Today, diabetes has become a disease that commonly occurs along with blood pressure and heart problems. Often, they are influenced by the other diseases, and it is important to have a closer look at your lifestyle, diet and food habits.

Diabetes can be controlled and almost cured with proper diet and sizeable choice of food on a daily basis. People with diabetes do not have to suffer from a bland and boring diet to have their sugar level within limits.

It is necessary to know and understand how certain foods spike the sugar level up and which of them should be avoided. The carbs in the food you eat get converted into glucose by the juices that your body secretes. This causes the sugar level to raise or lower, depending on the nature of the food.

Here are few pointers for you, so that you don’t deprive yourself of the tasty food and yummy sweets all while staying conscious.

What can you eat?
When it comes to a healthy diet with diabetes, it is all about having a balanced diet. This means that your nutritional needs and your body weight are almost just the same as the next person — maintain a healthy weight and stay healthy! Here is a list of the essential foods and diabetes foods to avoid.

Starches
Starches are carbs that directly influence your body and hence bring a change in the sugar level. However, it is not possible to eliminate food items that contain starch. Instead, you can choose the ones listed below that are ideal for diabetes and include them in your diet:

• Whole grains (brown rice, oatmeal, quinoa, and millet)
• Baked (not fried) sweet potato
• High-fiber cereals made from whole grains
• Shirataki noodles

Diabetes foods to avoid: White rice, Pasta, Instant oatmeal, and white bread.

Vegetables
Vegetables are a source of immense nutritional components, and they are a must-have in everybody’s diet. They’re rich in fiber and help in reducing weight. Load on the following veggies to control your sugar level:

• Fresh, raw, steamed, fried, or grilled veggies
• Greens like kale, spinach, broccoli, and arugula
• Low sodium vegetables (taken without salt)
• Carrots, beans, onions, squash, eggplant are highly recommended

Diabetes foods to avoid: Potato and corn, pickled and canned vegetables.

Fruits
Fruits are excellent sources of fibers, minerals, carbohydrates, and vitamins. They are low in fat and sodium but do contain carbs. Below is the list of fruits and their products you can have:

• Fresh fruits especially strawberries
• Canned fruits with low added sugar
• Seasonal fruits

Diabetes foods to avoid: Dried fruits, fruit sauces with added sugar, preserved jam, and jelly, fruit juices, sweetened drinks.

Coffee
Coffee is said to have many health benefits. It is known to reduce the risk of diabetes. Here is the list of caffeinated drinks you can enjoy:

• Unflavored cappuccinos
• Low sugar coffee
• Light frappuccinos

Diabetes foods to avoid: Flavored caffeinated drinks, coffee with sweeteners.

Dairy
Dairy is a common and most eaten food item. However, there are certain limitations to it when it comes to diabetes. Here are the types of dairy you must take:

• Skimmed milk
• Low-fat yogurt, cottage cream
• Low-fat sour cream

Diabetes foods to avoid: Regular milk, fruit-flavored yogurt, ice cream.

Sweets and syrups
Sweets and syrups are high in sugar; however, taking them in small amounts does not harm.

• Apple cider vinegar
• Natural sweeteners

Diabetes foods to avoid: Honey, maple syrup, candy, pies, and cookies.

Proteins
There are many choices including beef, chicken, fish, pork, seafood, cheese, eggs, nuts, and tofu. The best choices are:

• Seafood
• Proteins from plants
• Poultry
• Eggs
• Diabetes foods to avoid: Regular cheeses, poultry with skin.

Meat
Though meat contains a high amount of fat and is low in fiber, few choices can be adopted.

• Low-fat meat
• Fatty fish

Diabetes foods to avoid: Processed meat, red meat, pork bacon.

Oils
Certain oils contain healthy fats and acids that help in managing diabetes, such as:

• Olive oil
• Plant-based oils
• Fish oils

Diabetes foods to avoid: Trans-fat oils.

Nuts and Seeds
Nuts contain fiber, protein, and vitamins. They can be a healthy part of your diet when chosen cleverly. Here are a few that can you can include:

• Flaxseeds
• Almonds, Pistachios, Walnuts
• Cashews
• Chia seeds

Diabetes foods to avoid: Coconut, groundnut.

As you can see from the above list, most food groups are still open to a diabetic patient. Moderation is the key as with all lifestyle diseases. Diabetes foods to avoid are also mentioned. Once you make the changes to your way of life, sticking to a diabetes diet will not seem like much of a challenge.