There are numerous foods to avoid with diabetes, including high sugar, high fat and high salt foods. It’s better to understand not only a basic list, but also the reason why certain foods ought to be skipped or limited. In the treatment of diabetes, the goal of controlling the diet is to work on regulating sugar levels, so fewer drugs are needed, and to also eat a diet that promotes weight loss and may lower risk factors for other diseases like hypertension and high cholesterol. When a healthy diet is maintained, the overall health of the diabetic may improve significantly, and some people, by diet alone, are able to treat their disease without medication.
A list of the foods to avoid with diabetes is perhaps best begun with a list of foods that people can eat. These include whole grains, fruits and vegetables that aren’t high in starch, lean proteins like fish, chicken, leans cuts of pork or beef, legumes, small amounts of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated oils, and non-fat dairy choices. The list of foods to avoid is then more obvious and includes: foods that are high in simple starches like potatoes and white rice, any foods with high fructose corn syrup, sugars or even fruit sugars such as those in juices, high fat foods like saturated fats, trans fats, or non-lean cuts of meat such as bacon, and foods that are high in sodium.
Things to avoid or eat very sparingly could thus include the following: sweetened and whole milk yogurts, whole fat cottage cheese, whole milk, most fried foods, fruit juice, unless used to correct insulin imbalance, most desserts, candy, most packaged foods because of high sodium levels, fattier meat choices, starchy vegetables or grains, butter, most margarines, and foods with high amounts of white rice or wheat flours. Of these the most important foods to avoid with diabetes are high sugar, high saturated fat or high sodium foods. Many people turn to diabetic foods to solve the sugar craving, but some health professionals advise against these. Not only may they not lessen cravings, but there is some evidence they make people more inclined to eat too much food and expand their waistlines.
Anyone who is diabetic should not solely rely on an Internet list to determine what foods to avoid. Meeting with a nutritionist or dietician to get specific lists and to plan out healthy and satisfying meals is high recommended. Patient education can make a big difference in how successfully people are able to control diet and contribute toward their better health through it.