10 Foods & Drinks That Diabetics Should Avoid
All diabetics know that they need to avoid sweets and sugar to maintain a healthy blood sugar level. However, sometimes unexpected quantities of sugar are present in foods and drinks that people consume without realising. Watch out for these food and drink items that are not ideal for consumption by diabetics:
Which Food Is Not Good For Diabetes?
1. Cereal
Most readymade cereals contain high amounts of sugar. Look for a sugar-free option if you like having cereal for breakfast.
2. White Rice
White rice is very quickly broken down to glucose during digestion. This will increase the blood sugar level. Diabetics could try switching to brown rice.
3. Flavoured Yogurt
Yogurts often come in different fruit flavours. However, along with the added fruit, there is also added sugar which diabetic should be careful about.
4. Dried Fruit
Dried fruit have lost almost all their water content which causes their sugars to be highly concentrated. Eating even a few dried fruits can cause a big rise in blood sugar. Stick to fresh fruits to safely satisfy your sugar cravings.
5. White Bread And Pasta
Refined flour that is used to make white bread and pasta can cause a sudden increase in blood sugar levels. High-fibre wholegrain alternatives are a safer option for diabetics.
Drinks To Avoid Diabetes
1. Carbonated Soft Drinks
Regular carbonated soft drinks like cola or lemonade have very high sugar content. Try the diet options with no added sugar if you want a fizzy drink.
2. Flavoured Coffee
Readymade flavoured coffee mixes usually have added sugar. While these packs are convenient, try making flavoured coffee at home and avoid adding sugar.
3. Fruit Juice
Even fruit juices that have no added sugar have a lot of natural sugars. Juicing the fruit removes the fibre which results in a blood sugar spike when you drink the juice.
4. Tea From The Chaiwala
Chaiwala tea is delicious and has a strong flavour but it also has lots of sugar that is premixed when the tea is being brewed. It is safer for diabetics to make their own tea and use a diabetes-safe sweetener or have the tea plain or try this recipe.
5. Energy Drinks
While many energy drinks claim to be sugar-free they might still have high carbohydrate content which can cause sugar levels to rise. Drink regular water instead during a workout.