Diabetes, a disease that affects blood sugar levels, requires constant vigilance to control through diet. A healthy diet for a diabetic consists of nutrient-rich foods low in fat and calories with an emphasis on fruits, vegetables and whole grains. Diabetics must strive to eat foods that don't impact blood sugar levels too rapidly and, due to an increased your risk of heart disease and stroke, should eat a diet low in certain kinds of fats, cholesterol and sodium.
Fried Chicken
Diabetics may want to avoid fried chicken in their diets to help control diabetes. Chicken, a good, lean protein that otherwise should be a health part of the diabetic diet, becomes laden with carbohydrates, calories and fat when breaded and fried. Restaurant fried chicken can present significant health risks to diabetics. One popular chicken restaurant offers fried chicken with 490 calories, 31g total fat, 7g saturated fat, 1,080mg sodium, 17g carbohydrate and 120mg cholesterol per serving. Frying chicken at home only marginally improves nutritional information. Diabetic Living suggests oven frying chicken to improve nutritional value and make it friendly for those controlling their diabetes through diet.
Margarine
Margarine, a butter substitute, should be avoided by diabetics to control diabetes. Many margarines contain high levels of trans fats, a dangerous substance for those with diabetes. Trans fats results from a chemical process that adds hydrogen to vegetable oil, which produces a product called partially hydrogenated oil. Trans fat increases the bad type of cholesterol and lowers good cholesterol levels in the body, an especially dangerous problem for diabetics since they naturally have an elevated risk of cardiovascular disease. Margarine products are available without trans fat, and these products often contain less overall fat, saturated fats and trans fatty acids, which can help control diabetes. Diabetics should check nutritional labels to make sure the margarines they buy have no or low levels of trans fats.
White Bread
Eliminating white bread from the diet may help people control their diabetes. White bread, in addition to containing few nutrients, may cause blood sugar to spike because the body digests it so quickly. This causes insulin levels to spike, as well, which can be dangerous for diabetics. Nutritionists recommend that diabetics switch to whole grain breads because they are more nutritious and contain more fiber. High fiber foods take longer to digest, which helps maintain even blood sugar and insulin levels and lower cholesterol. Diabetics should look for breads containing whole grains like amaranth, buckwheat, teff, quinoa, millet and bulgar, grains recommended by "Diabetes Forecast" magazine for their high fiber and nutritional content.
References
- Southern Fried Chicken: Fried Chicken Nutrition
- Diabetic Living: Think Before You Eat: 15 Foods to Avoid with Diabetes
- Diabetes Health: Is Margarine Safe for People With Diabetes?
- New York City Dept of Health & Mental Hygiene: Board of Health Approves Regulation to Phase Out Artificial Trans Fat
- Wellness Decisions: Low-glycaemic foods are Good News for Diabetics and Dieters
- Healthy Body Daily: Diabetes Foods To Avoid
