Blood Sugar Bombs: Everyday Foods to Watch Out For

33. Pre-Made Pizza Dough (Especially Whole Wheat)

While you might believe making pizza at home is healthier than ordering out, the store-bought pre-made pizza dough is a major culprit. Whether it's the white or "whole wheat" variety in the refrigerated aisle, it's engineered for rapid, easy baking and fluffy texture, which means its flour is heavily refined and often supplemented with dextrose, corn syrup, or malt extract to feed the yeast and speed the rise. This chemical treatment and refinement (even of whole wheat flour) ensures the starch is highly accessible to your digestive system. Essentially, you are eating a large disk of pre-digested, high-glycemic carbohydrates that causes a glucose spike before the cheese or toppings even have a chance to slow it down. The only way to significantly mitigate this is to make your dough from scratch using low-GI flour, or opt for a protein-based crust alternative.

34. Unsweetened Sparkling Water with "Natural Flavors"

Many people swap out sugary sodas for unsweetened sparkling water or flavored seltzers thinking they've eliminated the sugar threat entirely. While it’s true they contain zero calories and zero sugar, the artificial and "natural" flavors added to mimic fruit often activate the body’s sweet receptors. This perception of sweetness, even without sugar, can trigger a cephalic phase insulin response (CPIR), where your body releases a preemptive dose of insulin in anticipation of the glucose that should follow. For sensitive individuals or those already dealing with insulin resistance, this unnecessary insulin release can lead to a drop in blood sugar (hypoglycemia) as the insulin has no glucose to process, leading to a crash, craving, and future metabolic confusion. Stick to pure, unflavored sparkling water with a slice of fresh lemon or lime.