Diabetes is a chronic disease that occurs when the body produces insufficient insulin or cannot effectively utilize the produced insulin. Insulin is a hormone whose function is to regulate the body’s blood sugar levels. There are two types of diabetes; Type 1 and type 2. Type 1 occurs when insulin production is deficient, requiring daily administration. Type 2, on the other hand, is a result of the body’s inability to use insulin effectively.
To manage diabetes, patients should watch their diet and take their meds well. Below are some breakfast mistakes that people with diabetes should avoid making for proper management of the disease:
1. Skim milk
Most people think that skim milk is the best when incorporated into a diabetes diet because it doesn’t contain fat. Well, that is not the case for people living with diabetes. The fact that fat has been taken out typically makes it a carbohydrate beverage. When taken in the morning, skim milk results in elevated blood glucose levels during the day.
2. Sweetened cereals
Despite it being convenient for breakfast, sweetened cereals are not a healthy option for diabetics. They contain more carbohydrates and less of fiber and proteins, not to mention the fact that each serving probably has more sugar than candy.
3. Drinking too much coffee
Avoiding coffee in the morning can be quite hard, especially if you can barely get your eyes to open. One cup does no harm. However, two or more will cancel out its health benefits. To benefit the body, it is crucial to have your coffee black after breakfast and limit your intake to not more than two cups and avoid sweeteners or creams. You should also avoid consuming coffee on the regular if you have type 2 diabetes since it impairs the body’s sensitivity to insulin.
4. Consuming too many carbs
If you take carbohydrate only for breakfast, your blood sugar levels might spike later in the day. This is because carbs are easily digested. However, pairing carbs with proteins take longer to digest, helping you maintain stable sugar levels throughout the day. Research shows that the intake of carbohydrates affects blood sugar levels more as compared to other nutrients. However, you can seek advice from your doctor on which carbs to take in the morning. Diabetics do not have to avoid carbohydrates. Lean protein is the best taken with carbs since it gives energy density without high levels of saturated fat that might cause heart disease. You can also have animal-based protein like eggs and turkey. And if you are in a hurry, add peanut butter to your bread, and you are good to go.
5. Juice and other sugary foods
Juice is comparable to sugar soda in terms of its carbohydrate content. This means that it can have undesirable effects because it is quickly digested and absorbed into the bloodstream, translating into extra calories. Most types of juices have about 100 calories in an eight-ounce glass, and taking them in the morning would hike your sugar levels.
