| What one eats is very important from the point | | | | « Raw vegetables need to be taken in large |
| of view of his health. | | | | quantity, as cooked food raises the level of blood |
| The chief concern while monitoring and controlling | | | | sugar fast. |
| diabetes is to see that the sugar level does not | | | | « Eat non-fat dairy such as skim milk, |
| cross the normal range. This means that one | | | | non-fat yogurt and non-fat cheese, plain yoghurt, |
| needs to cut down on certain types of food and | | | | avoid cottage cheese a sit is high in |
| consume regularly those foods, which are good at | | | | carbohydrates. |
| regulating diabetes. | | | | « Some herbs and vegetables are |
| People with diabetes should try to maintain a | | | | specifically prescribed for diabetes, like Bitter |
| healthy weight and eat a diet that is: | | | | Gourd and bitter melon juice. |
| « low in fat | | | | What to avoid? |
| « low in sugar | | | | « Processed foods, white sugar, white flour |
| « low in salt | | | | and junk food, must be totally given up. Avoid |
| « high in fruit and vegetables (at least five | | | | sweets, glucose, fruit sugar, cakes, ice cream, |
| portions a day) | | | | chocolates, soft drinks, cream and fried foods. |
| « high in starchy carbohydrate foods, such | | | | « Anything that contains harmful |
| as bread, chapatti, rice. | | | | preservatives and too much salt should be |
| There is no such food that people with diabetes | | | | avoided. |
| should never eat. In addition, there is no need to | | | | « Avoid smoking and alcohol. |
| cut out all sugar. But, people with diabetes should | | | | « Try and abstain from sweets, ice-creams |
| try and eat only small amounts of foods that are | | | | and chocolates, including the so-called sugar-free |
| high in sugar, fat. So, if you have diabetes you | | | | types. |
| can treat yourself to cakes and biscuits once a | | | | « Foods made from white flour, rye, corn, |
| blue moon, as part of a balanced diet. | | | | polished rice, bread, pasta, pastry, cakes, biscuits, |
| What foods to eat? | | | | pies. |
| « A diabetic patient must eat lots of fruits | | | | « Starchy vegetables such as potatoes in |
| and vegetables in which fibre content is very high. | | | | particular; and go easy with beet, carrots, peas, |
| Such type of food lowers the requirement for | | | | beans. |
| insulin, the reason being it releases energy into the | | | | « Avoid concentrated dairy products, such |
| body cells slowly. A high fibre diet means more | | | | as khoya, kheer, cheese, cottage cheese. |
| chromium, which is very helpful in the treatment | | | | « Fruits such as bananas, mango, grapes, |
| of diabetes. | | | | strawberry, custard apple, date. |
| « As for vegetables, onion, garlic, ginger, | | | | « Cottage cheese (except in small amounts) |
| radish, spinach, kale, cucumber, carrot, tomato, | | | | « Avoid commercially packaged foods such |
| cabbage and cucumber are excellent in the | | | | as fast foods, chips, ready-to-eat foods, snack |
| treatment of diabetes. Moong, kidney beans which | | | | foods and "health foods." |
| have been sprouted, and unripe banana which is | | | | « Fruit juices, as these are much higher in |
| cooked, are also recommended. | | | | carbohydrates than fresh fruit. Moreover, they |
| « Fenugreek seeds which have been | | | | also lack in dietary fibre. |
| soaked in water are good for diabetic patients. | | | | A few helpful tips if eating out - |
| « For fruits, take guava, Indian blackberry | | | | · Avoid items called jumbo, combo, giant, |
| (jamun), fig, kiwi fruit, apples, citrus fruits and | | | | deluxe, as they tend to have more calories. |
| pomegranate juice. Let these things be a part of | | | | · Choose grilled, baked roasted or |
| your morning breakfast. Since, fruit juice is high in | | | | steamed food. |
| fructose (fruit sugar) and can cause blood sugar | | | | · Choose water and calorie-free "diet" |
| levels to rise quickly, it's best for diabetics to drink | | | | drinks instead of regular soda, fruit mock tails, |
| fruit juice with a meal and avoid having more than | | | | sweet tea and other sugar-sweetened drinks |
| one small glass a day. | | | | · Avoid creamy toppings, like mayonnaise. |
| « Replace white sugar with palm sugar, | | | | Add flavour with pepper, tomato, and onion. |
| dates and honey, if you want to have something | | | | · Watch out for high-fat topping salads, |
| sweet. | | | | dressings, cheeses, and croutons. |
| « Unpolished rice, sprouted grain should be | | | | · Choose a thin-crust pizza with extra |
| taken in moderate quantity. | | | | vegetable toppings. Limit yourself to one or two |
| « Fats like olive oil and peanut oil are good in | | | | slices. Keep off the extra cheese, which add |
| diabetes. | | | | calories, fat, and sodium. |
| « Drink plenty of water, at least 8 to 10 | | | | · End your meal with sugar-free, fat-free |
| glasses per day. | | | | frozen simple yogurt or a small cone of fat-free |
| « Single helping of fish or seafood, as it | | | | yogurt. Better still, go for a platter of fresh fruit |
| provides omega 3 fatty acids. | | | | salad. |
| « Condiments such as pepper, chilli, mustard, | | | | · Check out on your portion size. |
| herbs and spices. | | | | SO, EAT WELL AND BE WELL. |