From Diab-tease to Diab-cease

'No, you can't eat the rosgulla, its a sweet. Here, have one more naan instead'. You would have come across such a statement. But, if you ask our take on the above line, Purple Kaddu would comment that the naan will be equally disastrous. Diabetes is not about sugar and sweets, infact its more about the quality and quantity of foods eaten. Cooking style and food combinations matter too. Here we run you through the best and worst food options for a diabetic. 

Best foods for diabetes

For a diabetic, maintaining blood sugar level is of utmost importance. Diabetics also tend to feel hungry often. Hence, the best foods will be the ones which keep your tummy full and your blood sugar level in control. If the foods help you shed off few kgs, that will be an added bonus. So, lets get to know these wonder foods.

Grains like whole bajra, whole jowar, whole ragi, oats, quinoa, amaranth, buckwheat, bulgur wheat are good choices. These foods contain fibre which helps in control of blood sugar level. Besides, it keeps your stomach full too. That's exactly what we want! 

Lean meats and eggs contain very little carbs(sugars), thus making them suitable for diabetics. If vegetarian, don't worry you can opt for pulses and beans. The protein in them will keep you satiated.

Next are your nuts and seeds. eg. walnuts, almonds, flaxseeds, peanuts, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, fenugreek seeds. The fat in them is healthy i.e. it helps you shed few grams which helps in better functioning of insulin. 

Fruits and vegetables gift you with phytochemicals, vitamins and minerals. Fruits such as pear, guava, pomegranate and apple contain fibre. The fibre is present in the skin and seeds of these fruits.So peeling or juicing them will not really help you. Amla and jamun too are great options for diabetics.When it comes to watermelon, you may say it taste really sweet, so it isn't a good option for me. But Watermelon is 90% water, thus you sure can enjoy a cup of watermelon.The trick with fruits is the quantity eaten. When it comes to selecting vegetables, one must choose green leafy veggies, cabbage, cauliflower, drum stick, okra, bitter gourd and cluster beans.

Will dairy products work for a diabetic? Yes it will. Calcium in milk helps improve blood sugar levels. Besides, calcium helps in weight loss too. With hardly any carbohydrate content, milk can work as a good beverage.

If you like spices, you'll be happy with this tip. Cinnamon is the magic sweet spice which helps keep blood sugar in control by improving insulin sensitivity. The phrase 'dal-chini for cheeni kum' suits best to explain the above line.

So, there you go. There are a good amount of foods that you can enjoy. There are a few which you need to stay away from. Better note them down.

Worst foods for diabetes

If it makes your blood too sweet, in very less time and leaves you hungry and tired, it classifies as the worst food for diabetes.

Donuts, breads, regular pastries - all of these are made of maida. What's so wrong about maida? Maida means refined wheat i.e. the wheat is ripped off it's fibre. Maida then gets broken easily and increases your blood sugar level. Besides, these products are loaded with sugar.

Next food on your 'to avoid' list should be sugar. Here, I mean not only white sugar but other forms of sugar too such as maltodextrin, high fructose corn syrup, malt extract, glucose, dextrose, sucrose. These are duplicate names for sugar, found in most processed foods.eg. Bagrry's muesli, Kellogg's Special K, Saffola oats, Bournvita, Britannia cookies, McVitie's digestive biscuits. What about artificial sweeteners? The marketing campaigns may have won over you. But this is what they don't tell you. Artificial sweeteners provide intense sweetness. This makes you crave for more such highly sweetened fruits and drinks, thus causing weight gain. These sweeteners also are known to cause gastric problems. Sweeteners maltitol,sucralose and aspartame are used in products such as Britannia oats and ragi cookies and in Diet Soda. Better avoid these products. 

Fruit juices cause a rush of sugar in your body. When diabetic, your body cannot handle the load.Thus, fruits are best eaten whole. Canned fruits, over ripe fruits, fruit jams and jellies are also not a good option. Fruits such as chickoo,banana, custard apple can be eaten, but in small amounts. When it comes to veggies, one must avoid eating too much of roots i.e.carrots, beetroots, yam and potato. These roots contain carbs and sugars in more amounts as compared to other vegetables. 

Flavoured milkshakes,yoghurts and energy drinks are also high in sugar and must be avoided.

Fatty foods such as red meat, full-fat milk and needless to say fried foods - bid them good bye.

Phew! That's a big 'to avoid' list. You sure will have to bookmark this page, unless your memory is like the elephant.

A few cookery tips too will help you indulge and yet eat healthy. 

Cook smartly -

How many times have you heard someone telling you - 'Cut down on rice if you are a diabetic'. Actually, the problem is with plain rice. But if you add in kidney beans or soy granules and some veggies, the fibre in these newly added ingredients will make the dish a diabetic friendly one. Same applies to puffed rice or poha.These foods by itself are not recommended. But adding in some peanuts, sprouts and peas will make it healthier. 

When whole grain is converted to flour, it becomes much more accessible to the body. Hence, whole grain, as is, should be opted for. If you use flours, then see to it that it is not roasted. When you roast flours, the heat breaks down the carbs. These carbs can then easily enter your system. Hence, avoid recipes which require roasting of flours.Overcooking foods will also have a negative effect. Eg. mushy pasta will be easily broken down as compared to al-dente pasta. Hence, cook appropriately. 

Bottom line -  

Follow the above guidelines, aim for atleast 40 minutes of moderate physical activity and don’t forget to de-stress!!