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Not just food and lifestyle, regulation of diabetes is dependent on what you drink as well. But, let’s be real, there’s only so much water that one can drink. When it comes to the drinks for diabetes, the list might seem a bit short but it is best to stick to them.
Wondering about the drinks that are good for diabetes? Wondering about the drinks that are not good? We have got it covered for you.
In here, we are going to share a list of drinks that are good as well as bad for your health if you are a diabetic patient. Let’s get this rolling, shall we?
What Are The Best Drinks For Diabetes?
Given the fact that it is always best to start things off with a positive note, it is best to first kick off the discussing with that of list of the best drinks for diabetes.
Check Out These Best and Worst Drinks for Diabetes.
The list of drinks that are beneficial for the regulation of diabetes includes:
1. Water
While you might think what even is there to add it to the list, water does quite more than what you would imagine it to do.
Hydration plays a very crucial role when it comes to managing the condition of diabetes. If you are someone who has been consistently suffering from high blood sugar levels, chances are that you are going to be suffering from dehydration.
Not just that, the proper levels of hydration in the body further help ensure that you can wash out the excess glucose from your body (R) via the urine. This helps in maintaining proper levels of blood glucose levels in the body.
If plain water is not that good and appealing, add in some lemon slices or orange slices to boost the taste.
2. Low Fat Milk
Milk is most possibly one of the most nutritious drinks that you can opt for. While the carbs and the calories might seem like a bit too much right off the bat, it is not necessarily something you need to worry about a lot.
It is very good for diabetics, the only fact being that you should be well aware of portion control. Aside from that, milk also does provide with a heavy dose of the much required calcium and Vitamin D to the body.
If you are conscious about the calories and the carbs, stick to low fat milk that can help balance out both of them effectively. Don’t just cut out milk completely from your diet because it helps contribute to a number of other prospects of your health. Make sure to just control the portions and that should do the trick.
3. Chocolate Milk
Chocolate milk doesn’t have to be a bad option if you don’t make it into one. If you indulge in exercises to keep your diabetes regulated, it is best suggested that you drink chocolate milk post workout.
The low fat chocolate milk is actually quite beneficial for your overall health and can be an amazing post workout recovery drink.
The worst thing you often commit to is the fact that you end up sticking to the readymade variants of the drinks which is loaded with unprecedented amount of sugars in them which can make your blood glucose levels spike.
Try and make the chocolate milk at home from scratch with some low fat milk and sugar free cocoa powder and that should get the trick done.
4. Chamomile Tea
Yet another one of the beneficial drinks that is good for diabetes is the chamomile tea.
Chamomile tea doesn’t contain any kind of added sugars in it but is quite beneficial for the overall functioning of the body.
The antioxidants in the chamomile tea are quite beneficial in boosting the overall metabolism of the body by reducing the free radical damage in the body.
Even a conducted study (R) has potent benefits of drinking chamomile tea with lowering of the blood sugar levels in the body. It also has protective properties in ensuring to secure any form of nervous, renal or even circulatory impairments.
5. Coffee
Coffee is more than effective in prevention of type-2 diabetes and even a study (R) abides by it.
If you have been wondering about the best drinks for diabetes, this one is a good one to look into. The only catch in this is to ensure that you don’t add any kind of sweetener or additives to accentuate its taste.
Researches suggest that drinking 2-3 cups of coffee is actually quite beneficial for effective prevention of the associated risks with this.
If the caffeine fix is leaving your shaking and jittery, try and opt for the good old decaf versions of the same.
6. Lemonade
Lemonades are actually a very good enough option if you are looking around for something cool and refreshing during the summers.
Not only is the lemon in it beneficial in fighting off any unwanted free radical damage in the body, it is also quite beneficial in keeping your metabolism in check.
With a managed metabolism, it also contributes to keeping the glucose levels in the body in check. Avoid consuming any kind store bought lemonade because they won’t do you any good at all. They are loaded with sugar and preservatives which make everything further worse.
It is always best to make it at home to avoid any such blunders.
7. Green Smoothies
As revolting as it might sound, green smoothies are actually a very good option for you to look into. Not only does it provide with your daily kick of greens, it also very good to handle the normal glucose levels in the body.
The combination of kale, spinach, apples, ginger and cucumber provide with a refreshing kick to the body and helps jumpstart your overall metabolism.
Just adding in a bunch of green leaves won’t make it taste good which is why it is best to simply add in things that would accentuate its taste and add to the overall nutritional value of the smoothie as well.
If green smoothies are not your cup of tea, try and drink tomato juice because even that does help a lot in maintaining the proper levels of the blood glucose levels in the body.
8. Apple Cider Vinegar Tonic
Apple cider vinegar is quite beneficial in boosting your body functions and metabolism and even contributes to cleansing and detoxification.
It is very important to not overdo the consumption of this tonic and stick to drinking it once in a day, especially during the morning.
The acetic acid in the apple cider vinegar helps in flushing out the unwanted toxins from the body and even contributes to the overall weight loss expectations which are quite crucial for your overall regulatory properties for diabetes.
9. Almond Milk
If you are vegan, lactose tolerant or simply want to switch to plant based milk, almond milk is possibly one of the best option.
Not only is it completely plant based and contains very less calories and carbs in it, it is also proven beneficial to lower the blood sugar levels (R) in the body. Making smoothies or lattes out of which predominantly makes this one of the best options to stick to.
If you are into smoothie bowls and such, throw in half a frozen banana and some handful of strawberries and such and that itself should get the trick done.
It helps in stabilizing the unnecessary fluctuating blood glucose levels.
10. Coconut Water
Coconut water is actually an amazing option to look into when you are in search of drinks good for diabetes.
Not only is it low on the sugar and carb limit, it is also simultaneously high on the levels of vitamins and minerals in the body which is actually quite beneficial.
It contains essential electrolytes which has beneficial impacts on the body as a whole.
The combination of beneficial vitamins and minerals help in stabilizing the sugar levels in the body.
What are the Drinks to Avoid with Diabetes?
Now that we are done with the string of best drinks for diabetes, it is time we divert our focus on the ones that every diabetic needs to avoid at all costs.
If you don’t want to end up spiking your blood glucose levels unnecessarily, it is important to keep a track of the list of worst drinks for diabetes that one should avoid at all costs.
1. Carbonated Soda
It goes without saying that when it comes to the drinks to avoid for diabetes, the carbonated soda will peak through the list.
Just a standard can of soda is believed to contain something close to 40 grams of carbs along with over 150-200 calories which is definitely the last thing you want to get into your body.
Not only does it cause an unprecedented spike in the blood glucose levels, it also contributes to a number of other conditions related to one’s health.
Regular soda tends to contribute to the weight gain during diabetes which might be beneficial for some people, but not something anyone wants at the expense of the heightened levels of blood glucose levels in the body.
2. Alcohol
When it comes down to discussing about alcohol, it is considered as one of the worst drinks for diabetes. The main reason behind the same is because of the fact that alcohol has the potency to cause drastic changes to the blood glucose levels in the body.
Often time, consuming alcohol can end up skyrocketing the glucose levels while on other times, the same can bring down the glucose levels drastically. If you are on any kind of diabetic medications, chances are that it could end up interfering with them and causing spiked changes in the levels of blood glucose.
Also, the cocktails tend to contain a high amount of sugar in them which can further cause negative impacts on the body and can inflict negative impacts on the blood glucose levels in the body.
3. Fruit Juices
Fruit juices are yet another one of the drinks to avoid for diabetes. You must be thinking that we are talking about the normal packaged juices, right? Wrong.
Any kind of fruit juice, be it the packaged ones or even the freshly pressed ones. It is best to avoid them mainly because of the kind of sugar content they have.
While eating fruits might not necessarily have any kind of side effects whatsoever, it is always best suggested to ensure that you avoid drinking the pressed juices. The concentrated sugar content has the potency to spike the sugar levels in the blood and cause problems because of the high glycemic index.
4. Energy Drinks
Even if the label does mention it is devoid of sugar and such, chances are that it not the case exactly. Energy drinks can seem enticing but are not that much of a good option, especially if you are suffering from diabetes.
It is considered as one of the drinks to avoid for diabetes, mainly because of the fact that they have a high level of sugar in them which has the potency to degrade the health condition altogether.
These are not just high in carbs but also have a good amount of caffeine (R) which is not necessarily the best option for your body.
Even study (R) has shown impacts of consumption of energy drinks in contributing to insulin resistance in the body.
5. Ginger Ale
Even though this might prove out to be a good option for your digestion and to avoid acidity and such, it is one of the worst drinks for diabetes.
The main reason behind the same is the high carb content in it. A standard 20 ounce bottle of the ginger ale consists of 60 grams of carbs which is a lot, considering that you might already have unstable levels of carbs in your body.
When it comes to assessing the drinks for diabetes, there are quite a lot of restrictions. If you have unstable blood glucose levels, it is always best suggested to ensure that you keep a track of the amount of calories and carbs you are putting into your body. Don’t overwhelm your body and ensure to keep everything in check.
