Pay attention to your blood sugar
Maintaining steady blood sugar levels and avoiding spikes (and dips) is important for good health. “When blood sugar spikes, it sends off a cascade of events that can damage health,” says registered dietitian Erin Palinski-Wade, author of 2 Day Diabetes Diet. In healthy people, the body releases the hormone insulin, which acts like a key that unlocks the body’s cells so they can take up blood sugar and avoid spikes.
Over time, some people develop insulin resistance, which means body cells ignore insulin and blood sugar levels rise (which is dangerous because blood sugar is toxic at high levels). Insulin resistance is caused by a combination of factors including genetics, excess weight, a sedentary lifestyle, certain medications, and long-term eating patterns. Insulin resistance can lead to prediabetes and eventually type 2 diabetes.
In general, limiting foods that tend to spike blood sugar is a good thing, but even more so if you have prediabetes or type 2 diabetes. There are some types of food that are known to raise blood sugar in people with insulin resistance, such as candy, pastries, and sugary beverages, like soda. However, the blood sugar response to specific foods can vary, so if you have type 2 and you usually test your blood sugar, checking before and after eating is the best way to determine if a specific type of food spikes your blood sugar.
However, here are some foods to keep in mind as possible culprits when it comes to higher blood sugar.
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