12 Foods to Avoid if You Have Type 2 Diabetes
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What’s on your plate? It’s an important question. One of the most essential steps to avoiding complications from type 2 diabetes is managing your diet, says William Sullivan, MD, a senior physician at Joslin Diabetes Center and an assistant professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School in Boston.
This means knowing both what to eat and what not to eat. To keep your blood sugar in check, you’ll want to avoid less-healthy foods, such as foods or drinks with added fats, sugars, and sodium, according to the Mayo Clinic. At the same time, you’ll want to choose heart-healthy fish; “good” fats like nuts, avocados, and olive oil; and healthy sources of carbohydrates, including fruits, vegetables, whole grains like brown rice, legumes like beans and peas, and lowfat or fat-free dairy products.
RELATED: Everything You Should Know About Fats and Heart Health
Type 2 diabetes increases your risk of heart disease and stroke, so avoiding saturated fats is key.
According to the Mayo Clinic, foods that contain saturated fat include:
- Meat
- Whole-fat dairy products (butter, cheese)
- Coconut oil
- Egg yolks
- Baked goods
- Fried foods
A healthy diet is even more critical if you’re overweight. “Weight loss has a dramatic effect on controlling diabetes,” says Dr. Sullivan. Losing just 10 to 15 pounds may help you prevent and manage high blood sugar, according to the American Diabetes Association (ADA). In fact, losing just 5 to 10 percent of your body weight has also been shown to help some people reduce the amount of diabetes medication they need, according to research.
Here are 12 foods that you should specifically avoid — or at least limit — to help manage type 2 diabetes.
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