Good Carbs, Bad Carbs and How to Control Blood Sugar Better
In diabetes, carbohydrates are vital fuel, not the enemy. The challenge for blood sugar control is not avoiding them, but distinguishing "good" from "bad" carbs. Master this, and you master your diabetic diet.
The Good Carbs: Steady Energy, Steady Control
Good carbs are steady, reliable fuel: complex carbohydrates rich in fiber. They form the backbone of the best foods for diabetics.
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What they are: Whole, unprocessed foods like vegetables, whole grains, and legumes.
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The Impact: Fiber acts as a brake, slowing digestion and glucose absorption, ensuring a slow, sustained energy rise.
- The Benefit: They keep you full and stabilize glucose.
Know how to Make Your Plate Fiber Rich
The Bad Carbs: Quick Fuel, Quick Crash
Bad carbs (simple/refined) cause a sugar bomb in your body leading to hyperglycemia.
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What they are: Foods stripped of fiber and nutrients (white bread, sugary cereals, packaged juice and snacks).
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The Impact: Digested instantly, causing a rapid, sharp blood sugar spike. Sluggishness or shakiness are symptoms.
- The Consequence: An insulin flood leads to a crash, causing tiredness and hunger. Avoid these foods with type 2 diabetes.
Add Actifiber To Your Food To Reduce Sugar Spikes
When you add ActiFiber Natural Sugar Control to your meals, it helps digest your food in a more controlled manner, and sugar is released more slowly & steadily with less spikes.
ActiFiber integrates seamlessly into your everyday diet. Just add a sachet to any food or drink - no taste, no odour, no hassle. Just add one sachet each to all 3 main meals to control your post-meal sugar spike. With ActiFiber, Get Better Sugar Control in 4 Weeks, Naturally.
ActiFiber is Clinically Proven in multiple studies to help you Regulate blood sugar fluctuations better, Maintain healthier glucose levels, and Achieve Better sugar control. Trusted by Experts, made from completely Plant sourced soluble fiber and Approved by USFDA and European FSA, ActiFiber is Safe & Natural. Go on, take charge of your health with ActiFiber.
The Glycemic Index: Your Carb Report card
The Glycemic Index (GI) rates how quickly a food raises blood sugar. Choose wisely
GI Category |
Quick Definition |
Indian Food Items |
|---|---|---|
|
High GI (Bad) |
Rapidly raises blood sugar |
Puffed rice (murmura), White Maida Naan, White Rice (polished), Poha |
|
Low/Medium GI (Good) |
Raises blood sugar slowly and steady |
Brown Rice, Red Rice, Millets (Ragi, Jowar, Bajra), Barley (Jau), Broken Wheat (Dalia), Whole Dals and Besan |
Learn more about Glycaemic Index - Keeping Score
6 Diet Tips to Manage the Blood Sugar Spike Better
1. The GI Secret - Pair Your Carbs: Lower a meal’s GI by pairing carbs with protein or healthy fats. Protein (dahi, chicken) and healthy fats (nuts, ghee) and fiber slow stomach emptying. This delays glucose release, resulting in a lower, flatter blood sugar curve.
- Example: Eat Brown Rice with a protein-rich lentil (dal).
- Example: Pair dalia with nuts and seeds, instead of consuming it plain.
2. Supplement Smartly: Add ActiFiber Natural Sugar Control to all 3 meals. When you add ActiFiber to your meals, it combines with your food and helps digest it in a more controlled manner, and sugar is released more slowly & steadily with less spikes. When you add it to your 3 meals, you have a less sharp post meal sugar spike.
3. Don't Eliminate, Upgrade
- Upgrade: Swap polished white rice for Red Rice, brown rice or Millets.
- Control: Even good carbs need careful portion control - excess is bad news for your sugar levels.
4. Reach out to a Diabetes diet Expert
- Reach out to our Nutrition Expert for personalized advice to help you manage the challenges of Diabetes better and lead a healthier, fuller life.
- Download the Practical, Easy-to-follow, Region specific Diet plan that’s specifically designed for Diabetics by Diabetes Nutrition Experts.
5. Tame the Bloat from Healthy Pulses: Don't let gassiness deter you from crucial high-fiber, low-GI foods! Soak, Sprout, and Spice: Soak pulses for 6-8 hours and discard water. Cook with carminative spices like ginger, cumin (jeera), and especially asafoetida (hing) - a traditional bloat-buster that adds flavour to your diabetic diet.
6. Choose fiber-rich "good" carbs: By choosing long-burning, fiber-rich "good" carbs and cooking mindfully, you stop fighting food and start controlling your glucose. It’s the simplest, most effective upgrade.