Manage Diabetes with a Wholesome Diet

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If you are looking for a wholesome diet chart for diabetic patients, look no further. This comprehensive guide provides everything you need to know to maintain a healthy and balanced diet.

Individuals with Diabetes suffer a long-term metabolic illness characterised by high blood glucose levels. Nowadays, Diabetes is becoming the most serious issue in the world. The prevalence rate recorded according to WHO in April 2022 is 422 million people affected and a 1.5million death happening due to it. Diabetes mellitus is widely classified into two 1. Juvenile Diabetes/ Insulin Dependent Diabetes (type I) and 2. Type II Diabetes.

The leading cause of Diabetes is a sedentary lifestyle and improper diet habits. Early detection and following a wholesome diet and lifestyle are effective ways to manage this. Being healthy is the way to fight this. The healthful diet for diabetics includes a diet plan which consists of high-fibre foods, fruits, vegetables and whole grains. Keep in mind that all of these foods are low in fat.

If you have diabetes and want to control your blood sugar levels, you should eat anything high in fibre. Fibre is highly beneficial because it absorbs water and stretches out in your stomach. It slows down the release of glucose in your bloodstream. Therefore, you should eat lots of fruits, vegetables and whole grains. Not only can you eat these products raw, but you can also cook them without adding any fat. Your whole diet should be low in fat, and you can achieve this by avoiding foods that are fried or have a high concentration of fat.

Avoiding the causative factors is considered the best preventive treatment, so the person affected by diabetes has to follow a proper diet chart and wholesome regimens. The diet plan is influenced by Blood Glucose level, Age of the person, Gender, Preferences of the person, BMI, Lifestyle, Other medical conditions, Food allergy, Mode of employment etc.

DOs for a person affected by Diabetes mellitus

• The concerned person should be conscious about having their meals regularly at a particular time interval.
• A minimum quantity of diet in high frequency is indicated to them. The diet should be effective and wholesome.
• Diet should be integrated, which should satisfy all needs of the body. The mixture of macro and micronutrients. Proper hydration is also indicated according to climatic and body conditions.
• The dinner should be light and finish on or before sunset (maximum around 7.30 pm).
• Meals are instructed to take after proper digestion of the previous one.
• Proper exercise is also needed to maintain our body healthy. Walking, Yoga asanas, Pranayama, and Meditation are indicated.
• Sleep should be proper and enough to refresh your body and mind.

DONT’s for a person affected by Diabetes mellitus

• Should not skip meals.
• Fruits with a high glycemic index like Mango, Watermelon etc.
• Avoid canned or tinned articles.
• Avoid Saturated or Trans-fat.
• Avoid alcohol.
• Avoid daytime sleep.

Wholesome Diet chart For a Diabetic patient

There is no single diet for diabetes. The ideal diet is one that is low in sugar, fat, salt and processed foods. The best practice is to control your blood glucose by maintaining your weight, physical activity and eating a balanced diet. The general diet including cereals, pulses, fruits, nuts and vegetables for diabetics with a low GI score: Equal to or less than 55 units are as follows:

Cereals: Barley, oats, wheat, 60 days old variety of rice, sorghum, foxtail millet, madhulika, flattened rice, millets, chickpeas, muesli etc.

Pulses: Red gram, horse gram, green gram, lentils, Moth bean, chanaka (Cicer arietinum) should be taken with bitter and astringent leafy vegetables.

Vegetables: Young patola, bathua, all bitter vegetables like methi, karela, bimbi, shigru, brinjal, tomato, mint, suran, curry leaves, radish, ash gourd, ridge gourd, bottle gourd, pumpkin, onion, broccoli, jackfruit, green peas, beetroot, cucumber etc.

Fruits: Jamun, Banana, Amla, Bilva, Pomegranate, apple, papaya, watermelon, muskmelon, grapes, dates, pineapple, kiwi, pear, strawberry and guava

Oils Condiments: Mustard, turmeric, black pepper, atasi, cinnamon, garlic, ginger, fenugreek, coriander, cumin seeds, etc.

Sweets: Honey

Meat: Lean Protein and Seafood

Drinks: Lukewarm water and treated Buttermilk

A healthy diet and regular exercise are equally important as medication for diabetes mellitus. The Glycemic index of fruits, vegetables, and grains can help you in two ways: by promoting weight loss and by reducing the number of carbs you eat. This is because the Glycemic index measures how quickly blood sugar levels rise after eating a particular food. Therefore, by choosing foods with a low Glycemic index, you can help control your blood sugar levels and lose weight.