If you have type 2 diabetes, you want to know how to minimize the risk of complications, such as blindness, amputation and heart disease. An important part of reducing these risks is to control your weight, cholesterol and blood sugar with a healthy diet. Knowing what foods to avoid--and what to eat instead--can help you stay well.
Refined Carbohydrates
Avoid foods made with refined carbohydrates, such as breads, bagels and rolls made with white flour, doughnuts, danishes, rice cakes, candy, many ready-to-eat breakfast cereals, cake, pretzels, white rice and corn chips. Refined carbohydrates cause blood sugar to spike because they're quickly converted to sugar during digestion. Instead, eat whole grains and foods made from them like brown rice, whole-wheat pasta, whole-grain bread, barley, oatmeal and bulgur. Whole grains are digested more slowly and have much less of an effect on blood sugar. When choosing whole-grain products, look for a whole-grain listed first in the ingredients, such as whole-wheat or whole rye.
Soft Drinks
Stay away from sugary soft drinks like soda, sweetened iced tea, sports drinks, lemonade, fruit drinks and cranberry juice cocktail--they're loaded with sugar. A 12-oz. cola contains 10 tsp. of sugar. The same amount of cranberry juice cocktail has 12 tsp., and many sports drinks have 5 tsp. Instead of soft drinks, choose plain water, naturally-flavored, zero-calorie water or unsweetened iced tea. Fruit juices are high in sugar, too. Twelve oz. of orange juice has 10 tsp. of sugar, the same amount as soda. Eat whole fruits instead.
Saturated and Trans Fats
Steer clear of foods high in artery-clogging saturated and trans fats. Foods high in saturated fats include fatty cuts of meat, sausage and lunch meats; butter; fat-free and 2 percent fat milk, cheese and other dairy products; and foods made with coconut and palm oils. Avoid foods with trans fats, which are even more damaging than saturated fats. Foods that may contain trans fats include french fries and other fried foods, baked goods, crackers, potato chips, microwave popcorn and cake frosting. Instead, protect your heart with foods high in healthy fats, such as olives and olive oil, nuts and seeds, avocado, and fatty fish such as salmon and sardines. Eat dairy products that are fat-free or contain 1 percent fat.
Starchy Vegetables
Avoid starchy vegetables such as corn, parsnips and white potatoes in any form, such as baked, french fried or mashed--they increase blood sugar rapidly during digestion. Replace them with vegetables high in fiber like yams, green peas, lettuce, greens, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, bell peppers and cucumbers. High-fiber, non-starchy vegetables fill you up without wreaking havoc on your blood sugar.
References
- Harvard Health Publications: HEALTHbeat Newsletter: Healthy Eating for Type 2 Diabetes
- Harvard Health Publications: HEALTHbeat Newsletter: Carbohydrates and Health: Not that Simple...or that Complex
- The New York Times: A Nutritional Approach to Managing Diabetes
- American Council on Exercise: Are All Fats Bad? What Kinds of Fats Are Good to Include In My Diet?
- Harvard School of Public Health: How Sweet Is It?
