5 Foods to Avoid to Prevent High Blood Sugar and Lose Belly Fat

A healthy diet plays an important role in keeping blood sugar and insulin levels under control, which can help prevent or reverse diabetes and lose belly fat. These five foods to avoid can help you avoid high blood sugar and lose belly fat.

1) Stay away from sugars

Carbs are important to your health, but all carbs are not created equal. Refined sugars, for example, convert quickly into glucose in your bloodstream—which increases insulin production and leads directly to high blood sugar. On top of that, consuming excessive amounts of simple carbohydrates can also lead to weight gain. And if you're trying to lose belly fat? Excess body fat around your midsection is one of the biggest contributors to high blood sugar because it's related to increased risk factors for heart disease like elevated cholesterol levels, diabetes, and inflammation. To prevent high blood sugar while losing belly fat, steer clear of refined sugars as much as possible (think soda pop), focus on fiber-rich carbs (like whole fruits), and choose lean proteins (like poultry). That way, you won't experience rapid spikes in blood sugar followed by sharp drops later on. And over time, maintaining a balanced diet will help decrease overall insulin production and reduce belly fat by burning off excess body fat from your torso area. Want to lose 20 pounds of belly fat?

2) Stop drinking alcohol

Alcohol might seem like it’s helping your belly fat, but that’s only because it increases your appetite—and if you eat more calories than you burn, you’ll never lose weight. One 12-ounce beer has roughly 150 calories, while a 5-ounce glass of wine has 120. Add some appetizers or a meal, and all of a sudden it’s 350 calories—just for one drink! Alcohol also prevents fat from being burned as energy in your body. The result? Your body stores that fat instead of burning it off. Not good for fighting belly bulge! If you must have a drink, stick with club soda or sparkling water with a slice of lemon or lime instead. It’s calorie-free and will help you keep track of how much alcohol you are consuming throughout your night out on the town.

3) Eat more fibre

Fiber helps keep you full for longer, so if you’re trying to lose weight it’s a good idea to consume fiber-rich foods like nuts, fruits, vegetables, beans, and whole grains. When it comes to grains specifically, opt for unprocessed (brown) varieties like wheat berries or quinoa instead of their highly processed equivalents like white rice or enriched bread. Eating fibrous food fills your belly quickly and reduces cravings for sweets. Men should aim for 38 grams a day, while women should get 25 grams per day.

4) Increase your protein intake

Although it’s most commonly associated with meat, protein can be found in a number of non-animal sources. Your best bet for gaining weight—and keeping it on—is by increasing your daily intake of protein from plant-based sources such as nuts, legumes, beans, and grains. As for animal products, aim to purchase fresh meats or those that haven’t been pre-packaged or processed too much (for example, chicken vs. frozen chicken nuggets). Ideally, you should consume about one gram of protein per pound body weight each day if you want to put on muscle mass.

5) Watch what you eat

Many of us have heard that eating foods high in sugar can cause blood sugar levels to spike. So, it’s no surprise that limiting consumption of these kinds of foods is a great way to prevent high blood sugar. But, simple carbs aren’t your only enemy when trying to keep your blood sugar stable. What about those pesky belly fats? What about them? Well, if you want to lose belly fat (and who doesn’t?), reducing your intake of saturated fats like those found in red meat is one way to go about it. And what goes hand-in-hand with saturated fats? Yep! You guessed it: simple carbs.