Foods And Drinks To Avoid With Diabetes
Diabetes is a chronic disease that has reached epidemic proportions among adults and children worldwide (
Uncontrolled diabetes has many serious consequences, including heart disease, kidney disease, blindness, and other complications.
Prediabetes has also been linked to these conditions .
Importantly, eating certain foods can raise your blood sugar and insulin levels and promote inflammation, which may increase your risk of disease.
This article lists 11 foods and drinks that people with diabetes or prediabetes should avoid.
Not Eating Enough Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates are one of three main nutrients you get from food . Carbs break down into glucose, which raises your blood sugar.
If you dont eat enough carbohydrates throughout the day and take a diabetes medication , you might develop nocturnal hypoglycemia. The carbohydrate content of your last meal or snack of the day plays the largest impact on nighttime blood sugar levels.
How To Cut Down On Sugar
You dont have to cut sugar out of your diet completely. Sugar is found naturally in fruit, vegetables and dairy foods, and most of us in the UK are not getting the recommended five fruit and veg a day so its important we dont cut these out as they are so good for you.
Its better to eat whole fruit and vegetables rather than having juices or smoothies, as even the pure fruit juices contribute to free sugar intake. If you do have juice, keep to just one small glass 150ml a day.
Its the free sugar that we all need to cut down on. And its not just the obviously sweet things like biscuits and chocolate. Its the hidden sugar lurking in many foods, such as baked beans, pasta sauces, tomato ketchup, yogurts and ready meals. Some drinks are packed with sugar, too.
Simple changes can dramatically reduce the amount of free sugar in your diet. This could include:
“Low-fat foods, such as yogurts, can be higher in sugar, so always check labels for ingredients.Margaret, 73, who has type 2 diabetes
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When To See A Health Care Provider
If your dizziness when standing up only happens occasionally, there likely isnt any reason to worry. The normal pull of blood away from your head and heart and subsequent dizziness when standing can be a part of your bodys natural response to gravity. As epinephrine is released and your blood vessels are regulated, the symptoms will go away.
If your symptoms are recurrent, come with other concerning symptoms, or you have been losing consciousness, seek medical advice. If you suspect that an underlying condition is causing your dizziness when standing up, keep track of your symptoms and consult your health care provider.
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Overdose Of Diabetes Medication
A common cause of hypoglycaemia is taking too much insulin for your current needs. Insulin is a medication that helps control your blood glucose levels. It’s commonly used to treat type 1 diabetes and is also recommended for some people with type 2 diabetes.
A fall in blood glucose levels can also occur after taking too much oral hypoglycaemia medication, such as sulphonylurea, which causes a release of insulin. This medication is often used to lower blood glucose levels in people with type 2 diabetes.
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Manage Your Carb Intake
Your carb intake strongly influences your blood sugar levels .
Your body breaks carbs down into sugars, mainly glucose. Then, insulin helps your body use and store it for energy.
When you eat too many carbs or have insulin-function problems, this process fails, and blood glucose levels can rise.
Thats why the American Diabetes Association recommends that people with diabetes manage their carb intake by counting carbs and being aware of how many they need .
Some studies find that this can help you plan your meals appropriately, further improving blood sugar management (
Foods that are high in fiber include:
The recommended daily intake of fiber is about 25 grams for women and 35 grams for men. Thats about 14 grams for every 1,000 calories .
Summary
Eating plenty of fiber can aid blood sugar management. Soluble dietary fiber appears to be more effective than insoluble fiber for this purpose.
How Can I Treat Low Blood Sugar
If youve had low blood sugar without feeling or noticing symptoms , you may need to check your blood sugar more often to see if its low and treat it. Driving with low blood sugar can be dangerous, so be sure to check your blood sugar before you get behind the wheel.
Carry supplies for treating low blood sugar with you. If you feel shaky, sweaty, or very hungry or have other symptoms, check your blood sugar. Even if you dont have symptoms but think you may have low blood sugar, check it. If your blood sugar is lower than 70 mg/dL, do one of the following immediately:
- Take four glucose tablets.
- Drink four ounces of fruit juice.
- Drink four ounces of regular soda, not diet soda.
- Eat four pieces of hard candy.
Wait for 15 minutes and then check your blood sugar again. Do one of the above treatments again until your blood sugar is 70 mg/dL or above and eat a snack if your next meal is an hour or more away. If you have problems with low blood sugar, ask your doctor if your treatment plan needs to be changed.
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Who Is At Risk For Type 2 Diabetes
Many Americans are at risk for type 2 diabetes. Your chances of getting it depend on a combination of risk factors such as your genes and lifestyle. The risk factors include:
- Having prediabetes, which means you have blood sugar levels that are higher than normal but not high enough to be called diabetes
- Being overweight or having obesity
- Being age 45 or older
- A family history of diabetes
- Being African American, Alaska Native, American Indian, Asian American, Hispanic/Latino, Native Hawaiian, or Pacific Islander
- Having acanthosis nigricans, a skin condition in which your skin becomes dark and thick, especially around your neck or armpits
What Foods And Drinks Should I Limit If I Have Diabetes
Foods and drinks to limit include
- fried foods and other foods high in saturated fat and trans fat
- foods high in salt, also called sodium
- sweets, such as baked goods, candy, and ice cream
- beverages with added sugars, such as juice, regular soda, and regular sports or energy drinks
Drink water instead of sweetened beverages. Consider using a sugar substitute in your coffee or tea.
If you drink alcohol, drink moderatelyno more than one drink a day if youre a woman or two drinks a day if youre a man. If you use insulin or diabetes medicines that increase the amount of insulin your body makes, alcohol can make your blood glucose level drop too low. This is especially true if you havent eaten in a while. Its best to eat some food when you drink alcohol.
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Why Do Blood Sugars Spike Overnight
As with everything diabetes, the answer is nuanced and can depend on the person and their situation, but mostly blood sugars tend to spike overnight because were not keeping as close of a watch on them.
Think about it: two hours after breakfast or lunch, youre probably testing your blood sugar or monitoring it on your continuous glucose monitor , tracking changes, and dosing appropriately. That same eye for detail is required after exercise, where you normally treat with appropriate low snacks before it becomes dangerous.
That isnt the case when youre sleeping 7-9 hours per night, which can cause people with diabetes a lot of problems.
Treating An Episode Of Hypoglycaemia
The immediate treatment for hypoglycaemia is to have some sugary food or drink to end the attack.
For example, this could be:
- a glass of fruit juice or non-diet soft drink
- between three and five dextrose tablets
- a handful of sweets
At first you should avoid fatty foods and drinks, such as chocolate and milk, because they don’t usually contain as much sugar and the sugar they do contain may be absorbed more slowly.
After having something sugary, you should have a longer-acting carbohydrate food, such as a few biscuits, a cereal bar, a piece of fruit or a sandwich.
It will usually take around 15 minutes to recover from a mild episode of hypoglycaemia. If you have a blood glucose meter, measure your blood sugar again after 15 to 20 minutes. If it’s still too low , you should have some more sugary food or a drink before testing your levels again in another 15 to 20 minutes.
When treating someone else with hypoglycaemia, if the above treatment isn’t effective, you may be able to help them by applying glucose gel to the inside of their cheeks, and gently massaging the outside of their cheeks.
It may take 10 to 15 minutes before they feel better. This shouldn’t be done if the person is drowsy or unconscious because of the risk of choking.
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Heart Disease Risk And Diabetes
Heart disease can be a serious diabetes complication. Keep an eye on your risk by getting these ABCs checked:A1C level. This is a measure of your average blood sugar control for the last 2-3 months. You may need it checked two or more times a year. Talk to your doctor about setting a goal.Blood pressure. Goal: below 140/80 mm Hg.Cholesterol. Goal: LDL to 100 mg/d or lessl HDL above 40 mg/dl in men and greater than 50 in women and triglycerides below 150 mg/dl.
What Are Blood Sugar Targets
A blood sugar target is the range you try to reach as much as possible. These are typical targets:
- Before a meal: 80 to 130 mg/dL.
- Two hours after the start of a meal: Less than 180 mg/dL.
Your blood sugar targets may be different depending on your age, any additional health problems you have, and other factors. Be sure to talk to your health care team about which targets are best for you.
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Prevention Tips For Parents
Not long ago, it was almost unheard of for young children or teens to get type 2 diabetes. Now, about one-third of American youth are overweight, which is directly related to the increase in kids who have type 2 diabetes, some as young as 10 years old.
Parents have the power to make healthy changes that give kids the best chance to prevent type 2 diabetes. And when the whole family makes changes together, its easier to create healthy habits that stick. Get started with these simple but effective tips for healthy eating and being active family style.
Take Care Of Bumps And Bruises
Diabetes raises your risk of infection and slows healing, so treat even simple cuts and scrapes quickly. Properly clean your wound and use an antibiotic cream and sterile bandage. See a doctor if it’s not better in a few days. Check your feet every day for blisters, cuts, sores, redness, or swelling. Moisturize them to prevent cracks.
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Monitor Your Blood Sugar Daily
You know you’re supposed to check it. And actually checking your blood glucose levels can help you avoid diabetes complications, like nerve pain, or keep them from getting worse. Checking it can also help you see how foods and activities affect you, and if your treatment plan is working. Your doctor can help you set a target glucose level range. The closer you get to your target, the better you’ll feel.
Simple Tips To Prevent Blood Sugar Spikes
Blood sugar spikes occur when your blood sugar rises and then falls sharply after you eat.
In the short term, they can cause lethargy and hunger. Over time, your body may not be able to lower blood sugar effectively, which can lead to type 2 diabetes.
Diabetes is a rising health problem. In fact, 29 million Americans have diabetes, and 25% of them dont even know they have it .
Blood sugar spikes can also cause your blood vessels to harden and narrow, which can lead to a heart attack or stroke.
This article looks at 12 simple things you can do to prevent blood sugar spikes.
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Take Diabetes Medication As Prescribed
If you take diabetes medication, be sure to take it as prescribed by your healthcare provider. This is especially important if you take insulin to help keep your blood sugar levels stable.
If you dont take enough insulin, you may be more prone to having blood sugar spikes. Mealtime insulin is meant to be taken before meals to help avoid blood sugar spikes, so its important to remember to take it with you when traveling or eating meals outside your home.
What Is Type 2 Diabetes What Causes Diabetes
There are two major forms of diabetes — type 1 and type 2. This article focuses specifically on the prevention of type 2 diabetes since there is no know way to prevent type 1 diabetes. This form of diabetes is virtually a pandemic in the United States. This information reviews the risk factors for developing type 2 diabetes and reviews key points regarding prediction of those at risk for type 2 diabetes. It also is a review of what they can do about it.
While diabetes is characterized by high blood sugar values, type 2 diabetes is also associated with a condition known as insulin resistance. Even though there is an element of impaired insulin secretion from the beta cells of the pancreas, especially when toxic levels of glucose occur , the major defect in type 2 diabetes is the body’s inability to respond properly to insulin.
Eventually, even though the pancreas is working at its best to produce more and more insulin, the body tissues do not respond and become insensitive to the insulin. At this point, overt diabetes occurs, as the body is no longer able to effectively use its insulin to maintain normal blood sugar levels. Over time, these high levels of sugar result in the complications we see all too often in patients with diabetes.
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How To Prevent Developing Type 2 Diabetes
Maintain your weight, eat a balanced diet and check your carbohydrate intake.
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Losing 5- 10% of body weight reduces the risk of diabetes as obesity is the main risk factor of diabetes.
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Replace foods that are high in sugar and refined carbohydrate with fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and lots of water.
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Sedentary lifestyles increase the risk of type 2 diabetes twice as compared to active ones.
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Smokers are at high risk of diabetes.
Exercise That Affects Blood Sugar
Physical activity can:
- Make your body more use insulin better
- Help you reach and maintain a healthy weight
- Help reduce your risk of heart disease
Combining these types of exercise helps improve long-term sugar control:
- Aerobic exercise, which increases your heart rate
- Resistance training, for building muscle strength
Talk to your doctor about an activity plan. Ask about precautions you should take.
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Signs Of Low Blood Sugar
Some of the more common hypoglycemia symptoms include:
- Feeling shaky and/or dizzy
- Feeling anxious or nervous
Since you might not be awake or alert enough to notice the typical hypoglycemia symptoms, there are specific symptoms of nocturnal hypoglycemia to watch out for:
- Damp sheets or nightclothes from sweating due to low blood sugar
- Feeling tired, irritable, or confused after waking up
You might wonder how you can find out if you have nocturnal hypoglycemia if youre asleep. If you suspect you might be getting nocturnal hypoglycemia, try waking up and checking your blood sugar in the middle of the night, such as 2:00 or 3:00 AM.
Using a continuous glucose monitor is especially helpful in identifying low blood sugar overnight. You can set alarms on a CGM so it will notify you when your blood sugar falls below a certain threshold.
Choose The Best Foods: Decoding Food Labels Eating A Healthy Variety And Quality Calories
Use the Nutrition Facts label to make healthier choices.
Put foods that dont have labels first on your grocery list. Visit the produce section to stock up on fresh veggies and fruit. Then, shop the outside aisles of the store for dairy, eggs, and lean meat. Some packaged food will be on your list. Use the Nutrition Facts label to see how many calories and grams of carbs, sugars, and fat are in the food you choose.
Eat a variety of healthy foods. Eat all kinds of different foods from the major food groups: veggies, fruits, grains, dairy or dairy alternatives such as low-fat or fat-free milk, yogurt, and other products made from soy, almonds, and cashews, and lean protein. Eating a variety of foods helps to make sure you get the vitamins and minerals you need. You dont need to eat all food groups at each meal.
Count what counts.
Dont get too hung up on calories, but definitely count them in. Cutting calories from your meals and adding physical activity to your routine can help you lose weight. But dont cut back too far. If you get too hungry, you wont stay on your plan. And remember, if youre more active, youre burning more calories.
The National Institutes of Health offers an interactive Body Weight Planner that can help you determine the number of calories you should eat each day to get you to your goal weight and to maintain it.
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