Best Beverages For Diabetes

People with diabetes spend a lot of time and energy carefully watching what they eat. That’s because they know that a healthy diet is critical to effective blood sugar management. But all of that thoughtful meal planning may overlook another essential aspect of what we put in our bodies: what we drink.

The beverages that people with diabetes consume can have just as much impact on blood glucose levels as food can. In a world full of sugary, caffeinated drinks, it is important that individuals with diabetes pay attention to their beverage consumption.

Obviously, drinking lots of water is as vital for people with diabetes as it is for everyone else. Drinking enough water helps the body eliminate excess glucose through urine. But few of us live on water alone. We crave variety.  But knowing the number of carbohydrates your beverages contain and how they may affect your blood sugar is critical. That’s why the American Diabetes Association recommends zero-calorie and low-calorie drinks – it keeps things simple.

Here are some excellent, diabetes-friendly drinks that can help quench your thirst and give your taste buds something to be happy about:

Unsweetened Coffee and Tea

By themselves, coffee and tea can be perfectly pleasant and safe beverages to kickstart your day or chill you out at night. In fact, a 2012 study suggests that drinking coffee might help lower the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. And green tea is well-known for its many beneficial effects, such as reducing blood pressure and lowering harmful LDL cholesterol.

However, you should enjoy your coffee and tea as is. Adding sugar, milk, or cream to your coffee or tea increases the overall calorie count and may impact your blood sugar levels. If you must sweeten things up, try using natural sweeteners like stevia, raw honey, and pure maple syrup.

Vegetable Juice

A lot of fruit juices contain a lot of sugar. Instead, try tomato juice or a vegetable juice such as V-8 as an alternative.

You can try making your own juice blend of green leafy vegetables, celery, or cucumbers with a handful of berries.

Low-fat Milk

Dairy products contain essential vitamins and minerals, but be mindful that they also add carbohydrates to your diet. Always choose unsweetened, low-fat, or skim versions of your favorite type of milk. You can also try dairy-free, low-sugar options, such as fortified nut or coconut milk.

Controlling the intake of added sugars through a healthy diet – including the beverages you drink – is especially important for people with diabetes. It is one part of a comprehensive approach to maintaining healthy blood sugar levels. Another critical aspect is effective, accurate, and continuous monitoring of those levels.

Continuous Glucose Monitoring (CGM) is a tested, approved, and easy-to-use transceiver device that helps those with diabetes stay in tune and ahead of the game with their diabetes monitoring. Contact us today to see if you qualify for CGM and access our guide to continuous glucose monitoring.

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If you are not insured, or have a high deductible health insurance plan, you can still purchase the Freestyle Libre Reader and Sensors at extremely competitive prices. Prices starting as low as $99 per month

*Fingersticks are required for treatment decisions when you see Check Blood Glucose symbol, when symptoms do not match system readings when you suspect readings may be in accurate, or when you experience symptoms that may be due to high or low blood glucose.

Reference 1: Data on file. Abbott Diabetes Care. 2, FreeStyle Libre 14 day User’s Manual

Indications and Important Safety Information

FreeStyle Libre and FreeStyle Libre 14 day Flash Glucose Monitoring systems are continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) devices indicated for replacing blood glucose testing and detecting trends and tracking patterns aiding in the detection of episodes of hyperglycemia and hypoglycemia, facilitating both acute and long-term therapy adjustments in persons (age 18 and older) with diabetes. The systems are intended for single patient use and require a prescription.

CONTRAINDICATIONS: Remove the sensor before MRI, CT scan, X-ray, or diathermy treatment.

WARNINGS/LIMITATIONS: Do not ignore symptoms that may be due to low or high blood glucose, hypoglycemic unawareness, or dehydration. Check sensor glucose readings with a blood glucose meter when Check Blood Glucose symbol appears, when symptoms do not match system readings, or when readings are suspected to be inaccurate. The system does not have alarms unless the sensor is scanned, and the system contains small parts that may be dangerous if swallowed. The system is not approved for pregnant women, persons on dialysis, or critically-ill population. Sensor placement is not approved for sites other than the back of the arm and standard precautions for transmission of blood borne pathogens should be taken. The built-in blood glucose meter is not for use on dehydrated, hypotensive, in shock, hyperglycemic-hyperosmolar state, with or without ketosis, neonates, critically-ill patients, or for diagnosis or screening of diabetes. When using FreeStyle LibreLink app, access to a blood glucose monitoring system is required as the app does not provide one. Review all product information before use or contact Abbott Toll Free (855-632-8658) or visit www.freestylelibre.us for detailed indications for use and safety information.html. . FreeStyle, Libre, and related brand marks are trademarks of Abbott Diabetes Care Inc. in various jurisdictions. Other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. ©2018 Abbott. ADC-09691 vLO 10/18

*The FreeStyle LibreLink app and the FreeStyle Libre 14 day reader have similar but not identical features. Fingersticks are required for treatment decisions when you see Check Blood Glucose symbol, when symptoms do not match system readings, when you suspect readings may be inaccurate, or when you experience symptoms that may be due to high or low blood glucose.

The FreeStyle Libre 2 app and the FreeStyle Libre 2 reader have similar but not identical features. Fingersticks are required for treatment decisions when you see Check Blood Glucose symbol and when your glucose alarms and readings from the system do not match symptoms or expectations

‡‡‡Based on the sensor being replaced once every 14 days, and scanned at least once every 8 hours.

§§§Glucose readings are not available during 1-hour warm-up, when sensor is too hot or too cold, when you see an error or "LO" or "HI" message, or no current glucose reading