Make Your Healthy Food Choices and Eating Plan

Everyone loves to eat. But as far as a person with diabetes goes, they have to take care of many things before eating anything. Maintaining a proper diet is one of them. Here we will help in keeping your diet with an Indian Diabetes Diet chart for diabetic patient. Below mentioned foods should be there in the menu of a person with Type 2 diabetes:

• Vegetables

  • Leafy vegetables like spinach, coriander, kale, lettuce, chard
  • Broccoli
  • Squash (Bottle Gourd)
  • Beans
  • Bitter Gourd

• Fruits

  • Strawberries
  • Oranges
  • Berries
  • Avocado

Foods high in Trans-fat, saturated fats, and high in salts are most dangerous spike the Blood glucose. Below are the foods to avoid while planning a diabetes meal plan:

• Food to avoid when you have diabetes are:

  • Fatty foods – Cheese, curd, cream, ice cream
  • Trans fats- Ghee, butter, Vanaspati, margarine, mayonnaise, peanut butter.
  • High Carbs – Maida (refined wheat flour), white rava.
  • All fried items – High in fat and calories.
  • Alcoholic beverages.
  • Proprietary drinks, sweetened drinks, and foods.
  • Pickles, strong spices.
  • Fast foods, Preserved foods, and Canned foods.
  • Red meat (mutton, pork, beef), Dried Fish, organ meats (liver, kidney, etc.), egg yolk, etc.

Include the food items mentioned in Indian diet chart for diabetic patients. This diet chart will help you maintain healthy Blood sugar levels and keep Diabetes Type 2 in check.

Also Read 5 Ways to Avoid Diabetes Complications

Importance of Food

Our food provides everything such as nutrients, strong defense mechanism, and high energy levels. Food is what keeps you going and catering the right amount of energy to do different tasks. It is the 3rd essential thing after water and air that helps you survive. In most, food has proteins, sugars, fats, as well as other nutrients. Healthy eating and disciplined exercises are important parts when you have diabetes.

Read 7 Low Glycemic foods for the DIABETIC!

Now, how does food actually help us?

Aids with Vitality:

Food is an essential need for a body that caters for vitality. Food acts as the fuel that produces energy for your mitochondria in our cells. The glucose present in your food pairs with oxygen as you relax. Further, it prompts oxidation phosphorylation that creates vitality in the form of ATP. This system leads to the shaping of water and carbon dioxide item.

Better Body Structure and Shape:

Weigh trainers looking for better shape should eat protein diet. Protein-packed food items such as milk, meat, egg, etc. are good for health. They give you enough nutrition for muscle recovery.

Stress Reduction:

Food items such as carrots, milk, yoghurt, nuts, green tea, etc., help bring down your body’s stress level. So, food items are essential for balancing the crucial requirements of the body.

Digestion Mechanism:

Your body breaks down all you eat and absorbs the nutrients present in the food. These essential nutrients include:

• Proteins
• Carbohydrates
• Vitamins
• Fats

Also Read Fruit and Diabetes: Limits, guidelines, risks, and tips

Other nutrients

The carbohydrates consumed by you turn into absorbable blood sugar. The more you consume carbohydrates, the higher are your levels of blood sugar. We should consume liquid carbohydrates rather than the solid ones.

This is why drinking soda leads to a faster rise in blood sugar level than chomping down a pizza slice. So, you should eat solid food items if you are experiencing Type 2 diabetes symptoms.

How Food Affects Blood Sugar Levels?

Usually you blood sugar levels will be high after breakfast and lunch. Now you have to know what are the normal sugar level range. Here is the vital information for that:

Before eating Blood sugar levels should be below 100mg/dl. Average blood sugar levels before eating are 70mg/dl to 80mg/dl.

Blood sugar level 2 hours post-meal: below 140 mg/dl. Anything above 140 mg/dl indicates pre diabetic conditions. It means, you have to work on your diet.

The random blood sugar level in an average adult is somewhere between 79-160mg/dL any time of the day. From 160-200mg/dl is pre diabetic condition. Anything above 200mg/dl indicates diabetic conditions.

That doesn’t mean that low sugar levels are acceptable. Anything below 70mg/dl indicates low blood sugar levels. I can lead to sudden blackouts, energy depletion, flushing out, etc.

That is why one should try to maintain the normal blood sugar levels.

Further Reading: At What Blood Sugar Level Should One Start Medication?

Best Food for Diabetes Control in India -Diabetes Diet

The goal is to adhere to the natural levels of blood sugar as you eat with food items. A person with diabetes should consume raw vegetables and fruits. These fruits and vegetables are complete. You must opt for proper food for diabetes. Some of the most desirable food items as listed below:

Make your Healthy Food choices and Eating plan

Best Vegetables for Diabetic Patients – Diabetes Diet

All Vegetables have various and many health benefits. A person with diabetes should include high-fibre vegetables such as Carrots, and Cauliflower. One should include snake gourd, plantain, sweet potato, spinach, green beans, corn. One can include Broccoli, Fenugreek, and mustard greens as well in the food.

Leafy Greens:

Leafy green vegetables have less calories. Thus, one should include them in the diet for healthy living. Additionally, leafy greens are also low in digestible carbohydrates. They can raise blood sugar levels. You can add items such as Kale, Spinach, lettuce, chard, etc., to your diabetic diet to manage your diabetes naturally.

Broccoli:

Broccoli is the suitable vegetable for someone suffering from lower levels of insulin. Additionally, it protects your cells from the harmful variants of free radicals. We should include broccoli in a diabetic meal plan.

Squash:(Bottle Gourd)

Squash is among the healthiest veggies you can add to your diabetic diet. This vegetable houses beneficial antioxidants, zeaxanthin, and lutein. Squash protects you from macular degeneration and cataracts. This vegetable is helpful for people with type 1 diabetes and types 2 diabetes patients.

Beans:

Beans are the best source of protein and nutrients. Beans help regulate your blood glucose levels. Plant-based protein in a healthy food item satisfies your appetite. Beans do bring down the carbohydrate you eat..

Bitter Gourd:

Bitter gourd houses a range of minerals, vitamins, as well as antioxidants. It lowers blood sugar levels and hence aids in diabetes treatment.

Also Read Fruits and Vegetables for Diabetes

The Best Fruits for Diabetics to Eat – Diabetes Diet

Fruits have the best nutrients. Low-gi fruits help in controlling blood sugar levels. Thus, one should consume Guava, Apple, Plantain, Orange, Banana, Mango. Pomegranate, Berries, Papaya, Melon, and Pineapple also have low GI.

Strawberries:

Strawberries have the highest level of anthocyanins. This compound handles the classic red color. Anthocyanins can reduce cholesterol levels. Anthocyanins help in proper management of insulin levels as well. Further, strawberries improve blood sugar levels with decreased risk of heart issues.

Oranges:

Research shows that citrus fruits in your eating plan introduces an anti-diabetic effect. Eating citrus fruits such as oranges get you the essential minerals and vitamins. The bioflavonoid antioxidants termed naringin and hesperidin help cater to an anti-diabetic effect.

Further, citrus fruits serve as the best source of folate, Vitamin C, and potassium.

Berries:

Berries have antioxidants that aid in the prevention of oxidative stress. Now, oxidative stress causes health issues such as heart diseases as well as cancer.

This oxidative stress can lead to aggravated conditions for people with diabetes. Berries like blackberries, blueberries, raspberries, etc., can be great for people with diabetes.

Avocado:

This particular fatty fruit helps you maintain a constant healthy blood sugar level. Best of all, avocados cater to a good amount of healthy blood glucose levels. The dietary fibre with healthy fat helps slow down carbohydrate absorption and digestion. These dietary fibers maintain blood sugar levels.

[Bonus Video: Best Foods with Low Carbs for Diabetes]

Food to Avoid if Diabetic:

As we are aware of the “what food to eat during diabetes”. At the same time, it’s crucial to understand that the wrong foods we take. Our food can affect Insulin levels and raise our blood sugar levels.

Foods high in Trans-fat, saturated fats, high in salts are most dangerous for diabetes. Below are the foods to avoid while planning a diabetes meal plan:

• Fatty foods – Cheese, curd, cream, ice cream
• Trans fats- Ghee, butter, vanaspathi, margarine, mayonnaise, peanut butter.
• High Carbs – Maida (refined wheat flour), white rava.
• All fried items – High in fat and calories.
• Alcoholic beverages.
• Proprietary drinks, sweetened drinks, and foods.
• Pickles, strong spices.
• Fast foods, Preserved foods, and Canned foods.
• Red meat (mutton, pork, beef), Dried Fish, organ meats (liver, kidney, etc), egg yolk, etc

Conclusion

Unaided diabetes increases the risk of suffering from several issues. Un controlled diabetes can sometimes be fatal. But, well balanced food can reduce the extreme risks of diabetes. So, binge on the healthiest and tastiest meals and snacks and keep your diabetes diet in check in check.

Further Reading: How Can Natural Treatment Help to Manage Diabetes?