High blood sugar levels are one of the main concerns among people who have diabetes. If your blood sugar remains high for prolonged periods, it causes damage to your body. This damage, over time, can lead to recurring infections, heart disease, and several other potential complications. If your blood sugar levels are frequently spiking, then the issue might lie with what you eat, as diet tends to have a significant role to play when managing diabetes. This article explores some essential tips that will help you understand what to do and what to avoid regarding food as a diabetic.
Things To Avoid When Planning Your Diabetic Diet
Cutting out things causing your blood sugar levels to spike is a good starting point. This will get you to a scenario where you can start introducing healthy stuff in your diet, which will help stabilize your blood sugar instead of causing consistent spikes. We will examine some of the most important “dos and don’ts” you should consider with a diabetic diet.
Don’t Add Too Many Refined Carbs
Refined carbohydrates are commonly used in many households. You’ve got white bread on the table, decide to have some white rice for dinner, or perhaps you grab a bagel with a sweet sauce poured over at a bakery. These are all sources of refined carbs. The term refers to carbohydrates that have been refined to the point where they no longer contain essential nutrients, such as fiber, minerals, and vitamins. They still add to your daily carbohydrate and calorie intake, though. Another thing to consider is the fact that refined carbs have a high glycemic index, which means they are more likely to spike your blood sugar levels as your body absorbs them quickly. One study also found that the prevalence of type 2 diabetes is more common among people with a diet high in these foods.
Don’t Use Table Sugar
Regular white sugar is something that most people tend to rely on in the modern diet, but it’s also something that can be harmful to your body – especially if you have type 2 diabetes. When you add sugar to your coffee and tea, then you’re going to cause an increase in your glucose levels. Instead of using standard sugar, consider some substitutes and natural alternatives. Stevia, for example, is much sweeter than regular sugar, and it won’t spike your blood glucose levels.
Don’t Forget Your Snacks
When you’ve got a busy schedule, finding the time to eat a snack can sometimes be hard. This could lead to hypoglycemia, which calls for glucose tablets or other options that can quickly increase your glucose levels. Forgetting your snacks could also make you eat more than usual at your next meal, increasing the risk of giving in to temptation when walking by the fast food places. It’s important to pack healthy snacks that contain some carbs to keep you going throughout the day. Make sure you space them out between your main meals and make time to eat these snacks. Many snacks are great for people who are on the go – throw them in your bag, and you’ll have easy access to the snacks.
Don’t Overstuff Your Plate
You may feel tempted to stuff your plate with more than usual when you dish up. You may try to fill the entire plate, for example. This will lead to excessive calorie and carb consumption, so it’s essential to be mindful of how much you put onto your dinner plate. If you’re feeling exceptionally hungry, avoid this temptation. Rather, dish up the usual amount of food you’ll have. If you still feel hungry after eating, serve up a second plate for yourself while being considerate of how much you add to that second serving.
Things To Do To Improve Your Diabetic Diet
Now that we’ve examined a couple of things to avoid, we will also share some important tips for planning your diabetic eating plan.
Do Count Carbs
Counting carbohydrates and calories as you prepare meals and have snacks indeed feels tedious, but it’s a great way to have more control of your diabetes. You can use a digital planner or even a dedicated app that helps you keep track of what you eat. This way, you’ll be able to see where you need to cut out carbohydrates to help you avoid sugar spikes during the day.
Do Eat More Fiber
Many diets lack fiber, especially as people turn to refined foods to fill themselves up. Unfortunately, this causes problems with digestion and can result in other complications. Adding more fiber to your diet is an excellent way to improve your blood glucose control. The fiber slows down the sugar absorption rate in your gastrointestinal tract, which ensures glucose does not rise too quickly after a meal.
Do Make Use Of Spices
Some people prefer a sprinkle of salt and some black pepper on their food. Sure, it adds to the taste, but there are many spices that you can explore to enhance the flavor of your food even more. The thing about spices is that they are not only there to create flavor in your food but can also offer certain health benefits. Cinnamon, for example, can help improve your body’s insulin sensitivity. Fenugreek is a type of seed that can increase your intake of soluble fiber, which may help to reduce the risk of blood sugar spikes after your meal.
Bottom Line
Keeping your blood sugar levels within the target range is difficult when you’re a diabetic. Several factors affect your glucose levels, and some dieting habits could be behind the constant rise in your blood sugar. Please start with the things we discussed in this post and optimize your diet to promote better regulation of your glucose and diabetes in general.