Diabetics: 15 Yummy Food Tips

Diabetics now dump fretting over food!! Here are 15 yummy food tips specially for diabetics!

Are you a diabetic and constantly asking "What can I eat?" You don't have to fret because having diabetes doesn't mean you've to deprive your taste buds of the pleasure. Just be conscious of what to include and what not. You can consume a normal diet just with a little bit modifications.

The problem with diabetes is that there is too much glucose in the bloodstream which occurs due to altered levels of insulin that assists this blood glucose to be absorbed and utilized by the cells in our body. Glucose is obtained largely from the carbohydrates we eat. Eating right is the key to healthy living for diabetic patients.

Here are few quick tips to plan your diabetic diet:

1. A diabetic diet should be rich in fiber which can come from whole grains, oats, channa atta, millets, and pulses with husks and sprouts.
2. Include toned milk and buttermilk. Go for two servings of milk every day
3. Fresh seasonal fruits like papaya, apple, orange, pear and guava are rich in fiber and can be included. Mangoes, bananas and grapes contain high sugar content therefore these should not be consumed.
4. Vegetables like peas, beans, broccoli and spinach are good option.
5. It is important you should eat in moderation i.e. controlled meal portions.
6. Your energy should come from 60% carbohydrates, 20% fats and 20% proteins.
7. Consume 1,500 to 1800 calories per day from healthy sources.
8. Avoid dry fruits.
9. Good fats like Omega 3 and MUFA obtained from natural sources like flax seed oil, canola oil, fishes and nuts can be consumed.
10. Limit concentrated sugars like ice creams, cakes, pastries and all other desserts.
11. Eat three meals and one or two healthy snacks in between. Never skip breakfast. Eat on-time.
12. If you are a non-vegetarian, opt for lean meat, poultry and fish.
13. Diabetics must include the following items in their daily diet:
    • Bitter gourd (karela)
    • Fenugreek (methi)
    • Indian blackberry (jamun)
    • Garlic
    • Onion
    • Flaxseed
    • Soybean, oatmeal and kidney beans
14. Totally avoid refined and processed foods and replace them with whole-grain items like white rice with brown rice, regular pasta with whole-wheat pasta, cornflakes with bran flakes and white potatoes with sweet potatoes.

     15. Take any of the following recipes empty stomach, preferably in early mornings, to control diabetes.

• One teaspoon of methi seeds soaked overnight in 100 ml water. Drink the water and eat the seeds.
• Tomato juice + salt + pepper
• 5-6 almonds soaked overnight in water

Some healthy snacks you can consume for 4pm hunger pangs

Choose from apple, whole wheat crackers, baby carrots, Walnuts or almonds (only handful), low-fat yoghurt, oatmeal, soybeans and buttermilk.