The blood glucose level is one of the most important parameters that absolutely everyone should control. Even if you do not have diabetes, if you have not been diagnosed with metabolic syndrome, it is still worth having a blood sugar test at least once a year. Unfortunately, the increase in sugar is difficult to track.
The symptoms are rather blurred, and a person may not even guess that his body urgently needs help. If your glucose level is approaching a critical level and is about to go beyond the upper limit of the norm, it is important to change your diet. In this article, we tell you what to eat and what to give up immediately.
What Should You Give Up?
Here is the list of foods you should give up if you have a high blood sugar level.
1. Protein Bars
Do you think this is an easy way to quickly replenish protein deficiencies, satisfy hunger and energize? Read the ingredients of protein carefully; many of them contain more sugar than the actual protein. Individual specimens can contain up to 30 grams of sugar – almost a daily requirement! Thus, the first thing to quit is protein bars.
2. Sugary Alcoholic Beverages
Many people enjoy sugary alcoholic drinks when they go out with friends without thinking about their harmful effects. Such drinks cause a sudden spike in blood sugar level, and the effect stays for a few hours. Thus, if you are addicted to alcohol, you need to quit it. If you cannot afford the treatment, your insurance can surely cover some part of the treatment.
For example, if you have Aetna Insurance, it will cover the treatment depending on the state you live in and your insurance plan. So if you really want the treatment, contact the company to find out how to use Aetna insurance for alcohol treatment and rehab facilities. Besides, if you have insurance from any other company, the procedure will be the same.
3. Yogurt Dishes
Yogurt is a great breakfast product and an almost perfect snack, but only if it contains nothing but the yogurt itself. Ready-made cups filled with fruits or berries can contain up to six teaspoons of sugar, which is too much for both adults and children. Thus, if you have high blood sugar, it is better to avoid such yogurt.
4. Low-Fat Dairy Products
If you are a woman, and especially if you are over 40 years old, you should completely abandon skim milk products. The older we get, the more we need calcium, and it (as well as vitamin D), which is also abundant in dairy products, is not absorbed without enough fat.
Need more arguments? Almost all fat-free foods are oversaturated with sugar to enhance the flavor, so be careful with their consumption.
5. Artificial Sweeteners
Artificial sweeteners will not raise your sugar levels if you have type 2 diabetes. However, if you’re healthy, it’s best to stay away from sugar substitutes as far as possible: According to the Endocrine Society, consumption of low-calorie sweeteners can contribute to metabolic syndrome and actually increase the risk of prediabetes and type 2 diabetes in obese people.
6. Fatty Food
We used to think of carbohydrates as the most important factor in food safety, but research shows that fat can also affect blood sugar. True, this applies primarily to people with diagnosed type 2 diabetes. For example, a 2017 study published in the International Journal of Health Sciences confirmed the link between fat intake, type 2 diabetes, and impaired glucose tolerance.
The fact is that fat slows down the digestion of carbohydrates, and if the patient takes insulin, then it can peak at the wrong time. Thus, the carbohydrates will not have time to digest.
7. Black Coffee
While most studies confirm that regular black coffee can help reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes in the long term, people who already have high blood sugar should avoid coffee. The fact is that in some people, blood sugar levels can be very sensitive to caffeine, and it may rise after each cup of flavored drink.
What To Eat With High Blood Sugar?
Now we know which food to avoid for high blood sugar levels, here is the list of foods you should eat.
8. Oatmeal
Oatmeal helps lower blood sugar, fills us with fiber, and helps us stay full longer, but only on one condition, i.e., you must make it from minimally processed cereals. Instant cereals, muesli, and even ready-made cereals will only harm our health. Boil porridge from cereal or even whole grains and add dry or fresh fruit to it, then everything will be fine.
9. Greek Yogurt
Yogurt, especially Greek yogurt, is a great product to start your day with a lot of protein and milk fats. All these help us to quickly fill and feel good until lunch. But sweet yogurts are dangerous, so to get good results, you need to stick to natural ones though it might seem boring. What to do? Try adding fresh fruits and berries – it’s both delicious and healthy.
10. Legumes
Increasing your insulin sensitivity is especially important if you have diabetes or prediabetes. But some specific foods can help you with this, for example, oats, barley, and legumes (such as lentils). The fact is that the fiber found in legumes supports beneficial bacteria in the gut and also lowers insulin resistance.
11. Beet
One of the healthiest vegetables in the world, beets have a very beneficial ability to control the rate at which glucose is absorbed into the bloodstream without causing a critical increase in glucose levels immediately after a meal. So one serving of beets a day is a great solution to high blood levels!
12. Spices
Cinnamon, cumin, oregano, and curry – these spices can also increase your body’s insulin sensitivity. Another useful property of these spices is that they make the taste of dishes tastier and help reduce the amount of salt in foods. This is important for people experiencing problems with blood sugar levels.
Blood sugar levels may continue to rise if you do not take a proper diet. Thus, we mentioned a list of foods to eat and avoid for controlling increased blood sugar levels or Hyperglycemia.