Causes of Diabetes include fruit juices, white rice, bread, pickled vegetables, and sugary drinks. Avoiding this taboo makes blood sugar levels more controlled.

Diabetes cannot be cured, but it can be well controlled if you live a healthy lifestyle and take regular medication. One way to control blood sugar is to avoid diabetes taboos, such as forbidden food for diabetics that contain high sugar, such as sweet foods and fruits and vegetables.

By avoiding diabetes restrictions, blood sugar levels will be maintained. The risk of diabetes complications will also be reduced.

Causes of diabetes to avoid

People with diabetes should pay attention to the intake of food and drinks consumed. Foods that are too sweet, such as candy, soda, or cake, are some of the foods that should be avoided.

But did you know? Foods that look healthy, such as certain vegetables and fruits, are also included as diabetes taboos.

So that you don’t make the wrong daily food menu, here are diabetes taboos that need to be avoided so that blood sugar can be controlled.

• Sweet drinks

Sweet drinks, such as contemporary coffee, soda, bubble tea, or even sweet tea that you drink while eating your daily diet, are included in diabetes taboos.

If you have diabetes, these drinks should be avoided. Because, without realizing it, a small package or a small glass can already contribute high levels of sugar into the blood.

This can increase the risk of obesity and insulin resistance. Insulin resistance is known to be the most common cause of diabetes.

• Honey, agave, and other natural sweeteners

Not only limiting the consumption of sugar or other sugar types, sweet foods lined up as natural sweeteners, such as honey and agave, also need to be limited.

Honey does have many health benefits. However, if consumed by people with diabetes, honey can still increase blood sugar levels.

High sugar levels from honey consumption can also disrupt the insulin balance in the body and increase inflammation.

• Dried fruit

Dried fruit can be a healthy snack if you do not have diabetes. Dried fruit does contain more fiber than fresh fruit.

Unfortunately, drying will make the fruit’s natural sugars more concentrated. As a result, the sugar content is higher.

• Packaged food

Packaged snacks do not contain many nutrients, such as vitamins or minerals. Instead, the content of salt, sugar, and carbohydrates is usually high. All three are components that need to be avoided by people with diabetes.

Foods with Low and High Glycemic Index

The high and low glycemic index of a food is divided into three groups, namely:

• Foods with low glycemic index: less than 55
• Foods with a moderate glycemic index: 56–69
• Foods with high glycemic index: more than 70

Foods with a high glycemic index contain carbohydrates that can be digested quickly by the body, thus making blood sugar levels rise more quickly. Some types of food with a high glycemic index are white rice, white bread, potatoes, soft drinks, and sugary drinks.

Foods with a low glycemic index include fruits and vegetables, whole grains, nuts, and low-fat dairy products. Palm sugar is also an alternative sweetener because of its low glycemic index content.

Please note that the glycemic index of a food is not always fixed because several factors can change the value of the glycemic index of a food, namely:

• Food processing methods

The glycemic index of a food can drop when vinegar, lemon, or foods high in fiber and fat are added. Food’s glycemic index will also decrease when it is cooked by frying.

• Maturity level

The glycemic index of some fruits, such as bananas, increases as they ripen. The more ripe banana is, the sweeter it is and the higher the glycemic index.

Effect of Glycemic Index on Diet

Foods with a low glycemic index are often referred to as healthier foods because they do not significantly increase blood sugar. This makes it beneficial for people with diabetes to regulate their diet and control blood sugar levels.

Therefore, you should not only consider the glycemic index in choosing foods but also pay attention to the completeness of the nutritional content in these foods.

To maintain health, it is recommended that you eat a balanced nutritious diet, exercise regularly, quit smoking, limit alcohol consumption, and reduce stress.