some fruits and vegetables are harmful for diabetics. Discussed below is a list of food items which are to be avoided if you are suffering from diabetes.

Sugar Rich Foods: Sugar rich foods can be extremely harmful for people suffering from diabetes. The list of sugar rich foods to avoid as a diabetic includes white sugar, ice creams, donuts, pastries, chocolates, cookies, artificial sweeteners, etc. The basic rule of the thumb is that anything that is sweet should be ideally avoided by a diabetic. The list of high carbohydrate foods to be avoided by a diabetic is mainly dominated by foods rich in fructose and glucose, such as table sugar and fruit juice concentrates.

High Cholesterol Foods: Studies reveal that diabetes lowers the amount of good cholesterol and raises the amount of bad cholesterol in the body. This makes the person, who is already suffering from diabetes, vulnerable to various heart diseases. Therefore, high cholesterol foods, such as egg yolks, high-fat dairy products, poultry, etc., should be necessarily avoided.

Fruit Juices: Research at the Tulane School of Public Health revealed that drinking a single glass of fruit juice daily, considerably increases the risk of diabetes in an individual. Eating whole fruit is considered to be better than drinking fruit juice, as it provides the body with fiber, necessary for the healthy body. Moreover, fruit juices are high in carbohydrates, and therefore are best avoided.

Fruits and Vegetables: Not all fruits are healthy for a person with diabetes. Eating fruits such as mangoes, strawberries and dates can raise the blood sugar levels, which can be harmful for the individual. Vegetables rich in starch content, such as potatoes and squash, should also be kept at bay. Ideally, these starchy vegetables can be supplemented by vegetables like beet root, carrots, beans, etc.

Alcoholic Beverages: Alcohol in high quantity can pose some serious problems to an individual suffering from diabetes. Consuming alcohol on an empty stomach can lead to hypoglycemia. More importantly, as liver stores the glucose released within the body, any damage to the liver due to excessive alcohol intake, may make it difficult for the person to control glucose levels in the body.

Fried Foods: Fried food, especially that which is fried with hydrogenated oils, tends to raise bad cholesterol in the body. Instead baked, boiled or steamed food is ideal for a person with diabetes. If at all you plan to have some fried food, once in a while, you should use canola or olive oil for frying the food, as these oils are comparatively less harmful for the body.

Other Foods to Avoid: Other food items which do not have a place in diabetic diet include, sodium rich foods like soy sauce, refined flour products such as pastas and pizzas, peanuts, dry fruits, cheese as well as salad dressings like mustard and mayonnaise. As we mentioned earlier, fast food is totally unacceptable for a person suffering from any type of diabetes.

How to Avoid Diabetic Foods?

At times, food can be very tempting, and hence difficult to avoid. In such situations knowing the ill-effects of the food can help you to stay away from these foods to avoid. You should keep a check on the amount of sugar content in the food or drinks you consume. Some foods are labeled sugar free, but these foods may be high in calorie content, and hence are best avoided. Even food items with significant amount of carbohydrates and starch is not good for a diabetic. You don't have to get disheartened by looking at this long list of diabetic foods to avoid though, as the list of foods for diabetics to eat is also quite lengthy (and healthy).

Last, but the most important thing you need to keep in your mind, is to follow the doctors advice religiously. Being into the field of medicine, the doctor is ought to be knowing more than you. So never exceed the amount of food that is recommended by your doctor. More importantly, it is better to follow a healthy lifestyle right from the beginning instead of waiting for some health issue to surface, and then trying your best to alter your way of life in accordance to it. As the age-old adage says - it's always better to be safe than sorry.