This article was adapted from the Diabetes Cure and provided by our partners at Rodale News.
Many things you currently consider to be "foods" are not. Instead, these items are processed, adulterated, refined, diluted, sweetened, salted, or changed in some way. A major challenge faced by people with type 2 diabetes is making the transition back to eating real food. Any "food" with a brand name is not real food anymore because the ingredients have beenprocessed for a long shelf life, which means that most of its beneficial anti-inflammatory components have been lost and salt, sugar, and bad fats and preservatives have been added.
See the lists below for an overview of foods that keep inflammation smoldering:
Dairy
Milk is designed by nature to make calves gain weight quickly. And since we are not calves—or even babies any longer—our bodies do not require milk. Contrary to popular belief and advertisement, bone strength does not come from consuming milk and other dairy products but from plant foods. In fact, dairy is a highly inflammatory food for most people. And more processing ("skimming") does not make it any healthier, only more inflammatory.
Sugar
The sugar industry tries to sell us on the fact that sugar is natural because it comes from sugarcane. But it's not natural because all the cells within the sugarcane have been eliminated during the refining process. Molasses, at least, retains some of its original minerals—such as iron—in processing. Unfortunately, artificial sweeteners have their drawbacks, too—they are suspected to cause many diseases, not to mention weight gain.
Refined Grains
These should be avoided altogether, along with milled, fortified, and sweetened grains. Limit your intake of pasta to once a week, and avoid refined grains in white bread, cereal, and pizza.
Grain-Fed Meat
Grain-fed animals that are kept in concentrated animal-feeding operations(CAFOs) are sick and unhealthy because they are not doing what comes naturally to them: grazing and living outdoors. They are barely kept alive by antibiotics, hormones, and other drugs. When we eat their meat, we become sick, too. And on top of it, processed meats are laced with preservatives, colorings, and artificial flavorings.
Tropical Fruits
Because they typically have a higher fructose content than other fruits, eating fruits like bananas, oranges, mangoes, papayas, and pineapples should be limited to once a week for people with diabetes. Also, if your ancestors did not come from hot climates, tropical fruits might be hard for you to digest. Many people eat bananas because their doctors have told them that bananas are a terrific source of potassium. This is true—but it's also true of many other fruits and vegetables.
Bad Fats
Vegetable oils (like corn, soy, and canola), all hydrogenated (or partially hydrogenated) oils, and all oils that have been heated for frying or deep-frying should be avoided.
