Foods you must avoid!Salt
i. Salt
Salt is the greatest culprit for diabetics. You get enough salt from vegetables in inorganic form, so reduce the intake of inorganic salt.
ii. Sugar
Sucrose, a table sugar, provides nothing but calories and carbohydrates.
Also, you need calcium to digest sucrose. Insufficient sucrose intake might lead to calcium being leached off the bones.
Substitute sucrose with natural sugar, like honey, jaggery (gur), etc.
iii. Fat
Excessive fat intake is definitely not a good habit.
Try and exclude fried items from your diet totally.
But, remember, you must have a small quantity of oil to absorb fat-soluble vitamins, especially vitamin E.Red meat
iv. For non-vegetarians
Try and stop the intake of red meat completely.
Try to go in for a vegetarian diet. If you cannot, decrease the consumption of eggs and poultry.
You can, however, eat lean fish two to three times a week.
v. Whole milk and productsMilk
Try to switch to low fat milk and its products like yogurt (curd).
Replace high fat cheese with low fat cottage cheese.
vi. Tea and coffee
Do not have than two cups of the conventional tea or decaffeinated coffee every day.
Try to switch to herbal teas.
vii. White flour and its products
Replace these with whole grains, wholewheat or soya breads and unpolished rice.
viii. Foods with a high glycemic index
Avoid white rice, potatoes, carrots, breads and banana -- they increase the blood-sugar levels.
Special food for diabetics
i. Bitter gourd (karela)
This vegetable contains a high dosage of 'plant insulin'. It lowers the blood-sugar levels effectively.
Have the juice of three to four karelas early morning on an empty stomach.
As a vegetable, too, it can be taken on a regular basis.
Powder the seeds of karela (measuring 1 teaspoon), mix with water and drink it.
ii. Fenugreek (methi)
It is the most common food used to control diabetes.
Gulp a teaspoonful of these seeds with a glass of water daily.
Soak the seeds overnight. Have the water in which the seeds were soaked.
You can make a chutney with methi seeds. You can also eat them sprouted, dried and powdered, or mix them in wheat flour to make chapattis.
iii. Indian blackberry (jamun)
This fruit is very effective in preventing and controlling diabetes.
Powder the stone of the fruit and eat it -- it contains glucoside, which prevents the conversion of starch into sugars.
iv. Garlic
This is used to lower blood-sugar levels.
Garlic is rich in potassium and replaces the potassium which gets lost in urine.
It also contains zinc and sulphur, which are components of insulin.
Take about three to four flakes of freshly crushed garlic daily.
v. Onion Onion
Because of its diuretic and digestive properties, onion works against diabetes.
Raw onion is more useful.
vi. Flaxseed
This is the richest source of Omega 3 fatty acids.
It helps control diabetes because it maintains the sensitivity of the cell membrane, facilitates insulin, and thereby the uptake of glucose by the cells.
Applesvii. Fibre
Soluble fibre, found in apples, kidney beans, oatmeal, soyabean, etc, help control diabetes.
These aid slow digestion and absorption of nutrients, resulting in a slow and steady release of glucose.
They soak up excess bile acids found in the intestinal tract, the same acids that are converted to blood cholesterol.
They also help empty the stomach and trigger satiety that can help Type 2 diabetics to achieve weight loss goals.
viii. Cinnamon solution
Water extracts of cinnamon have been found to promote glucose metabolism and reduce cholesterol.
You can boil cinnamon sticks in water and drink this water.
ix. Antioxidants
Diabetes is often associated with conditions like heart disease, diabetic retinopathy, immune deficiency and kidney disease.
Many are caused by free radical damage. Therefore, make sure you include antioxidants, especially vitamin C (lemons), E, selenium, zinc and chromium (Brewer's yeast), in your diet, as they have been shown to control blood sugar levels.
RECIPES FOR DIABETIC
A vegetarian diet is an inherent part of any diabetic recipe. South Indian dishes like idlis and dosa, which have very little fat content, are good for them. Idlis contain a mixture of rice and Bengal gram dal, which is soaked, ground and then allowed to ferment. As idlis are steam cooked, the question of fats do not arise. Idlis or dosas can be taken for breakfast. A little known but very good for diabetics is porridge made from ragi (nachni). The ragi is ground into flour and this flour is mixed with water and cooked for a while. A semi solid paste when mixed with buttermilk or curd is not only filling but also good to control the blood sugar levels.
In India, Khichidis, which are a mixture of rice and toor dal, are filling and acceptable for diabetics. Broken wheat cooked just like rice is another alternative. It can be eaten in the same way as rice is. However, there is nothing like the ubiquitous Indian roti, which is filling and can be prepared in many ways. Wheat flour made into a dough and rolled into rotis which can be prepared on a tava or tandoori rotis which can be made on a tandoor, bhakris and naan are nutritive and at the same time fat free. The good thing about them is that they raise the blood sugar levels very slowly. Dal is a good protein supplement and vegetables like bitter gourd, tomatoes, lettuce and other leafy greens, carrots, onions, garlic, cabbage can be prepared as dry side dishes. Sprouts are filling and are full of nutrition and should be a part of the meal. They can be cooked with salt and masala and eaten directly or mixed with the juice of lime and a pinch of salt. Both the varieties are tasty and healthy alternatives. Methi (fenugreek seeds) turmeric powder, tender mango leaves can be used liberally in diabetic recipes.
Grapefruit, jambul, apple, orange and mosambi can be made into juice. Diabetics should either eat a fruit or drink juice. While making apple juice, add milk instead of water.. Diabetic recipes include vegetable soups and salads. Vegetables like cabbage, tomato, celery, spinach, can either be cooked together or separately. To the broth of the soup add a pinch of salt and a dash of lime. It tastes wonderful. For salads, finely sliced cabbage, cucumber, capsicum, can be mixed with a pinch of salt. To this mixture add thick curd and sauté the mixture with mustard seeds. A sprig of parsley or dhania adds to the flavor.
With a little perseverance, a little patience and with the right attitude diabetics can actually enjoy the food they eat. It is not easy but at the same time it is not very difficult. Exercise, nutrition, and the correct amount of calories can a go a long way to help regulate blood sugar levels. The advantage of a vegetarian recipe for a diabetic is that diabetics can feel that they control the disease and the disease does not control them.
