Especially for u, Gulshan aunty...check out # 7 10 Worst Foods for Your Blood Sugar Not-So-Friendly Foods 1. Certain foods can send your blood sugar level on a roller coaster, with insulin rushing to keep up. The good news is, while there are some surprises, most of these foods fall under the same category: processed food, such as white flour and sugar. Refined flours and sugar cause huge spikes in insulin and get absorbed quickly, which causes problems, says Mark Hyman, author of The Blood Sugar Solution (Little, Brown and Company). Look at the whole meal instead of just individual ingredients, adds Jackie Mills, MS, RD. Pairing carbohydrates with protein, fat, or fiber helps slow down the absorption process. Watch out for these 10 blood-sugar saboteurs. 2. White Rice White rice is a whole rice grain that has been polished until just the endosperm -- essentially an easily digestible starch bomb -- is left. Not surprisingly, recent studies have shown that eating white rice can raise blood glucose significantly, especially if eaten often or in large quantities. One study showed an 11% increase in diabetes risk with each daily serving of white rice. If you love rice with your stir-fries, switch to brown rice. Your blood sugar will thank you. 3. Potatoes Potatoes may be a whole, natural root veggie, but they’re also notorious for causing blood sugar to spike because theyre digested into the bloodstream quickly. To mitigate this negative effect, cook potatoes with a healthy fat, such as olive oil, and bump up the fiber by adding hearty leafy greens or another vegetable to the mix. Or, make potato salad with plenty of lemon juice and chill it in the fridge. The acid and cold alter the starch molecules in the spuds to slow digestion. 4. Ketchup We tend to think of ketchup as a salty condiment, but many brands list some sort of sweetener as the second ingredient, which can have a disastrous effect on your blood sugar level. It doesn’t matter if it’s called sugar, evaporated cane juice, high fructose corn syrup, or malt syrup, Mills says. They’re all sugar, and all of them will elevate blood glucose. 5. White Pasta White pasta is made from refined white flour, which is an easily digestible starch. That raises your blood sugar level. It also tends to provoke overeating because its quickly digested, so you want to eat again, according to Amy Jamieson-Petonic, RD, spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and director of coaching at Cleveland Clinic. As if thats not bad enough, overcooking the pasta worsens the blood sugar impact. 6. Bagels Back during the low-fat diet craze, bagels were darlings because of their no-fat/low-fat label, but that’s one of the very reasons they wreak such havoc on blood sugar. Refined flours cause huge spikes in insulin and get absorbed quickly, which causes problems, Hyman says. If you must get your bagel fix, pair it with a smear of avocado, which is loaded with healthy unsaturated fat, and a few slices of smoked salmon (a great source of both protein and omega-3 fatty acids) to help slow down digestion and regulate your blood sugar. You get extra points if you have a whole-grain bagel. 7. Artificial Sweeteners Many people think artificial sweeteners are harmless additives and a good choice if you have diabetes. Not so, Hyman says. Artificial sweeteners slow metabolism and increase fat deposition, and can increase the risk of diabetes by 67%. If you need to satisfy a sweet tooth, Mills says, youre better off enjoying foods made with real sweeteners on occasion and in moderation.
Posted on: Sat, 27 Dec 2014 11:26:45 +0000
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