Diabetes is lifestyle disease and one that dictates the way you live, what you eat, and how much you exercise. Diabetes starts off as a simple condition that is fairly easy to live with; if ignored or if one doesn’t change their eating habits it can become severe and lead to complications.
The daily Calorie requirement for a Diabetic depends on age, gender and the level of activity/exercise done regularly. For males aged between 30-60 years, calorie requirement is around 2200-2700Kcal. For females aged between 30-60 years, the calorie requirement is around 1800-2200Kcal.
While all food has calories, here are some dietary changes that one can make for keeping diabetes in check and while it is a lifelong condition it does not have to be debilitating:
1 . Switch To Healthier Oil
– Cooking oil is a rich source of Fat, and a diet high in fat contributes to worsening diabetes.
-Switch to oils with high volume of monounsaturated fats & polyunsaturated fats like olive oil, canola oil, soybean oil or rice bran oil.
-Try to reduce the daily oil intake to one table spoon a day.
2 . Watch The Carbohydrates
-Carbohydrates while essential for energy, are a rich source of glucose which can wreak havoc with your blood sugar levels.
-The rule of the thumb with carbs is stay away from the white carbs; these have gone through too much processing and have lost the vital nutrients with only starch left behind.
-So avoid maida, white rice, potatoes and switch to multigrain atta, millets like ragi, jowar, bajra, brown or red rice and sweet potatoes for a healthier dose of carbohydrates with about 30% less blood sugar rise than the white counterparts.
3 .Include Fresh Vegetables And Fruits
– Indulge in vegetables such as carrots, spinach, bitter gourd, snake gourd, okra, and broccoli on a regular basis.
-Orange and green veggies contain Beta Carotene, Iron, Anti Oxidants which are good for lower blood sugar count, and long term blood sugar control.
-Try to consume these with minimum cooking roast, grill, bake or lightly steam them, sprinkle some olive oil, herbs and garlic for a healthy accompaniment to your meal.
– Apples, Berries, Melon, Grapefruit are fruits that are naturally low in calories and contain enzymes which fight heart disease, cholesterol, cancer and give the body natural sugar, which is needed even though one may have diabetes.
-Restrict consumption to one cup of cubed fruit a day, and remember the riper the fruit is the higher the sugar content.
4 . Add Methi To Your Meals
-Methi is known to reduce blood sugar levels, due to the presence of galactomannan, a natural soluble fiber which slows down sugar absorption into blood, & amino acid responsible for increasing the production of insulin.
-Include methi leaves in your diet with tasty dishes such as methi paranthas, methi mattar or dals with methi leaves.
-Add 1 tea spoon ground methi seeds to any gravy dish for extra flavour and to enjoy the benefits of the seeds.
5 . Have Eggs At Least Once A Week
– Eggs are a great source of protein and while the yolk may be high in fat content, it contains enzymes which enable the body to absorb all the nutrients in the egg, which are good for you.
-Restrict the consumption of eggs to 2-3 eggs a week for a dose of good fat which helps keep the heart fit and does not impact blood sugar levels.
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So go ahead, eat your way to a happier healthier you, and a condition like diabetes does not mean that you have to deprive yourself, just watch what you eat and stay healthy for years to come.
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