What Not To Eat When You Have High Blood Sugar

What To Do If I Have Diabetes

You must first visit your dentist as soon as possible. If you observe any indications or indications of oral health issues.

Your dentist is a crucial ally in maintaining the health of your mouth. additionally attending to mouth issues before they worsen.

the condition of diabetes

Inform your dentist of your diabetes and how long you have had it. any issues you might have because of your diabetes. as well as any medications you take.

any changes in your health should be reported to your dentist. Included in this is any rise in your blood sugar levels. Find out how frequently you need to visit for routine cleanings and examinations.

Follow your surgeons recommendations for both treating and preventing diabetes-related mouth issues. If going to the dentist gives you anxiety. Share your feelings with the personnel plus your dentists.

Your doctor will modify the procedure to meet your needs.

Watching For Symptoms Isnt Enough

Although you may think youll know from experience when your blood sugar is out of whack, regular monitoring is the only way to truly make sure.

Its important to keep in mind that the symptoms of high or low blood sugars may fade away after several years of living with diabetes, especially if your blood sugars havent been well controlled, says Garvey.

Also, some of the symptoms of high blood sugars and low blood sugars are the same, so its important to check your blood sugar first, if possible, before treating it, she says.

Caution: Birth Control Pills

Estrogen in birth control pills can affect the way a person with diabetes may respond to insulin. The American Diabetes Association advises women with diabetes to use a birth control pill containing norgestimate and a synthetic estrogen. The ADA also says birth control injections and implants are safe for women with diabetes, but suggests they still have some effect on blood sugars. If women elect to use these birth control methods, they should monitor their blood sugar levels, especially for several weeks when these agents are first administered. Women with diabetes should discuss their birth control options with their doctor.

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Reduce Your Portion Sizes

Eating portion sizes appropriate for your needs may also help prevent diabetes.

Eating too much food at one time has been shown to cause higher blood sugar and insulin levels in people at risk of diabetes .

Conversely, eating smaller portions may lead to reduced calorie intake and subsequent weight loss, which may in turn lower your risk of diabetes.

While there are few studies on the effects of portion management in people with prediabetes, research in those with type 2 diabetes offers some insight.

A study in adults with overweight or obesity, including some with type 2 diabetes, found that following a meal plan with portion-managed meal replacements and appropriate portions of other healthy foods led to weight loss and reductions in body fat .

Whats more, guidelines for the prevention and management of type 2 diabetes support portion management as a way to help individuals maintain a healthy weight .

To manage your portion sizes, make your plate half non-starchy vegetables, a quarter lean protein, and a quarter complex carbs like fruit or whole grains. If youre at a restaurant that serves large portions, choose an appetizer for your main course or ask for a half portion.

Plus, instead of eating snacks straight out of the bag, place your desired amount into a separate dish.

SUMMARY

Avoiding large portion sizes may help reduce insulin and blood sugar levels, promote weight loss, and decrease your risk of diabetes.

SUMMARY

How Fast Food Impacts Blood Sugar

According to the Centers for Disease Control for Prevention , 40% of Americans eat fast food on a regular basis, which can have a big impact on blood sugar. Fast food can be a culprit in elevated blood sugars due to the sweets, dips, sauces, and of course, sweetened beverages, acknowledges Kelly McGrath, R.D., a clinical dietitian with the VA Maryland Healthcare System in Baltimore, MD. Fast food is also high in sodium and saturated fat, which poses a risk to cardiac health in individuals who have diabetes. If you are on the go and fast food is your only option, opt for a sandwich or salad without the added marinade, sauce, or dressing to avoid added sugars.

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Get Plenty Of Fruits And Vegetables

Fruits and vegetables are examples of healthy carbohydrates that are rich in fiber. For people with diabetes, doctors recommend eating five portions of fruits and vegetables a day to maintain healthy blood-sugar levels though you should talk to your doctor to come up with a meal plan that best suits your needs.

Ripe fruits tend to have a higher glycemic index than less ripe fruits. The glycemic index ranks foods by how they raise glucose levels in the body. Foods high on the glycemic index raise glucose levels more quickly, potentially causing blood sugar spikes, while low-glycemic foods raise glucose levels more slowly.

Eating fruits with the skin can be more beneficial, Adimoolam says, since the skin contains more fiber and can help regulate your blood sugar.

Though all fruits supply nutrients, dried fruit and fruit juice have more concentrated sources of natural sugars. When possible, choose whole forms of fruit, such as fresh or frozen.

Adimoolam says most vegetables are healthy for people with diabetes, though starchy vegetables like potatoes, sweet potatoes, and plantains have a higher carbohydrate content and should be eaten in moderation.

Some examples of low-glycemic fruits and vegetables include:

Quick tip: For more information, read about the best types of fruits for diabetes.

Not Brushing And Flossing

If you have diabetes, youâre more likely to get gum disease . And serious gum disease can make it harder to keep your blood sugar under control. Like all infections, it may cause your glucose to rise. That, in turn, can make other infections more likely. Inflamed or infected gums can also cause your bodyâs defense system to go into overdrive. That makes it harder for your body to keep insulin and blood sugar in check.

Make sure you not only brush and floss your teeth but also rinse with an antiseptic mouthwash daily.

Keep up with your dentist visits, work on managing your blood sugar, and, if you have gum disease, treat it â and any other infection in any part of your body â ASAP.

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Three Diet Strategies To Help Anyone Diagnosed With Prediabetes Or Type 2 Diabetes Become Wiser About Controlling Your Blood Sugar Reduce Common Complications And Achieve A Healthy Weight

A diagnosis of type 2 diabetesor even prediabetesusually means the doctor has suggested that you make some changes to your diet or the diet of someone you care for. This is a good time to become wiser about how you are eating on a regular basis.

Fortunately, following a diabetes diet doesnt mean giving up the joy of eating or avoiding your favorite foods and special family meals. You can still enjoy pizza night, celebrate birthdays and anniversaries, and partake in holiday meals and vacation dining. This is more about your routine daily food choices and meal planning.

Use the four sections of a plate as a guide when planning healthy meals for someone with diabetes. Photo: 123RF

Eating to beat diabetes is much more about making wise food adjustments than it is about denial and deprivation. A better way to look at a diet when you have diabetes is one that helps you establish a new normal when it comes to your eating habits and food choices.1

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When Should I Eat If I Have Diabetes

Some people with diabetes need to eat at about the same time each day. Others can be more flexible with the timing of their meals. Depending on your diabetes medicines or type of insulin, you may need to eat the same amount of carbohydrates at the same time each day. If you take mealtime insulin, your eating schedule can be more flexible.

If you use certain diabetes medicines or insulin and you skip or delay a meal, your blood glucose level can drop too low. Ask your health care team when you should eat and whether you should eat before and after physical activity.

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Are There Fruits To Avoid With Diabetes

“When it comes to fruit, it is all about balance,” explains Beaver. “If you’re having it as a part of a balanced meal or having a healthy portion size as a snack, eating fruit isn’t a problem. When it becomes an issue is if you’re having just fruit for a meal or eating a very large amount of it.”

Fruit is actually lower in carbs than many common snack foods not to mention packed with other beneficial nutrients like fiber, vitamins and minerals making it a better snack option.

Still, some fruits have more sugar than others, so lower-sugar fruits may make meeting blood sugar goals easier.

Lower-sugar fruits include:

Best Breads To Eat For Blood Sugar Say Dietitians

If you’ve been given a diabetes diagnosis, or have been told you have prediabetes, you know how frustrating it can feel to have to give up some of your favorite foods in order to manage your blood sugar levels.

There’s good news, though. Thankfully plenty of companies are making healthier alternatives to some of our favorite foodsincluding sliced bread! So even if you’re diabetic or just need to manage your blood sugar levels, there are breads out there that can help you stick to your health goals.

Continue reading to see what a couple of expert dietitians recommend for healthier bread choices. And for more healthy eating tips check out 6 Breads That Use the Highest Quality Ingredients.

“Ezekiel bread is made up of sprouted grains and legumes, which not only offer a more fibrous option, but also one with more bioavailable nutrients. The sprouting process also enhances nutrient availability of the grains,” says Rachel Fine, RDN, a registered dietitian nutritionist and founder of To The Pointe Nutrition.

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Is Dried Fruit Nutritious

Who doesnt love a cup of trail mix, filled with chocolate, nuts, and dried fruit? Despite its energizing qualities, dried fruit is rich in fructose and has lost many of its beneficial nutrients in the drying process. Plus, most dried fruits, like cranberries, have added sugar. If you manage to find dried fruits that dont contain added sugar, they can still drastically spike your blood sugar. When theyre dehydrated, they contain just as much sugar as the whole fruit, but in fewer bites. For example, while a whole apricot has 3-5 grams of sugar, only two tablespoons of dried apricots has the same amount. When possible, pair a small handful of dried fruit with a source of fat or protein .

Avoid Alcohol Or Drink Only In Moderation

Before you indulge in a cocktail or even a glass of wine with dinner, check with your doctor to make sure that its safe for you to drink alcohol, since it can interfere with your blood-sugar levels. If you do drink, keep it in moderation, advises the ADA. Moderation is generally defined as no more than one serving per day if youre a woman, and no more than two if youre a man. A typical serving is measured as 5 ounces of wine, 12 oz of beer, or 1.5 oz of distilled liquor.

Diabetes medication is processed through the liver, and so is alcohol, explains Kimberlain. This double whammy can be too much for your liver. If youre taking insulin, it can cause low blood sugar, especially if youre drinking and not eating.

As for best and worst choices at the bar, Kimberlain recommends mixed drinks like diet soda with rum , or hard liquor with ice or calorie-free mixers. Avoid sweet wines like prosecco and foofy umbrella drinks with lots of sugar.

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Only You Can Prevent Blood Sugar Spikes

Its annoying but true: The best way to lower your blood sugar is to avoid a spike in the first place.

Eating whole foods that are low in sugar and exercising regularly will help keep your blood sugar in check. This can be beneficial for people with type 2 diabetes, but medications may also be necessary to keep blood sugar in a healthy range.

To avoid food-based spikes, try to steer clear of added sugars in your diet. The FDA recommends consuming less than 200 calories a day from added sugars.

That sounds pretty simple, but when you realize that 16 ounces of orange juice has 240 calories , its easy to see how sugar consumption gets out of hand.

Its best to avoid all sugary drinks and check the labels. There are hidden sugars in everything from bread to turkey slices, so double-check your favorite foods to make sure you arent getting any unnecessary sweetness.

Worst Foods To Eat For High Blood Sugar

High blood sugar can lead to a multitude of health issues. Mainly, it can lead to diabetes, which is what an estimated 34.2 million people have in the United States. If you have high blood sugar, that means there is too much sugar in your blood. This is because either your body has too little insulin or your body isnât functioning with insulin properly.

Although it may seem uncontrollable at times, there are ways to manage your high blood sugar. Changing your lifestyle habits as well as your diet can help maintain it. This means cutting out some foods that may be doing more harm than good for your body . Weâve compiled a list of the worst foods you could eat if you have high blood sugar. Once you read through them, be sure to check out 4 Eating Habits Secretly Increasing Your Blood Sugar, Say Dietitians.

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Do Dairy Products Raise Blood Sugar

Milk is a great source of calcium and protein, and at 12 grams of carbs per cup, it has less sugar than some foodsbut still enough to jolt your levels . If you are trying to cut the carbs, try one of the unsweetened milk alternative beverages which contain less than 2 grams of carb per cup and pack more calcium than cows milk. If you like yogurt, look for plain Greek yogurt that has only 5 grams of carbs per cup .

Follow A High Fiber Diet

Eating plenty of fiber is beneficial for gut health and weight management. It may also help prevent diabetes.

Studies in people with prediabetes and older women with obesity show that this nutrient helps keep blood sugar and insulin levels low (

41 ).

Still, maintaining adequate vitamin D levels is important for your health, especially if youre deficient. Good food sources include fatty fish and cod liver oil. In addition, sun exposure can increase vitamin D levels.

For some people, supplementing with vitamin D daily may be necessary to achieve and maintain optimal levels. Speak with a doctor to get your vitamin D levels checked before starting a supplement.

SUMMARY

Eating foods high in vitamin D or taking supplements may help optimize vitamin D levels, which may help reduce your risk of diabetes.

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What Are The Signs & Symptoms Of Dka

The symptoms of diabetic ketoacidosis usually dont develop all at once they usually come on slowly over several hours. People who have DKA may:

• feel really tired
• feel really thirsty or pee way more than usual
• have a dry mouth and signs of dehydration

These symptoms are caused by the high blood sugar levels that usually happen before someone develops DKA. If the person doesnt get treatment, these signs of DKA can happen:

• unconsciousness

Worst Foods For Diabetes

Controlling your diabetes requires a careful balance of lifestyle habits, including eating right, exercising, and taking your proper medication. But it can be tricky to navigate proper nutrition, especially with foods that sound healthy but can actually wreak havoc on your blood sugar and overall health .

In fact, diabetics are two to four times more likely than people without diabetes to die of heart disease or experience a life-threatening stroke, according to the American Heart Association. It’s even more dangerous for those who don’t control their diabetes it can lead to heart disease, nerve damage, and kidney disease.

To stay on track, be sure to avoid these 50 foods that will spike your blood sugar and lead to chronic inflammation. Luckily, life with diabetes doesn’t have to be flavor free. “After working with thousands of diabetic individuals over the years, I noticed that many asked me the same question at their first appointment. ‘Can I still eat my favorite foods?'” says Lori Zanini, RD, CDE, author of Eat What You Love Diabetes Cookbook. “And the answer from me was always ‘Yes!’ It’s the portion sizes and frequency that makes the most difference, in addition to how the food is prepared.”

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How To Lower Morning Blood Sugar

Whether a morning high is caused by the dawn phenomenon or something else, here are a few things you can try to lower your blood sugar levels:

• Physical activity when you wake up can help bring your glucose level down. Even going for a walk can be helpful.

• To learn about exercise guidelines and glucose management strategies, click here.

• Read Adam Browns take on walking the most underrated diabetes exercise strategy.

This article is part of a series on time in range.

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