Being diabetic may force you to make a lot of sacrifices; particularly on eating. There are some foods that you should avoid because they can cause your blood sugar level to rise. When that happens, you will feel sick all day long. What's even worse is that your body will be inclined to a lot of complications, which can be fatal. This is because your vital organs can be damaged. For this reason, you should try your best to keep your blood sugar level stable and under control.
To easily determine the foods to avoid for diabetics, you should be aware of what a glycemic index is. Glycemic index or GI describes the different behaviors of carbohydrates in our bodies. Through it, you will be able to identify which among the foods you eat have low and high carbs. Low GI foods will only have 55 counts of carbohydrates and below. If the count goes higher than that, it will not be advisable for you to eat that food. Eating low GI foods is essential to a diabetic's long term health. They will not cause too much instability to your blood glucose and insulin levels.
Some carbohydrates break down quickly in our bodies after eating them. This will also cause rapid discharge of sugar into your bloodstream. These foods have high carbs. When this happens, the demand of your body for insulin will be higher. Hence, you should avoid this kind of foods. Instead, you should go for those that slowly release sugar as they are the ones that have low GI.
High GI foods include anything enriched with white sugar, white flour breads, corn and corn syrup, pre-packed foods, regular sodas, white rice, pasta and potatoes, to mention a few.
The recommended foods for diabetics are those that have high fiber content like whole wheat breads, 100% natural fruit juice, fresh meat, fresh sauteed or steamed vegetables, brown rice and fresh fruits.
Another important thing that you should be aware of is that diabetics should not skip meals. They should always eat on time. However, eating large portions of food should be avoided. They should only eat small portions. It is also recommended that they eat 6 times a day.
Getting a complete list of the foods to avoid for diabetics is not that difficult at all. There are books and magazines that were specially published to help diabetes patients determine the foods that they should eat and those that they should exclude from their diet. There are also websites which are dedicated to diabetic health. They usually feature various recipes that are safe to take in even when you have diabetes.
When you have diabetes, always bear in mind that medication will not be enough. A good diet is also crucial to your condition. You also need to consult your doctor or an expert dietician who can help you in creating a suitable meal plan for you. Some meal plans can be good for a month or more.
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