World Health Day: If you have diabetes, there are certain foods you should completely avoid. Nutritionist Nmami Agarwal elaborates on them right here.
World Health Day 2021: Every year on April 7, the world celebrates World Health Day. The day is aimed at ensuring that everyone, everywhere realises the right to good health. In this article, lets talk about diabetes, which is quite common in India and the rest of the world. Diabetes is a chronic condition which occurs when your blood glucose is too high. Carbohydrates, fats, processed foods, and even natural sugars can cause your blood sugar levels to rise. But, having diabetes doesn’t mean a person has to stop eating the foods that they enjoy.
Having a healthy, balanced diet can help people with diabetes manage their condition and reduce the risk of heart disease, kidney disease, and other health-related complications. Unchecked diabetes can have many serious consequences; people with diabetes can eat most foods, but they may need to eat some of them in smaller portions.
Putting off foods that increase your blood sugar levels and drive insulin resistance can help keep you healthy and reduce your risk of future diabetes complications.
World Health Day: Let’s take a look at the foods that people with diabetes should never include in their diet:
1. Fruit juices: Fruits are good for people who have diabetes but fruit juices are in equal measure bad for them. Fruit juices may make lose out on fibre and are loaded with fructose that elevates the blood sugar levels.
2. Refined flour: Foods such as white bread, white rice, pasta, bakery items and snacks that have been made from refined flour, should not be consumed by diabetes people. They can cause high blood sugar due to high glycemic index and reduced brain function that can lead to mental health issues in diabetics. To be precise, fibre is needed to slow down the absorption of sugar in the bloodstream but refined flour contains very little fibre.
3. Favoured yogurt: We might think flavoured yogurts are a great source of probiotics, but they are not as healthy as you think. Most yogurts available today contain artificial flavouring and are loaded with sugar.
4. Fried foods: Deep-fried foods like French Fries are high in carbohydrates. These foods trigger blood sugar levels, thereby affecting health in more ways than one.
5. Full-fat milk: Milk is a complete food because of its abundance in nutrients. Diabetic people, however, need to be a little cautious with their intake of milk. They should hold back from full-fat milk as it is high in saturated fat. Saturated fats could worsen insulin resistance. Pick low-fat or skimmed versions of milk instead.
Remember, completely waring off foods when you have diabetes can sometimes seem tough. Yet, understanding a few guidelines can make it easier. The goal includes escaping from unhealthy fats, liquid sugars, processed grains, and other foods that contain refined carbs.