Leading a regular life while battling diabetes might appear challenging, but it can also be a great motivator to shun unhealthy habits and become fitness conscious. Before making any dietary changes, always seek medical advice. Further, if you are planning on making some lifestyle changes, always remember to take baby steps rather than going for radical shifts.
Rohit Shelatkar, VP at Vitabiotics and Fitness and Nutrition expert talks about the effects of diabetes and what dietary changes one should make if they’re diabetic with high sugar. Here’s what he had to say,
In the case of diabetes, your body fails to produce sufficient insulin or use the available insulin, thereby leading to glucose accumulation in the blood. High levels of it can cause various lifestyle diseases such as obesity and hypertension. The Glycemic Index (GI) is a measure of the effects of food items on blood sugar levels. People looking to control their levels should pick foods with low or medium GI scores.
Here are some dietary change options one could try:
Oatmeal
It is good for both your heart and blood sugar levels. The steel-cut and rolled oat variants have a lower GI, like apples. Be cautious of purchasing highly processed or packaged oats that are sold as instant and quick snacks. These contain a higher GI and are not fit for those with diabetes.
Legumes
These include beans, peas, chickpeas, and lentils. Legumes are known to have very low GI scores. They are packed with nutrients like fibre, complex carbohydrates and protein that helps maintain healthy blood sugar levels. Legumes help in reducing the risk of coronary heart disease in people with Type 2 diabetes. However, always avoid canned legume products that contain added sugars and simple starches, such as those in syrups, sauces, or marinades.
Go For Fibrous Meals
Some items that are rich in fibre are carrots, apples, oranges, bananas, pears, avocados, broccoli, and artichokes. Since most of these are abundantly available in the market, you can easily make them a part of your diet plan. To boost insulin production and digestive metabolism, you must incorporate carrots, apples, peas and kidney beans in your diet as well.
Never Miss A Meal
Especially for diabetic patients, it exposes them to the risk of reduced blood sugar levels. If you leave out or delay a meal after taking medicines or insulin, then you are prone to hypoglycemia. Thus, it is crucial to be watchful of your meal timings.
Practice Portion Control
It will help in managing both body weight as well as sugar better. You must have three small or moderate primary meals as well as two in-between snacks. Some healthy snack options include fruits, salads, sprouts, nuts, poached or boiled egg whites, buttermilk, and soup.
You can even adopt the plate method to keep a check on your portion size. Under this technique, all good groups are present in apt quantities, and there’s no excess of anything. After all, a balanced diet is imperative for overall well-being.
If you want to make the most of your dietary changes, then don’t forget to pair it with regular workouts. Exercise helps in controlling diabetes and maintain healthy body weight. Further, in your endeavour to reduce unwanted sugar, fat accumulation can become a hindrance. This, be consistent with your physical activities.
Diabetics must also keep themselves hydrated. Drinking water helps pump up your blood volume, and therefore lowers the concentration of glucose in the bloodstream, helping lower blood glucose values. Regularly drinking water helps lower your blood sugar levels and keep them within a more normal range.
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