Diabetes is often referred to as “silent illness” because it creeps up on you. Hyperglycemia, a precursor to prediabetes and type 2 diabetes, has no apparent symptoms. It doesn’t hurt.
“That’s the scary part of hyperglycemia. I don’t feel any difference until I need a drug,” said Molly Wagman, RDN Certified Diabetes Care, Education Specialist, and Clinical Operations Officer at 9am. .. ..
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that 96 million American adults have prediabetes and 80% of them are unaware that they have it. That’s why screening is so important that the 2022 American Diabetes Association lowered the recommended screening age by 10 to include all adults over the age of 35.
If you are in that age group, get either A1C, fasting plasma glucose, or an oral glucose tolerance test. It is important to know that type 2 diabetes is hyperglycemic because it can do what the whole body can do, that is, it can damage blood vessels, kidneys, eyes, and heart.
You can always talk to your doctor if you need to check your blood sugar. But if you’re looking for less invasive clues to see if you’re on your way to diagnosing diabetes, look at your daily drinking habits.
Your dependable drink can cause blood glucose confusion as easily as the habit of eating high-carbohydrate, sugar-containing desserts, baked goods, white bread, rice, and other processed grain products. Wagman warns that sugar-sweetened drinks are even more insidious than food, as the liquid drops so easily.
“You can get the equivalent of a whole meal of carbohydrates and sugar with just a few drinks,” she says.
Knowing that certain drinking habits (such as those listed below) can raise blood sugar levels to unhealthy levels and cause problems over time makes those bad drinking habits healthier. Helps to replace it with something like that.
You know this: Soda and other sugar-sweetened drinks are bad news for your blood sugar.More than 300,000 studies in the journal Diabetes care We found that people who drank 1-2 servings of sugared beverages daily had a 26% higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes than those who drank less than once a month. Soda and sweet tea obviously contain sugar, but you may not be aware of the amount of sugar added to your over-the-counter beverage.
“Read the nutrition facts label for grams of carbohydrates and added sugar,” says Kimberly Pierpont, RD, Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center. “Anything that contains carbohydrates can raise blood sugar levels.”
Also check out the list of ingredients for these other names of sugar: sugar cane sugar, corn syrup, high fructose corn syrup, honey, syrup, brown sugar, agave nectar, glucose, malt sugar, sugar honey, raw sugar.
“Combining a sugary drink with a diet that contains protein and healthy fats can help control blood sugar spikes,” says Pierpont.
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The problem is not the coffee itself. Black coffee is full of healthy polyphenols. However, if you change the coffee with a sweet creamer, the coffee cup is the equivalent of a can of soda.
“Adding high-calorie, high-fat sweeteners or creamers makes regular coffee beverages more likely to cause weight gain,” said Trista Best, RD of BalanceOne Supplements. “One of the worst drinking habits for anyone who wants to control their blood sugar is to drink high-glycemic and high-fat specialty coffee.”
Blackening coffee is the healthiest form, and it doesn’t take long before you start to prefer coffee that isn’t disturbed by sugar or cream.
These labels include “All Natural Energy Drinks,” “100% Real Juice,” and “Made with Organic Fruits.” But those “health masks” don’t fool your body as Wagman calls them.
“Popular energy drinks, sports drinks, and tea drinks made with herbs are almost always made with a lot of sugar added to make them sweeter,” says Wagman.
Even 100% pure orange juice can cause blood sugar spikes.
“Only 4 ounces (3 for me) is equivalent to medium orange fructose,” she says. “Eat oranges instead to get all the nutrients and fiber.”
Breaking News: Adding ice to coffee or drinking frozen beverages does not make a difference in blood sugar levels. If the drink contains sugar, ice will not make it healthy. But for some reason, some people think it’s okay to drink sweet iced coffee or slush drinks on hot days, even if you’re worried about high blood sugar.
“A typical 20-ounce slush drink packs about 83 grams of sugar,” says Steve Theunissen of RDN, a certified personal trainer and writer for Smart Fitness Results. “It will be difficult to find a commercial slash with less sugar, but you can use fruits to make a healthier version at home. Recipes can be quickly searched on the internet.”
Theunissen also recommends avoiding iced coffee and sports drinks. These usually contain 74 grams and 34 grams of sugar per 20 ounces, respectively.
“Smoothies can be a sneaky drink that can affect blood sugar levels,” warns Katie Tomaschko of RDN’s Sporting Smiles. “Smoothies are considered” healthy, “but you can add sugar from vegetable milk sweeteners such as sugar, ryuzetsuran, and honey. “
Also note that milk contains a natural sugar called lactose. This affects the total amount of sugar consumed.
“Most smoothies contain fiber-containing vegetables and fruits (including pulp) that help prevent blood sugar spikes, but beware of these beverages if you’re dealing with diabetes or prediabetes. It’s important to do, “says Tomaschko.
Whiskey and other hard liquor shots do not contain sugar, but many mixers used in cocktails do. Wine contains sugar and carbohydrates, and beer contains carbohydrates. Therefore, regular drinking “can result in elevated blood sugar and the potential for weight gain,” said David Brendan, RDN’s certified personal trainer at Start Rowing.
“Alcohol can change the way the liver produces glucose, causing a sudden drop in blood sugar called hypoglycemia,” says Brendan. “Insulin users need to be aware of the effects of alcohol on blood sugar levels.”
Wagman points out another fact about the consumption of adult beverages that can affect blood sugar levels. It is a food that you eat during and after drinking alcohol.
“Alcohol reduces suppression, so after a few drinks, you’re more likely to choose the majority of high-carb foods or order more drinks,” she says.
Check out these eating habits that you should avoid if you have high blood sugar, as you are on the road to breaking the drinking habits that can lead to diabetes.
