Diet for Diabetes Diet – 1: Foods to Avoid

People with diabetes are required to manage their bloog sugar levels. So, many diabetics watch out for sugar in their diet,

Photo- Foods diabetics should not eat (uhuru1701@flickr)

but is that enough? We have a list of foods besides sugar that could be equally harmful for diabetics, because they have a high Glycemic Index. Foods with high Glycemic Index increase blood glucose levels. For non-diabetic people, when your blood glucose level rises, your body produces insulin to reduce the increased blood glucose levels. People with diabetes are not able to produce enough insulin to reduce blood sugar levels. As a result of this, its important for them to avoid foods with high Glycemic Index.

So, what are the foods that diabetics must watch out for, besides sugar and sugar based foods? Let’s find out…

Dates: It sounds like a healthy fruit, but it has a Glycemic Index of 103 (sugar has a glycemic index of 68!).

Corn Flakes: Mistaken to be healthy, this breakfast cereal has a high Glycemic Index of 87. Often, HFCS is used in corn flakes, that has been linked to obesity- read more about corn flakes.

White bread: We’ve warned you before about how white bread is your weight loss enemy. Besides having a  high Glycemic Index of 73, this food has truly no nutrition besides empty calories.

Biscuits/Cookies: Another food that is often mistaken to be healthy, besides the fact that biscuits can promote weight gain, the primary ingredients are refined flour and sugar, both of which have a high Glycemic Index, so it raises your blood sugar significantly. Definitely a no-no food for diabetics

Packaged fruit juices: The Glycemic Index of most fruits fall into the low or medium category, which is acceptable, but packaged fruit juices are not good for diabetics. Most packaged fruit juices have added sugar. Even without the added sugar, many fruit juices have a high Glycemic Index. Find the Fitho choice of healthiest orange juice and healthiest mango drinks.

Our list of surprising no-no foods for diabetics is not over yet. Part 2 of this series, for the complete list of danger foods for diabetics, including the one that’s advertised as a health food!

Which is the healthiest orange juice brand?

Fruit is always better than the juice. But we all love Orange Juice. Store bought orange juice is mostly sugar loaded, but there are some options that are healthier. Ever wondered, which is the healthiest? Here, we give you a lowdown on the good and the bad of healthy orange juices, and the Fitho choice for Orange Juice!

Photo- Orange juice (pricklebush@flickr)

We considered the leading orange juice brands in India- Tropicana, Real, Activ and Minute Maid Pulpy Orange.

Both Activ and Tropicana took an immediate lead over Minute Maid and Real, since they had no added sugar. Their ingredients were primarily water and orange juice concentrate. Between Activ and Tropicana, Activ had marginally higher Calcium content, and Tropicana had more Potassium.

Product ingredients are listed in order of decreasing weight. Real’s ingredient list is- water, orange juice concentrate, sugar, etc. For Minute Maid, it is- water, sugar, orange juice, etc.
Minute Maid has more sugar than Orange Juice, in its ‘Pulpy Orange’ drink!

Between the Tropicana and Activ, we liked the taste of Tropicana better. So, the Fitho choice for Orange Juice is Tropicana.

Below is the nutritional info for all 4 Orange Juices
Tropicana: 48 cal; 11 gms Sugar, Vitamin C- 16 mg, Potassium- 170 mg, Calcium- 18 mg. No added sugar.
Real Activ: 48 cal; 12 gms Sugar, Vitamin C-  20 mg, Potassium- 86 mg, Calcium- 18 mg. No added sugar
Real: 56 cal; 13 gms Sugar, Vitamin C- 12.5 mg, Potassium- 70 mg, Calcium- 5 mg. Contains added sugar.
Minute Maid: 42 cal; 10.5 gm Sugar (no more info). Contains added sugar

Note that most packaging is more than 100 ml. The smallest we found was 200 ml. Most of us consume a whole package, so be careful of how many calories you’re taking in. Still, the fruit is better than the juice, so go for that!