5 Foods that a Diabetic should not eat in 2024

There are some foods that should not be eaten by diabetics, not only because they are rich in carbohydrates that promote an increase in blood sugar levels, but also because some of them provide unhealthy fats or other substances, such as nitrates and nitrites. , which increase the risk of cancer and heart disease.

Likewise, people in general should not consume these foods in excess, especially those who have a family history of this disease or who suffer from prediabetes, because they increase the risk of developing type 2 diabetes in the long term.   

Foods that a prediabetic or diabetic should avoid are:

1. Sweets

Sweets such as candies, chocolates, pudding, cookies, mousse, cakes, puddings or pastries, for example, provide a large amount of refined sugar for the body. 

What happens with these foods is that this type of sugar is quickly absorbed at the intestinal level, increasing and accumulating its levels in the blood. This occurs because a diabetic person has little or no production of insulin, this being a hormone that is responsible for metabolizing the sugar that entered the body, thus causing long-term complications. 

Healthy change:  it is possible to replace these foods with the consumption of fruits with peel and bagasse, which will provide a greater amount of fiber, avoiding the abrupt increase in blood sugar.

In the case of desserts, the ideal is to prepare them at home, substituting, for example: milk chocolate for bitter, wheat flour for other types of flour with a higher fiber content, such as almond or coconut; white sugar refined by stevia; milk for skimmed, almond or coconut milk; and it is possible to add grated vegetables to the dough, such as zucchini or carrots. Read more about 3 Desserts for Diabetics (easy to prepare)

Desserts should be consumed in small portions, preferably in snacks, and a maximum of 2 times a week.

Also Read: Prediabetes Diet: Allowed and Prohibited foods 

2. Processed meats 

The consumption of processed meats such as bacon, salami, sausages and bologna, which are made with red meat and food additives, which have chemical substances and provide fats that are unhealthy for the body, in addition to being rich in sodium.

Nitrate and nitrites are the two main substances present in these foods, used as food additives to inhibit the growth of microorganisms, maintain flavor and to preserve them for longer. Some scientific studies have identified that these compounds are potentially harmful to health, mainly when consumed long term, because they could be related to the development of cancer.

Likewise, the regular consumption of this type of processed meat could increase blood pressure, cholesterol and inflammation in the body and oxidative stress, which are factors that also predispose or worsen diabetes, and can cause complications.

Healthy change:  it is possible to opt for one or two slices of unsalted and low-fat white cheese or prepare a scrambled egg to prepare sandwiches or arepas, for example.

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3. White bread, rice and pasta

White rice, pasta and white bread are foods rich in carbohydrates, which in addition to being processed provide very little fiber, which is why they significantly increase blood sugar.

Healthy change:  the ideal is to replace these products with their whole grain option, choosing rice, pasta and whole grain bread, as they contain a lower glycemic index. Furthermore, its consumption should be in small portions, and the dish should be accompanied by a portion of proteins and vegetables.  

Likewise, it is possible to replace the pasta with grated zucchini pasta and the bread could easily be prepared at home, thus avoiding added sugar. 

4. Packaged snacks

Packaged snacks, such as chips and Doritos, contain food additives, saturated fat and sodium, which are not suitable for those with diabetes because they increase the risk of hypertension and heart disease.

This is due to the fact that in diabetics there is an alteration in the blood vessels, which favors the accumulation of fatty plaques inside them, so the intake of these foods increases the risk of these types of complications arising. 

Healthy changes:  choose snacks prepared at home such as apple, pear, eggplant, zucchini or baked sweet potato chips, for example, which are easy to prepare in the oven and in a healthy way.

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5. Alcoholic drinks

Alcoholic beverages are not good options, beer dehydrates and increases blood sugar concentration for example, in addition, there are alcoholic beverages that are made from sugar cane, which are not recommended in case of diabetes.

Healthy change: opt for 1 cup of red wine eventually, because it contains resveratrol that benefits the cardiovascular system.

Why diabetics need to eat well?

Diabetics should eat well, avoiding the consumption of foods that can increase blood sugar excessively, as well as foods high in fat or sodium that can increase the risk of heart complications. 

Likewise, to control diabetes and ensure that all glucose reaches the cells, it is necessary:

• Reduce the amount of sugar that passes into the blood and;
• Ensuring that existing insulin is truly effective in its job of bringing sugar from the blood into the cells.

This can be achieved through correct nutrition and the use of medications, such as insulin, in case of type 1 diabetes, or oral hypoglycemic agents, in case of type 2 diabetes, for example.

It is useless to think that if there is a poor diet, the medications will be enough to guarantee the entry of glucose into the cells, because this is a daily adjustment and the amount of insulin necessary for the sugar provided by an apple is not the same. that could provide a sweet.

Read Related: Diabetic diet and menu: what you can eat and what to avoid