Balanced Diabetic Diet: a Healthy Eating Plan and Tips

Before we get to read the details and tips of a diabetic diet plan, have you ever wondered as to why it is important for diabetic patients to keep a tab over their diets in the first place? Well, the simple and straight answer to this is “to keep your diabetes under control”. But why will having a sumptuous and large mean not keep your diabetes under control? That is because your food has a direct impact on your sugar levels.

To explain further, the sugar/carbohydrate/proteins/vitamins and minerals/fat etc. are directly related to the insulin that your pancreas produces. The more the tab on your diet, the more you take care of the pancreatic secretion and the better the control on your body sugars. An unhealthy eating pattern or overeating and under eating will make you sick often with its everlasting side effects on your health.

Well, managing your diabetes is simply a 3-step action: proper medication and being regular with your medicines or insulin shots, the right food you eat and the exercise you indulge in. At the end of the day all the 3 important factors decide the biggest factor called your “health”. Out of control sugar levels can lead to many irreparable complications in your health — it can pave way to a malfunctioning kidney, heart blocks, paralysis, sight defects and so on. Why would you want to be the prey to such sufferings when there is help at hand?

In this article, we shall deal with the right foods, tips for a healthy diet and the various diets available that can fulfill all your dietary desires and more than that; keep you fit and fine. Read on…

Here are a plethora of foods that you can include in your diet generously…. We know what you are thinking! “At last, we have so much to eat”! So, here you go…

• Whole grains, cereals and pulses can find a large bowl in your lunch tray — pamper yourself with steamed chickpeas (channa), millets and other fibrous cereals. Now, we have something you can call a feast- if you feel like eating up pasta or noodles, the good news is-you can! Just add a dash of vegetables or sprouts as accompaniments to your pasta and noodles and this will not harm your sugar levels for sure! But do remember, do not overdo anything.
• Drink up ladies and gentlemen — milk has the right combination of carbs and proteins in it and helps control sugar levels when gulped down in moderation. 2 servings of milk with no sugar will do you good. So drink up ladies and gentlemen!
• Eat it raw or steamed and you will feel FILLED up — yes, add generous amounts of raw or steamed/baked peas, broccoli, spinach, peas or any other leafy veggies to your diet regimen. You can also add some pulses with its husk to the above mentioned veggies to cook a yummy side dish or even a main dish! You have so much to choose from, don’t you
• Fats-who said no to it? Include good fats in your diet. Go in for sources containing Omega 3 fatty acids and MUFA which is good for your health and will make your dishes delicious than what a normal cooking oil can do! And here’s the list of good oils — fish oil, canola oil, flax seed oil and nuts.
• Desserts time-yippee! When everyone out there is indulging in the dessert show, why should you feel so much out of the crowd? There are special desserts for you too-pamper your taste buds. Fill up your dessert bowl with cut pieces of papaya, apples, oranges, pears or guavas or a combination of all the fruits - all the goodness in one dessert bowl! Restrict yourself from mangoes, bananas and grapes to keep your sugars under control.

Having said all this, here is a small “tips chart” or DIY things you can do at home to keep increased sugars at bay:

• Soak 1 teaspoon of fenugreek seeds in water overnight (80-100 ml of water) and gulp down the mixture on an empty stomach every morning. This will control your sugar levels.
• Tomato juice with some salt and pepper every morning on an empty stomach again will do miracles about your sugar levels.
• You can also crunch on overnight soaked almonds (5-8) every day to stay fit.

Here’s a small diet chart that can come handy in planning your diet chart too:

Courtesy: http://health.india.com/fitness/diet-plan-for-diabetics-diabetes/