Have Had Hypertension. Diagnosed With Diabetes. Suggest A Diet Plan?

Hi XXXXXX,
Thanks for writing in.
In order to prepare a detailed diet chart, please help with the following details:
Can you give me your daily routine eating habit from morning till night, and mention if you’re a vegetarian or non-vegetarian.
What is the frequency of consuming the following foods in a week:
Non-vegetarian foods, Eggs, Sweets or chocolates, soft drinks, fruit juices, bakery foods, alcohol or smoking habits, and also about your physical activity that you’re doing on a regular basis.
Kindly reply with details, that will help to plan your diet chart.

Regards
Grace Abraham

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Hi XXXXXX,

Here are some recommendations which are to be followed by a diabetic patient.

The main Objectives of Diabetic diet are:
1. No fasting or No feasting;
2. To maintain adequate nutrition;
3. To achieve and maintain desirable body weight.
4. To maintain normal blood sugar levels.
5. To prevent, delay or minimize the onset of chronic degenerative complications.
6. To control the amount and time of food intake - take six small meals instead of three big meals which are equally time spaced.

Foods to be avoided: Glucose, sugars, honey, jaggery, all sweets, chocolates, ice creams and candies.

Foods to be restricted (not to be taken more than once in a week): Vegetables like potatoes, yam, arbi, sweet potatoes; Fruits like mango, bananas, sapota, seethaphal, jackfruit and avocado. Alcoholic beverages, carbonated beverages ,fried foods, dry fruits and nuts, salad dressings like mayonnaise, cream ,etc, cakes and pastries; tender coconut water; refined flours like Maida; papad; pickle; soda bicarbonate; MSG; sauces; Ketchup’s; non-vegetarian food like Red meats, organ meats (liver, kidney), shell fish like prawns, crabs, lobster and egg yolk.

Foods to be used freely: XXXXXXX leafy vegetables, tomatoes, cucumber, radish, carrot, homemade soups; tea / coffee without sugar and skimmed milk, buttermilk; whole wheat flour; ragi; corn flakes / wheat flakes; artificial sweeteners not more than 4 numbers/pellets per day, etc.

You may take only one fruit allowed in a day.

Try to follow the below advises when planning your diet:
- Restrict rice to one meal in a day; that includes idli, dosa, appam, etc.
- Have an early morning snack like tea without sugar along with two fiber biscuits or wheat rusk and a late night snack like a glass of skimmed milk without sugar or any fruit.
- Breakfast can be any south Indian foods. But try avoiding coconut or groundnut chutney; instead use onion, tomato, mint or coriander chutney.
- Lunch can be a combination of rice and roti, dhal, vegetables and salad with skimmed buttermilk.
- Have a light evening snack like aval upma, one idly with sambar, wheat bread vegetable sandwich- 2 slices or boiled legumes like channa, rajma with salt, etc.
- Try to have an early dinner preferably wheat dosa, chapathi without oil, broken wheat upma prepared with vegetables or ragi dosa and avoid rice or any rice preparation.
- Use more of fiber XXXXXXX foods in the diet, like raw vegetables, sprouts, Whole legumes like channa, rajma, etc
- Take six small meals instead of three big meals which are equally time spaced.
- Include XXXXXXX leafy vegetables at least twice in a week.
- Avoid red meat, preferably use skin out chicken or fish in a curry form without coconut in the preparation
- Daily physical activity of 30 - 45 minutes in a day is recommended throughout the week.

Hope this helps. Let me know if you have any other query.

Regards,
Grace Abraham

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Hi XXXXXX,

Here are the answer for your query:
1. Paneer: which is made from full fat milk is not recommeded on a daily basis, you can altermnate with tofu, which is a low fat paneer made from soy milk.
- Rava: can be taken for breakfast, usually to be prepared with vegetables. not to be consumed during dinner .
- Pongal : can be taken for breakfast, but not for dinner, as it is a simple carbohydrate.
- Idli: is a ideal food for breakfast, is a combination of rice & pulse, and also it is steamed.but not to be taken for dinner.
2. Try to choose foods which are high in fiber, low calorie, since fiber delays digestion and will not bring your sugar levels down. Eat small meals in a gap of 2 hours, which will help you not to over eat, and also will maintain blood sugar levels.
3.Restrict processed foods, pickles, papads, instant foods, instant noodles, sauces , foods which are preserved, pickled since all of these will have chemicals which contain sodium in them. If possible, use low sodium salt.

Regards
Grace Abraham

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