There are often some misconceptions about the relationship between diabetes and diet. So how can you avoid falling into these dietary "pitfalls"?
Misconception A: To avoid diabetes, you must eat less
Wrong. To maintain sufficient energy for daily work and life, our bodies need an adequate energy source. The correct approach is to determine the total daily calories based on your own health status and work nature, and consume all foods in moderation. To put it simply, "control the total amount, adjust the structure." Specific dietary control plans vary from person to person and over time. The key is to avoid being overweight and to keep blood sugar, blood pressure, and blood lipids within the normal range. Conversely, long-term hunger and persistently low blood sugar can actually make you more susceptible to diabetes.
Misconception B: Sugar-free means you can eat it freely
Wrong. Consuming high-sugar foods is indeed harmful and has no benefits for preventing diabetes. But if you don't eat sugar, you won't get diabetes? Things are far from that simple. This is because the carbohydrates our bodies need daily mainly come from food, and diabetes is primarily a disorder in the body's metabolism of sugar (i.e., carbohydrates). Therefore, the correct principle for dealing with sugar, high-sugar fruits (such as lychees and longans), and chocolate is to control their intake.
Misconception C: Whole grains and sugar-free foods contain no sugar, so you can eat more
Wrong. Whole grains contain more healthy dietary fiber than refined rice and flour, but they are also mainly composed of carbohydrates, and their total intake must also be controlled. "Sugar-free foods" only mean they do not contain glucose, not that they are completely free of carbohydrates, and they should also be consumed in moderation. From the perspective of controlling calories, the correct principle is to treat all carbohydrate-containing foods equally, control the total daily calorie intake, and strive for a diverse diet.
Misconception D: To prevent diabetes, you should only eat a vegetarian diet
Wrong. Many people believe that animal foods lead to excessive protein and increased intake of animal fat, and that meat and fat are major enemies that easily cause metabolic disorders. The less meat you eat, the better, or even none at all. In fact, animal foods contain high-quality protein and nutrients that are easily absorbed by the body, which are extremely beneficial to health. The key is to eat them reasonably.
Misconception E: It's fine to eat a lot of vegetable oil
Many people know that animal fat contains saturated fatty acids, which are harmful to the body, and that vegetable oil contains unsaturated fatty acids, which are beneficial to health. Therefore, they believe that eating more vegetable oil has no impact on their condition. However, what they don't realize is that although vegetable oil contains more unsaturated fatty acids, both animal and vegetable oils are fats and are high-calorie foods. If not controlled, it is easy to exceed the total daily recommended calorie intake, which is extremely detrimental to health.
Misconception F: To prevent diabetes, the more pumpkin you eat, the better
Modern medical research suggests that pumpkin contains a lot of pectin fiber. When mixed with starchy foods, it can increase the viscosity of stomach contents, preventing post-meal blood sugar from rising too quickly. However, long-term and excessive consumption of pumpkin can easily lead to hypercarotenemia, which can cause yellowing of the skin and even sluggish reactions. Therefore, pumpkin should be eaten scientifically and not excessively.