Drinking beverages that are high on fats and sugar content can worsen your diabetes and cause severe medical complications. A diabetic should consume that beverage, which offers plentiful of nutrients, no fat and no sugar. Some health drinks for diabetes are:
Water
Water is the best beverage for diabetics. Diabetics have a tendency to lose more fluids and become dehydrated therefore, drinking adequate amount of water is essential. If you workout, consume 2-3 glasses of water 2 hours before exercising to stay hydrated. Water contains no amount of calories, carbohydrates and fats. Therefore, it does not affect blood sugar levels and hence, is a good option to drink.
Tea
Tea is free of calories and sugar. Besides, it is full of healthy antioxidants and flavonoids. You can drink unsweetened tea throughout the day without worrying about your sugar levels. If you find unsweetened tea hard to drink, add a few drops of artificial sweetener in your tea. To cut down fat in the tea, prepare it with skimmed milk. Avoid using cream or honey to sweeten the tea as they are equally as harmful as sugar.
Juice
Avoid drinking packaged juice, but fresh fruit juice. Drinking juice is as healthy as eating a fruit. Juices offer innumerable nutrients and other health benefits such as glowing skin. Aim to drink a glass of juice daily, but ensure it is low on carbohydrates, sugar content and sodium. Other than water, juice is the healthiest drink for diabetics.
Milk
Remember that different types of milk have different nutritional content and their effect on the risk of diabetes varies. Generally, toned milk or skimmed milk is advised for diabetics as toned milk has low fat content and skimmed has no fat content. Full cream cow milk should be avoided as its protein and fat content can affect risk of type 1 and type 2 diabetes respectively. People with type 1 diabetes can take camel milk as it effectively reduces the amount of insulin in the body. Soymilk is a nutritious substitute to cow's milk as it includes healthy fats called polyunsaturated fatty acids and is lactose free. Almond milk, which is another good substitute for cow milk, assists in controlling blood sugar level and lowers the amount of insulin that your body needs.
Few Soft Drinks
Soft drink is an umbrella head, which not only contains cold drinks but also some beverages that are healthy such as fruit punch, lemonade, sports drinks and energy drinks. The sweet content of these beverages is average therefore, not a big threat if you have little elevated blood sugar levels though these drinks must strictly be consumed occasionally. A bottle of cold drink or soda contains about 10 tablespoons of sugar, which is unhealthy for diabetics therefore, it is important to avoid cold drinks and sodas.
Discuss with your doctor to know the best drink for yourself and learn its benefits for your body.
Read more articles on Diabetes.
