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Submitted by Ujjwala on 1 June 2014

Diabetes management is not a one time fix. It requires sustainable lifestyle changes. Registered Dietitian and Diabetes Educator explains the dos and don’ts for eating well and keeping your blood sugar under control.

Whether you have been recently diagnosed with diabetes or are a longstanding diabetes patient, your heart skips a beat while you’re waiting to see your blood glucose reading. You are keen to do all that it takes to bring down the blood sugar quickly – whether it is by omitting meals or exercising vigorously.

But there are no quick fixes for diabetes. You have to commit to a diabetes-friendly lifestyle for the long haul. But neither does a diagnosis of diabetes have to mean the end of good times and good food. You can eat well and lead a full life while managing diabetes. Managing your diabetes is critical in protecting you from diabetes-related complications.

Here are some dos and don’ts for eating well and keeping your blood sugar under control.

DOs

Eat every 3 to 4 hours

Have 6 smaller meals a day, eating every 3 to 4 hours. This keeps your blood sugar at a desirable level all through the day and you do not overeat at the main meals. For example, if you have a fruit as brunch, you will eat a smaller lunch as compared to a day when you did not eat the fruit at brunch. A moderately portioned snack of 15 to 30g of carbohydrates along with fibre and protein can provide a satisfying mid-day pick-me-up and prevent you from bingeing at lunch or dinner. e.g. 1 cup of apple and chickpeas salad is just right to supply the right amount of complex carbs and adequate proteins to fill one up graciously.

Have breakfast everyday
Many diabetics tend to skip breakfast on finding their fasting blood glucose reading high on the glucometer. They think this will help them control their post-meal glucose. But, in fact, skipping breakfast will worsen their blood sugar pattern. Skipping breakfast may often lead to hypoglycaemia. This in turn may make one excessively hungry in the lunch, causing them to overeat and crave sugary foods, thereby hyperglycaemia persists. Eating a high-fibre breakfast, like a whole wheat flour savoury crepe with unsweetened salsa or guacamole, can prevent this blood sugar roller coaster.

Consume foods from all five food groups
You need to watch your intake of carbohydrates, but that does not mean that you eliminate any of the five essential food groups from your diet. The five food groups are grains; fruit; vegetables; beans, legumes or lean meat, fish, poultry, eggs; and dairy products. Your customised diabetic meal plan should include high-fibre, low Glycaemic Index (GI) whole grains, pulses, dairy, fruits and vegetables, beans, fish or poultry. This will ensure that you are well-nourished and not suffering from any deficiencies.

Drink enough water

It has been proven that drinking adequate water helps control one’s blood sugar. In a 9-year study at the University of Paris involving 3,615 French men and women with normal blood sugar levels, it was shown that those who drank more than 34 ounces (i.e. more than a litre) of water a day were 21 per cent less likely to develop hyperglycaemia (high blood sugars) over the next nine years than those who said they drank 16 ounces (half a litre) or less daily.

Always carry a healthy snack or fruit to prevent hypoglycaemia (low blood sugar)
You may be stuck at a meeting or in a traffic jam when you have no quick access to food. If you feel that your blood sugar level may drop, eat the healthy snack that you have with you. This will help you maintain your blood sugar level. Fruits have fibre that helps to release the simple fruit sugar (fructose) gradually into the system and provide better satiety until the next meal.

Keep a sugar sachet or candies handy in case of hypoglycaemia
Sometimes stress, irregular and inadequate meals or increased physical exertion can cause blood sugar to drop to less than normal. This can cause blackouts and other more serious conditions. If you feel that you are feeling any hypoglycaemic symptoms like intense hunger, blackout, sweating, irritability, take sugar candies or glucose water as emergency self-treatment. This is because they contain simple glucose molecules, which do not need any digestion and are directly absorbed into the blood stream, spiking high the dropping blood sugars, immediately.  However, in cases of frequent hypoglycaemic episodes, do report to your doctor to check the underlying cause.

Include pre- and post-workout meals in your diet plan
Have a meal before you exercise to prevent your blood sugar from dropping excessively (hypoglycaemia). For instance, have an egg omelette with vegetables and a fruit. This will provide sufficient proteins and carbohydrates to perform your workout efficiently without having hypoglycaemia. If you are in a rush, have a glass of milk at least.

Enjoy meals at restaurants
Having diabetes does not mean an end to social gatherings and meals. Know your portion sizes and the hidden fats and sugars in foods. Equipped with this information, you can make good choices from the menu and enjoy it guilt-free.

Recommended Reading: Can someone with diabetes eat fruit and how much?

DON’Ts

Do not binge on alcohol
While moderate amounts of alcohol can cause blood sugar to rise, excess alcohol can actually decrease your blood sugar level, sometimes causing it to drop to dangerous levels. Limit alcohol consumption to an occasional drink or when your blood sugar is under control.

Avoid refined and starchy foods
Refined foods like cakes, biscuits, pastries, starchy foods like potatoes, white rice and sugary drinks are all simple sugars and lack fibre. These cause blood sugar to spike and make you crave more food soon after you have eaten them. Such foods lead to erratic blood sugar and its accompanying ill effects on health.

Do not exercise on an empty stomach
Consume a light snack before you exercise. This will energise you to perform your exercise better and prevent hypoglycaemia (low blood sugar).

Do not eat processed foods
Processed foods are convenient, but they are very high on sugar, salt, fats; all of which can lead to deranged blood cholesterol profile and blood pressure and cause diabetes-associated heart problems. The American Diabetes Association recommends keeping your daily intake of sodium to 1,500 mg – 2,300 mg. i.e.  1/2 – 1 teaspoon of salt per day. A can of soup can have roughly that much — and that’s just one meal!  Instead, cook your own meals as much as possible and use an unlimited amount of sodium-free flavouring such as herbs, spices, lemon and vinegar.

Don’t rely on sugar-free foods
If you are tempted to reach for a food labelled ‘sugar-free’, please check the ingredients list at the back of the box. That product will surely contain some sugar derivatives like sugar alcohol. Look for words ending in ‘ol’ like sorbitol, mannitol, xylitol, lactitol or hydrogenated starch hydrolysates and isomalt. Others may contain sugar alternatives like jaggery, honey, dates which also contain calories and carbohydrates.

Because sugar alcohols are hard for the body to digest, the effect on blood sugar levels is less than standard sugar. When counting carbohydrates for products made with sugar alcohols, subtract half of the grams of sugar alcohol listed on the food label from the total grams of carbohydrate. Remember that because sugar alcohols are harder for your body to digest, eating too many sugar alcohols may cause digestive complaints like gas, cramping and diarrhea.  Hence, balance your diet accordingly.

Consume sweeteners within their safe limits. Various sweeteners have their respective safe limits of consumption. However, any kind of sweetener is strictly unadvisable during pregnancy and lactation.

Recommended Reading: The Sweet Truth: All you want to know about Sweeteners

Having said all that, it is human to crave for sweet indulgences, isn’t it? If you need a bite of something sweet, make or look for desserts with stevia (plant extract) as a sweetener. Also, occasionally you can have one of the following: 10 -12 raisins, couple of dates, a slice of mango or a few grapes, a fruit popsicle, dishes prepared with naturally sweet vegetables like sweet potatoes, beetroot, carrots or a small cube of dark chocolate. These can help satisfy your sweet tooth without a guilt trip.

By Ujjwala Baxi, Registered Dietitian and Certified Diabetes Educator.

 

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