Diabetes has to avoid snacks in between meals or frequent meals at short intervals which tend to cause progressive increase in blood glucose. For the functions of the brain, heart, kidneys, liver and blood cells glucose is needed to provide energy. Liver stores fats and proteins which can be used when glucose is not available from ingested food. Liver produces 3gms of glucose per kg of body weight in a day. The glucose produced by the liver should keep in a check by small amounts of insulin secreted by the pancreas. Your dietitian takes these considerations and treatments into account for formulating your diet management during diabetes and meal timing.
General Guidelines on Diet
Diabetic should need to reduce extra weight and prevent the feeling of weakness. Make sure to take 50-60% of calories as complex carbohydrates, if you are on calorie restricted diet.
- Don’t skip meals, avoid snacks unless you are advised to, eat variety of food everyday. Don’t over eat.
- Avoid fried foods, milk cream or food cooked in coconut milk, consumption of less oil while cooking is recommended. Eat fruits and vegetables.
- Regular check on your weight – maintain this with in the estimated limit.
- Check your hemoglobin and proteins in blood sample once in a year or in 6 months interval and make correction in diet format.
- Avoid ready to eat foods, sweets and sugary drinks that provide no vitamins and essential minerals.
- Keep a good control in blood glucose. If blood lipids are high, need lipid-lowering drugs regularly. Doctors may advise lipid-lowering drugs from the beginning of your diabetes treatment.
- According to the insulin and insulin injection schedules match your mealtime as explained by doctor.
Diabetes Care
- Have food and medicines at correct time
- Don’t eat immediately after a workout
- Do not overeat
- Have same amount of food each day
- Have three proper meals and some snacks in between
- Don’t eat fast, munch your food well before you swallow
- Make sure that the gap between meals are short
- Drink lots of water that will help flush the toxins off your system
- Include fresh fruits, vegetables and sprouts in the diet
- Do exercises regularly at the same time
- Avoid smoking. It leads to heart diseases and poor circulation
- Check your blood sugar level regularly and maintain ideal body weight
- Take good sleep daily
- Stick up to the plan made for sugar control
- Check the other tests such as kidney, liver and heart functions etc.
Dos of Diabetic
- Have cholesterol-lowering oatmeal for breakfast
- Take fat free milk, yogurt and cheese
- Eat nuts rich in mono unsaturated fat
- Include egg whites
- Have pasta, stew and leafy salads along with beans and peas that can reduce cholesterol
- More intakes of beans and peas
- Increase fiber foods in the form of fruits, vegetables, whole cereals etc
- Have small quantity of raw onion daily
- White meat chicken, fish, and shellfish are good
- Have wheat bran or flaxseeds and methi seeds to your wheat flour that helps to increase fiber in your diet
- You can eat cinnamon, garlic, onion, bitter guard, guar beans to reduce your blood glucose level
Adverse Effects of Junk Foods
Usage of more oil, sugar and sodium salt in junk foods appealing hazardous to health. High calorie sugar leads to obesity. High cholesterol and salt causes high blood pressure, heart diseases and strokes. Excessive salts can affect functioning of kidneys too. Junk food producers are advised to give nutritional junk foods.