7 Things We All Get Wrong About a Diabetes-Friendly Diet
If you or a loved one has relatively
recently been diagnosed with diabetes, you may be unsure about the
changes in your diet that will help manage the condition and prevent
complications. Nutrition is a key element of this life-changing
diagnosis, so it’s not particularly helpful that there’s so much
confusing and contradictive information out there.
For example, many believe that diabetes is
really caused by eating too much sugar, or that diabetics cannot eat
fruits or drink alcohol. Well, all of those things are not true. Use
this diabetes diet guide to separate fact from fiction.
Myth 1- You get diabetes because you eat too much sugar
Diabetes is a complex disease that has no
singular cause, so it is incorrect to say that Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes
is caused by a diet high in sugar. Type 1 diabetes is a hereditary
autoimmune condition triggered by the destruction of the
insulin-producing cells in the pancreas. It is not caused by diet and
lifestyle choices.
Type 2 diabetes isn’t caused by sugar
either, but a diet high in sugar, and especially in sugary drinks, is a
contributing factor of developing the condition because it promotes
weight gain, says the American Diabetes Association (ADA). Usually,
additional risk factors are necessary to develop type 2 diabetes. Such
factors include:
Excess weight
High blood pressure
Sedentary lifestyle
Age (people aged 45 and older are at higher risk).
Myth 2- If you’re taking medication, you can eat whatever you want
Taking prescription medication to manage
diabetes is extremely important, but it isn’t a green light to eat
whatever and you want. A diet rich in lean protein, fresh produce, and
complex carbs is crucial for slowing down the progression of the disease
and preventing complications and health conditions that tend to appear
alongside diabetes, especially cardiovascular issues.
Moreover, eating the wrong foods and
drinks, such as fast food or sugary drinks, can make the medication
itself less effective. Therefore, you should still follow a diabetic
diet, even if you’re taking insulin or any other diabetes medication.
Myth 3- Alcohol is completely off-limits for diabetics
Many people don’t realize this, but
diabetics can enjoy the occasional alcoholic beverage. This applies only
to people whose diabetes is well-managed. One should limit themselves
to 1 alcoholic beverage for women and 2 for men according to the Dietary
Guidelines for Americans.
It’s also a great idea to opt for beverages
that are low in sugar and carbs, such as dry wine, light beer, and
plain distilled spirits to prevent a spike in blood sugar and weight
gain. Lastly, it’s crucial to monitor your blood sugar for 24 hours
after consuming alcohol. This is because alcohol can interfere with some
medications and could potentially cause an abnormal drop in blood
sugar, especially if you’re taking insulin or sulphonylureas.
So be prepared to monitor your blood sugar, and consult your doctor before you decide to consume alcohol.
Myth 4- All carbohydrates and starchy foods are bad for your diabetes
Carbohydrate-rich and starchy foods, such
as bread, rice, and pasta, as well as starchy vegetables like potatoes,
corn, and beans, break down into glucose, so diabetics are usually told
to limit and monitor how many of these foods they consume. This,
however, doesn’t mean that you should completely cut these foods out of
your diet.
After all, many of these foods also contain beneficial nutrients and
fiber. A far better approach to carb consumption is choosing the right
types of carbs - namely, the ones that have a low glycemic index, or GI.
The glycemic index measures how fast foods that contain carbohydrates
increase blood sugar levels.
Generally speaking, processed and bleached
foods like white bread, white rice, and instant oats have a high GI.
Whole grains, dried beans and legumes, and low-starch vegetables like
tomatoes or broccoli, on the other hand, have a lower GI. As a rule, no
more than a quarter of the food on your plate should be carbs. This will
help combine and balance your meal so that it doesn’t cause sugar
spikes.
Myth 5. You can’t eat fruits if you have diabetes
This statement is completely false. In
fact, no fruit variety is off-limits on a diabetic diet. It’s actually
the opposite - studies point out that eating whole fruits may actually
improve your blood sugar control and insulin levels. Like vegetables and
whole grains, fruits are rich in vitamins, minerals, and fiber, all of
which are necessary for a healthy meal plan.
Most experts advise opting out for 2 portions of low-sugar fruits, such
as apples, berries, and grapefruit every day. Fresh fruits are much
healthier than fruit juices and canned fruit, though, since the latter
two tend to contain a lot of added sugar.
Myth 6. After being diagnosed with diabetes, you’ll never eat sweets
again
If you have a sweet tooth, it can be very
difficult to cut out all desserts from your diet when you get diagnosed
with diabetes. While it’s true that most sugary drinks and
ultra-processed sweets will probably need to leave your dining table for
good, this doesn’t mean you can’t indulge in a small serving of dessert
on special occasions.
Just make sure to fit the dessert within the personal carb target
prescribed by your doctor - it’s usually between 45 and 60 grams of
carbs per meal according to the ADA. It’s also a good idea to buy
healthier versions of sweets, such as low-carb cakes and whole-grain
cookies
If you’re the one preparing the dessert, use half of the amount of sugar
mentioned in the recipe, and swap sugar and any other high-GI
ingredients for healthier ones, such as rolled or steel-cut oats instead
of quick oats or almond flour in place of regular flour.
Myth 7. All sugar substitutes are healthy
Artificial sweeteners like saccharin,
aspartame, and stevia may seem like an easy way to substitute added
sugar in your foods and beverages. However, they’re not the no-brainer
marketing makes them out to be. Many of these sweeteners are quite
controversial and shown in studies to harm your health - a topic we
discuss in detail in the article 5 Harmful Sugar Substitutes.
Even the ADA agrees that you probably should only use them occasionally.
Currently, there’s no evidence that these sugar substitutes help blood
sugar control, and some of these sweeteners also contain carbs, so you
should keep track of how much you’re using. Finally, keep in mind that
this doesn’t just apply to the stevia or saccharin that you’re adding to
your coffee.
Almost all sugar-free processed foods, be it soda, chewing gum, or
“diabetic” sweets contain these sweeteners (and other processed carbs
and other ingredients alongside the sweeteners too). So make sure to
read the ingredient list of the things you buy, even if they’re marketed
as diabetes-friendly.