Human blood sugar levels are greatly influenced by diet, so postprandial blood sugar is always much higher than fasting blood sugar.
The blood sugar fluctuations caused by different foods are not the same. Consuming large amounts of fast-acting carbohydrate foods for a long time can cause our blood sugar to spike, and even lead to diabetes.
For people with already high blood sugar, avoiding fast-acting carbohydrate foods as much as possible is essential for regulating blood sugar.
People with high blood sugar should eat less of the following 5 foods, as each time they eat them, their blood sugar spikes:
Rice Cake
Rice cake is made from glutinous rice, which also has the effect of tonifying the spleen and stomach. While many people may think rice cakes are hard to digest because of their stickiness, they are actually easier to digest than regular rice.
Glutinous rice is easily absorbed by the body, so for diabetic patients, consuming glutinous rice can quickly raise blood sugar levels.
White Rice
Researchers at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health found that people who eat rice at least 5 times a week have an increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes. However, replacing 1/3 of white rice with brown rice reduces the risk by 16%. This is because white rice has less fiber, especially when compared to brown rice, and fiber can help maintain stable blood sugar levels.
Fried Dough Sticks and Oil Cakes
Fried dough sticks and oil cakes are high-calorie foods that are also high in carbohydrates. They require a lot of oil in their preparation and are considered “junk food” in daily life.
Consuming these foods not only causes blood sugar spikes but can also lead to cardiovascular complications, weight gain, and should therefore be avoided by people with diabetes.
Taro
Taro is a delicious food that tonifies qi, benefits the kidneys, and aids in appetite stimulation and saliva production.
Taro contains a large amount of starch and dietary fiber. For individuals with gastrointestinal issues, consuming taro regularly can be beneficial for the body and have a good health-promoting effect. However, for diabetic patients, taro is a food that must be avoided.
Carbonated Beverages
To maintain blood sugar within normal ranges, it is necessary to avoid carbonated beverages and other sugary drinks.
An analysis in the “Diabetes Care Journal” found that people who drink 1-2 sugary beverages daily have a 26% higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes compared to those who consume less than 351 milliliters per month.
To regulate blood sugar, eat “three melons” and avoid “three things”
Eat “Three Melons”:
1. Pumpkin
Pumpkins contain fructose that can inhibit glucose absorption and can bind excess cholesterol in the body to prevent arteriosclerosis. Medical studies have shown that pumpkins also contain substances beneficial to the body such as adenine, pentosan, and mannitol, which promote insulin secretion and improve blood sugar symptoms.
2. Winter Melon
Winter melon is almost fat-free and contains citrulline and malic acid. The former has a unique effect on metabolism, while the latter can prevent fat accumulation in the body and effectively prevent the conversion of sugars into fat. Winter melon has low sodium, high potassium, and vitamin C content, promoting diuresis, lowering blood sugar, and making it an ideal food for diabetic individuals.
3. Bitter Melon
Bitter melon is known as “plant insulin.” The bitter melon glycosides it contains have a significant blood sugar-lowering effect. Bitter melon not only acts like insulin but also stimulates insulin release. Bitter melon can be stir-fried or juiced. Consuming a raw bitter melon daily, sliced and boiled in water for 1-2 times, assists in controlling blood sugar spikes.
Avoid “Three Things”:
1. Avoid staying up late
More and more people have the habit of staying up late. Data shows that prolonged night work not only leads to obesity but also increases the risk of developing diabetes.
Research indicates that individuals who sleep less than 6 hours on average per night are more likely to have impaired fasting blood sugar levels compared to those who have regular sleep durations daily, affecting endocrine and nervous systems, thus leading to diabetes.
2. Avoid prolonged sitting
Due to various reasons such as work, study, and lifestyle, more and more people have developed the habit of sitting for long periods almost every day.
Prolonged sitting results in low physical activity and is linked to obesity. Medical researchers believe that obese individuals are more susceptible to diabetes.
3. Avoid smoking
Smoking and excessive alcohol consumption are known to be harmful to health, especially for individuals with abnormal metabolism like diabetic patients.
Smoking can easily cause harmful substances from tobacco to accumulate in the blood, disrupt metabolism, and increase the risk of diabetes complications.
