When you are diabetic, you must monitor your blood glucose after you eat. Diabetics must aim to keep their blood glucose at 140 mg/dL or less after eating. Choosing the right types of foods to eat assists in this action. There are some foods that can wreak havoc on your blood glucose and thus should be avoided.
Glucose and Diabetes
When you have Type 2 diabetes, the mechanism for transporting glucose from your blood and into your cells is flawed. This is due either to your body's inability to produce insulin or when your cells no longer respond to insulin. A hormone, insulin facilitates the transfer of glucose from the blood and into your cells.
Diabetic Complications
When you eat, your body breaks down the carbohydrates and starch in your food into glucose. When the food enters your small intestines, your body moves the glucose from your digestive system and into your blood. If too much glucose enters your blood at once, you become hyperglycemic. Uncontrolled, elevated blood glucose, over time, leads to a myriad of chronic diseases that can affect everything from your eyes to your toes.
Glycemic Index
More than the carbohydrates in the food you eat matter for a diabetic. How your body digests the food and the rate the glucose enters into your blood are also factors. This is where the glycemic index of food comes into play. The glycemic index categorizes food according to how it affects your blood glucose. This rating system extends from zero to 100 -- the higher the glycemic rating, the larger the effect on your blood glucose. A low glycemic food causes a fast rise in glucose while a low to moderate glycemic food will result in a slow rise over a significant amount of time.
The Worst Foods
High glycemic foods are those that rate between 70 and 100. These foods include white bread, whole wheat bread, juice cocktails, instant oatmeal, sugary cereals, most cookies and crackers, regular ice cream, dates, watermelon, fruit snacks, pretzels, parsnips, and potatoes. Try to avoid high glycemic foods, as they can cause an extreme rise in your blood glucose.
References
- American Diabetes Association: Type 2 Diabetes
- Linus Pauling Institute; Glycemic Index and Glycemic Load; Jane Higdon, Ph.D.; December 2005
- "Cecil Essentials of Medicine"; Thomas Andreoli, et al.; 2004
- Harvard Health Publications; Glycemic Index and Glycemic Load for 100+ Foods; 2002
