High blood sugar is detrimental and diabetics should be careful about it. Meals affect the values. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day and it should be healthy and low calories for blood sugar control. But certain breakfast mistakes can create havoc with the blood sugar levels.
Breakfast and blood sugar levels
Most dietitians consider breakfast as the most important meal of the day. They feel that one should not skip breakfast. In fact, one should take it regularly, early and have healthy foods in it. Skipping breakfast can give rise to a number of health issues. It will slow the metabolism, cause weight gain and increase risk of type 2 diabetes.
Blood sugar monitoring (Source: Breathe Well-being)Diabetics should specifically avoid skipping of this vital meal of the day. They should consume early breakfast. Moreover, it should have low calories and be nutrients dense. The breakfast should have low carb, high healthy fats, and adequate proteins. It should also contain dietary fats and should be low in refined sugar and salt. Such type of breakfast supports a controlled pattern of blood sugar levels. The pairing of foods and beverages at breakfast time should be appropriate to not impact blood sugar levels drastically.
Worst breakfast mistakes
The worst breakfast mistakes are having only beverages with no food. Or having the wrong beverages.
Coffee
Many people start the body with a cup of coffee. However, Lauren Manaker, author and dietitian states:
“For some people with diabetes, caffeine can cause blood sugars to spike (not all),”
Mayo Clinic also says that having coffee with no food at breakfast could raise blood sugar levels. And if the person is a diabetic on insulin injection, 200 mg of caffeine could either increase or decrease blood sugar levels.
Coffee (Source: Pinterest)Juices
Watch out also for which juices you are drinking at breakfast time. Dietitian Sydney Greene explains:
“[Drinking] juice alone will cause blood sugar to surge as it is a quick source of carbohydrates,”
Fruit juice has natural sugars in it. But it has no dietary fiber. Hence, the digestion is faster. Dietary fiber slows it but it’s lack implies a quick digestive process and a blood sugar spike. CDC recommends fiber with every meal to control blood sugar levels.
How to correct the mistake?
If you do want to have your cup of coffee or fruit juice in the morning, pair it with right kind of foods. Proteins and healthy fats are good at this time of the day. Sydney elaborates:
“For coffee, pairing it with food that includes protein and/or a healthy fat may help blunt the surge of caffeine,”
Fruit juices (Source: Pinterest)Lauren suggests combining the beverages with scrambled eggs. Because eggs have proteins, healthy fats and antioxidants. This stabilizes blood sugar level. Sydney’s advice is:
“Furthermore, by adding a fat such as a handful of nuts or a tablespoon of nut butter when you’re drinking juice, your blood sugar spike will be blunted, leading to delayed feelings of hunger or fatigue,”
Also, read 5 worst drinks for diabetics!
Lauren adds:
“A nut butter sandwich on whole grain bread provides some fiber, another nutrient that plays a positive role on blood sugars,”
“The sandwich also provides some more fat and protein as well.”