4 Drinks that Diabetics Should Avoid
Judging by the commercials you see on television, you’d think that we drink fluids in order to achieve any number of effects, but simply quenching our thirst never seems to be one of them. In a world where sports drinks, soda, and one thousand other commercial drinks are thrown at us everyday, it can be difficult to remember how important it is to simply fall back onto water at the end of the day, especially when diabetes is in the mix.
Being a diabetic carries with it many responsibilities, most notable among them being the need to watch the things that you take into your body very, very closely. With that in mind, here are four drinks that diabetics should avoid at all costs:
1. Soda – Including Diet
An obvious one, but sometimes difficult to avoid due to its sheer prevalence on store shelves, is soda. No matter which flavor you prefer, you can be sure that even a sip offers much more sugar than you want or need.
That point made, we’ll need to consider diet soda, that easy replacement for a sugary soda habit, but it, too, has qualities that you’d do best to avoid, notably its containing of aspartame, a compound that has been shown to be potentially harmful to human health.
2. Coffee
It may provide a warm and delicious jolt in the morning, but that cup of coffee, with its sugar and cream, can wreak havoc with your system, especially if you drink it regularly.
If, on the other hand, you take your coffee black, your only concern will be the amount of caffeine you’re taking in – a problem suffered equally by java lovers everywhere.
3. Energy Drinks
A boost in energy is something each of us needs from time to time, but turning to a can of Red Bull or Rock Star usually isn’t a good idea, especially when your diabetic situation is taken into account.
As a diabetic, a whopping shock of sugar is something that your body most definitely does not need, making the up to 80 grams of sugar a single can contains something that you’ll want to avoid at all costs.
4. Alcohol
Most prevalent at social engagements are alcoholic drinks, another no-no for diabetics under most circumstances, especially when you take them in the form of beer or sweet drinks. Besides offering up lots of calories on their own, spirits also have the drawback of typically being consumed while mixed with a sugary drink, making them doubly dangerous.
If you do find yourself enjoying a social drink, you should have a bite to eat before or with it, and always be sure to keep an eye on your blood-sugar levels.
Image Credit: 1, 2 – Smart Photo Stock, 3, 4.
