Sometimes, when you think you’ve made the right food choices and your blood sugar suddenly rises or falls, foods and drinks can have unanticipated effects on your blood sugar, and these surprising changes in blood sugar can be harmful and can lead to too low or too high blood sugar, here are some things to consider.
Don’t be fooled by bagels
For people with diabetes, carbohydrate intake needs to be counted frequently. Bread is one type of carbohydrate, but not all bread is created equal.
What is the difference between a bagel and an English muffin? A regular English muffin contains 140 calories and 27 grams of carbohydrates, while an 11.5 cm diameter bagel provides up to 294 calories and 58 grams of carbohydrates, which is the same amount of carbohydrates as a donut, and even more carbohydrates in a bagel.
Pamela Allweiss, a medical officer with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Division of Diabetes Translation, said, “Be careful about portion size; some bagels are as big as a plate in one serving.”
Processed fruit may double the sweetness
All fruits have sugar, but different forms of the same fruit contain different amounts of sugar.
Dried fruit has more sugar than fresh fruit. 10 grapes weigh about 50 grams and contain 34 calories and 8 grams of sugar. Grapes are rich in water, which increases satiety, and a box of 43 grams of raisins contains 129 calories and 15 grams of sugar, but no water.
Without water, Pamela said, “the sugar would be concentrated in the dried fruit, and because of the smaller size, more of the dried fruit might be eaten.”
Juice is equally deceptive
146 mL of Florida oranges contain 65 calories, 13 grams of sugar, and 3 grams of fiber, yet a 234-mL glass of juice contains 112 calories, 24 grams of sugar, and no fiber.
Sports drinks may not be “sporty”
Sports drinks may seem healthier and contain fluids and electrolytes, such as sodium and potassium, to help restore fluids and electrolytes that may be lost during strenuous exercise, but they contain 13 to 19 grams of carbohydrates per 234 mL of sports drink, which only need to be replenished if the workout lasts more than an hour.
Pamela said, “For people with diabetes who are running marathons or long rides, some specially formulated sports drinks are needed, but for most people (who are not doing this type of exercise), water is the best choice.”
Alcohol is known for its calories and carbohydrates
Linda M. Siminerio, PhD, director of the University of Pittsburgh Diabetes Institute, said, “Many people with diabetes think, I drank tonight, so I don’t have to eat.”
“But alcohol lowers blood sugar, and drinking alcohol on an empty stomach can be dangerous; alcohol increases the release of insulin in the body, which lowers blood sugar, and when blood sugar drops, the body should release sugar to bring it back up to its original level, and alcohol prevents the release of sugar and keeps blood sugar low.”
“People with diabetes should eat healthy foods when drinking alcohol, there may be a risk of hypoglycemia with alcohol consumption and a need to eat something to counteract the effects of alcohol, and people with diabetes should drink calorie-free blends in moderation.”
Staying balanced
Linda said, “For people with diabetes, moderation doesn’t mean you can’t have a beer at a ball game or a bagel for breakfast; there’s a lot that patients can do by having a healthy plan.”