Since a literal interpretation of diabetes is a dysfunction of the bodily process of distributing sugars through the body in order to fuel it's tissues and organs; it is only natural to wonder what kinds of food, if any, a type 2 diabetic should avoid.
The answer is that there are certain foods you should avoid completely, and others that you should eat only in small quantities... but these foods are not always the ones that you may have on your diabetic most wanted list.
1. Sugar, in its refined form, is the most obvious food to avoid since it converts readily into sugar... boosting, not giving lower blood sugar levels.
2. Dairy products should be limited, but not eliminated, because they contain many compounds that are essential for your health in ways unrelated to blood sugar levels, including calcium. Low-fat milk is the best dairy choice, with unsweetened yogurt a close second. High-fat milk, cream, and the like should be avoided unless nothing else is available.
3. Peanuts are surprisingly rich in carbs and can cause an unexpected increase in your blood sugar levels, unlike most other nuts which are beneficial for type 2 diabetics to eat. This is because peanuts are not actually nuts, meaning that their chemical makeup is quite different.
4. Light chocolates that are rich in sugar should be shunned completely, while dark chocolates with a high level of cocoa in them should be limited to the occasional treat.
5. Potatoes, refined grains, and sweets should all be avoided completely whenever possible... this includes white bread, pizza crust, and so on.
6. Starchy veggies like beets, carrots, beans, and peas should to be somewhat limited, but not completely eliminated from your diet if you want to eat them.
7. Interestingly, fruit juice is another dietary item that should be avoided either totally, or mostly, by type 2 diabetics. This is rather surprising at first, since fruit juice's health benefits are widely noted, and you have probably read numerous articles on the effectiveness of fruit juice in providing you with necessary minerals, vitamins, and so on. While it's true that fruit juice is generally healthy but, in the case of diabetes, it contains far too much simple sugar, oftentimes added high fructose corn syrup or HFCS, to be safe to drink... many more carbs than the fruits which from which the juice was extracted.
All of these recommendations, of course, are subject to individual factors and how much you have your blood sugar level in hand. If your blood sugar levels are controlled and you are easily able to keep them in a safe range, then you can occasionally treat yourself to a 'forbidden' food in a small or moderate serving size without much risk. However, if you have a hard time keeping lower blood sugar levels, then some of the foods listed here as being acceptable in limited quantities, may be enough to push your blood sugar levels over the edge.
But if you keep track of your blood sugar levels carefully, and experiment with each food before deciding how much of it to include in your diet, you will be able to balance your dietary wishes against the limitations of type 2 diabetes.
The answer is that there are certain foods you should avoid completely, and others that you should eat only in small quantities... but these foods are not always the ones that you may have on your diabetic most wanted list.
1. Sugar, in its refined form, is the most obvious food to avoid since it converts readily into sugar... boosting, not giving lower blood sugar levels.
2. Dairy products should be limited, but not eliminated, because they contain many compounds that are essential for your health in ways unrelated to blood sugar levels, including calcium. Low-fat milk is the best dairy choice, with unsweetened yogurt a close second. High-fat milk, cream, and the like should be avoided unless nothing else is available.
3. Peanuts are surprisingly rich in carbs and can cause an unexpected increase in your blood sugar levels, unlike most other nuts which are beneficial for type 2 diabetics to eat. This is because peanuts are not actually nuts, meaning that their chemical makeup is quite different.
4. Light chocolates that are rich in sugar should be shunned completely, while dark chocolates with a high level of cocoa in them should be limited to the occasional treat.
5. Potatoes, refined grains, and sweets should all be avoided completely whenever possible... this includes white bread, pizza crust, and so on.
6. Starchy veggies like beets, carrots, beans, and peas should to be somewhat limited, but not completely eliminated from your diet if you want to eat them.
7. Interestingly, fruit juice is another dietary item that should be avoided either totally, or mostly, by type 2 diabetics. This is rather surprising at first, since fruit juice's health benefits are widely noted, and you have probably read numerous articles on the effectiveness of fruit juice in providing you with necessary minerals, vitamins, and so on. While it's true that fruit juice is generally healthy but, in the case of diabetes, it contains far too much simple sugar, oftentimes added high fructose corn syrup or HFCS, to be safe to drink... many more carbs than the fruits which from which the juice was extracted.
All of these recommendations, of course, are subject to individual factors and how much you have your blood sugar level in hand. If your blood sugar levels are controlled and you are easily able to keep them in a safe range, then you can occasionally treat yourself to a 'forbidden' food in a small or moderate serving size without much risk. However, if you have a hard time keeping lower blood sugar levels, then some of the foods listed here as being acceptable in limited quantities, may be enough to push your blood sugar levels over the edge.
But if you keep track of your blood sugar levels carefully, and experiment with each food before deciding how much of it to include in your diet, you will be able to balance your dietary wishes against the limitations of type 2 diabetes.
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