Are emulsifiers, stabilizers an food additives bad for you?

my mom was recently diagnosed with diabetes, it runs in our family and its made me really wary of what im eating but my problem is i dont know what foods are good and bad and i try to read ingredients on their packets but i really dont know what half the stuff is, its not just sugar intake im worried about, its everything that goes in my food. i want more information on what emulsifiers and food stablizers are, are they good or bad? and which types are good or bad?, if you could give me any help on overall what foods are better for you than others that would help aswel