Diabetes is a chronic disease characterized by an abnormally high concentration of glucose or sugar in the blood (high blood sugar levels). It occurs because there is a lack or misuse of insulin, a hormone produced by the pancreas that is essential for transforming glucose from the food eaten into energy.
We start from the premise that fresh vegetables and fruits should be included in our diet to make it as balanced and healthy as possible. However, this is not the case for diabetics, and they have to be more careful when choosing vegetables because some of them are bad for their blood glucose levels.
This is why today we will talk about the best and worst vegetables for a diabetes diet.
What Vegetable Is Bad for Diabetes
Potatoes
Potatoes contain a large amount of easily digestible carbohydrates (just one small potato contains 34.8 grams of carbs) that raise blood glucose levels rapidly, meaning that they are a high glycemic food. Therefore, if you are diabetic, you should avoid consuming potatoes on a regular basis.
You can indulge with mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, or a small roasted potato if your doctor considers it appropriate for your diet. Nonetheless, you should avoid french fries and potato chips.
Green peas
For older people with diabetes, it is best to completely eliminate peas from their diet. In addition, women should not use it during lactation, and diabetics diagnosed with diseases such as:
- Inflammation of the gallbladder;
- Thrombophlebitis;
- Urolithiasis
It is forbidden for diabetics suffering from gout. This is due to the fact that the purines present in peas increase the content of uric acid. This promotes the accumulation of urates (salts of uric acid) in the body. It is better to skip the split pea soups and turn to other options.
Butternut Squash
This vegetable belongs to the Cucurbitaceae family; scientifically, it is a fruit since it contains seeds, but it is classified as a vegetable because nutritionally it has similar characteristics to vegetables.
Although it is true that it has a low-calorie intake, it is not the best option to monitor carbohydrates: one cup has 16 g of carbs and no more than 3 g of fiber. It also has a glycemic index of 75, which is very high.
Vegetable Juice
Although vegetable juices may sound like the healthiest thing in the world, they actually lack the compound that helps control blood sugar: fiber.
On the other hand, you’ll probably want to add fruit to enhance its flavor, which adds more carbohydrates and sugars. You’re better off eating vegetables.
Good Vegetables for Diabetics
Most of these vegetables are packed with dietary fiber, and one of the best benefits of an adequate intake of dietary fiber is lower blood pressure.
Also, they help you manage diabetes because of their low-calorie and low-carb content. Controlling calorie intake and reducing carbohydrates has positive results in the treatment of diabetes. Here are some of the best vegetables you can have:
Non Starchy Vegetables
Nonstarchy vegetables are one of the best food groups for people with diabetes, as they contain multiple vitamins, minerals, and fiber and are very low in carbohydrates and calories. Bell peppers, mushrooms, carrots, turnips, zucchini, brussels sprouts, onions, and eggplants are among your many options, as well as being an excellent choice for a diabetic diet to lose weight.
You can have some of these vegetables with grilled salmon, for example. In accordance with Healthcanal.com, salmon is very good for diabetes and insulin resistance.
Green Beans
These beans have many health benefits: a low glycemic index, high fiber content, and a good amount of vitamin C. Also, it has phenolic compounds and flavonoids, which help preventing and treating diabetes. This vegetable helps the sugar to be released more slowly, therefore, it is an important food to include in your diet.
Leafy Green Vegetables
Eating leafy greens several times a week is an excellent way to help control your blood sugar and reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes. Lettuce, spinach, red radicchio, arugula, broccoli, kale, Chinese cabbage, and turnips are good choices for a low carb diet.
Leafy greens are among the foods that lower blood sugar, so if you are not the biggest fan of steamed broccoli (or veggies in general), you can still include them in your diet by using green powders. Lindsey Desoto, RDN, LD expressed her opinion on the many benefits these powdered greens have.
Nonetheless, as said by Organize With Sandy, if you already eat many vegetables and fruits daily, maybe these powders won’t be of much use to you.
Conclusion
Consuming too many carbs at once is very risky for a diabetic, as blood sugar levels rise to dangerously high levels. Over time, these high levels can damage the body’s nerves and blood vessels, which can set the stage for the development of heart disease, kidney disease, and other serious conditions.
Keeping a low carb intake prevents blood sugar spikes, thus reducing any chance of diabetes complications. This is why it is important to know what a diabetic can and cannot eat, and it goes beyond sugar, processed and fried foods, saturated fats, and so on.
