With around 72 million recorded cases of diabetes in the year 2017 itself, It is India’s fastest growing disease. Symptoms ranging from frequent urination, fatigue, and nausea, to dreadful health issues like cardiovascular disease, kidney damage, skin conditions, and even depression. However, if someone wants to regulate the effect of diabetes, it can be done with healthy changes in one’s diet.
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Here is a list of diet tips to manage your diabetes.
- Don’t skip meals
Try not to skip meals and break your diet into smaller portions. Breaking down your daily food-intake into 5-6 smaller, nutritious meals helps in maintaining your blood sugar and energy levels. Also, it’ll keep you from eating unhealthy food, thus reducing risk of blood sugar level hikes. Additionally, it is crucial to not overeat, as this may also imbalance your blood sugar levels, especially if you suffer from diabetes.
- Keep carbs balanced in your diet
For your overall management of diabetes, a meal plan with just the right balance of carbohydrates is vital. The role of carbohydrates is to provide you energy through the day and affects your blood sugar levels, too. Low carbs consumption tends to deprive the required energy, while too many carbs will spike up your blood sugar levels. Foods like whole-grains, fruits, and low-fat dairy foods should be preferred.
- Choose the right cooking oil
In case of diabetes, choosing the right cooking oils is essential because some fatty cooking oils may worsen your condition, while some can help you manage diabetes.
Healthy oil options are rice bran oil, sesame oil that can help you manage blood pressure, improve insulin sensitivity, and keep blood sugar levels in check.
Always check the labels of oil packets and then decide which one to choose.
- Choice of food and drinks
Being a diabetic, deciding what to eat, what not to eat is an important criteria.
Always go for food items that won’t hike your blood sugar levels such as lean meats, poultry, fish, avocados, salad vegetables, eggs, and cheese. Also try to cut down on high fat dairy and saturated fats in your diet. Avoiding packaged and processed food is suggested, and in case you eat them once in a while, keep a check on the labels for added sugars, fats, artificial sweeteners.
- Consume more fibrous food
Get more whole grains into the system- with the likes of whole wheat, and brown rice, peas, beans, oats, barley to manage diabetes better. Focus on getting at least 8 grams of fiber per meal, as it will help you manage blood sugar, stay fuller, and improve your overall heart health.
