Brief Answer:
Increase fiber and reduce sugar and refined food
Detailed Answer:
Hi XXXXXXX
Thanks for posting the query.
To maintain the blood sugar levels you need to work on the dietary changes and do regular exercises. Also, you are required to remember that with
diabetes, it is very important that you maintain a healthy body weight to avoid any kind of complications in future.
Avoid simple sugars like
glucose, honey, candies, sugar, chocolates, ice creams, fried food and refined food like white bread. Excessive intake of dry fruits and nuts like almond, apricot, resins and cashew and Fatty dairy products like cheese, cream. Mayonnaise and butter are best avoided. Fatty and oily food should be eliminated completely. However you are required to maintain a fat intake of 3-4 tsp. per day.
Also, limiting the intake of Fruits rich in carbohydrates like mango, sapota, grapes, banana, custard XXXXXXX and avocado and vegetables like potato, colocasia, yam, pumpkin and tapioca should be restricted in the diet. Eat the allowed fruits along with the skin, as the skin is rich in fiber.
Fiber is important: Ensure that there is sufficient intake of raw vegetables and salads in the diet. Raw vegetables, salads and fruits add the much needed fiber to the diet. It delays the absorption of sugar and helps in maintaining the blood sugar levels. Promotes regular bowl movements and support weight maintenance by regulating the calorie intake. Also include the cooked beans and peas and whole grain products in the diet.
Avoid Bakery products like white bread and buns, cakes and cookies as these are mostly made with refined flour and contain Trans or Saturated fat and sugar.
Include the plant fat in the diet. Vegetable oils like soybean, mustard, canola, safflower, rice XXXXXXX olive and
corn oil are good sources of
unsaturated fat. The intake of these should be limited to 5-6 tsp. per day.
Take more Proteins: Add legumes and pulses in the diet to ensure sufficient protein supply. Low fat milk and its products are also good sources.
Know the
Glycemic Index (GI) of your food to manage the glucose levels. GI is a measure that indicates how fast the food would get converted to glucose after digestion. Higher GI value indicates a higher conversion ratio of the diet to glucose. Therefore it is advisable to avoid the foods with high GI values.
High GI foods: potato, banana, grapes, custard XXXXXXX sugar and foods that contain sugar, refined cereals and its products like white bread and corn bread, white rice, corn and its products. Also the drinks like boot, XXXXXXX etc. has high GI values as they contain added sugar.
Low GI foods: Low fat dairy, vegetables and fruits (except those mentioned in the high GI list), whole grains and cereals, salads, oats, barley, pulses and non-sugary peanut butter.
Chicken, fish and egg white are safe non veg options. Avoid the red meats and organs completely as these are rich in
cholesterol and other fats. Take non veg for lunch preferably and ensure that the preparations demand less oil.
Fluid intake: Intake of fluids should be maintained to approximately 3-4 L per day to avoid
dehydration, as this helps in better regulation of blood glucose levels.
Carbonated and alcoholic beverages should be avoided as they contain high percentages of sugar and its derivatives.
Further, to have a long lasting control on blood sugar levels. make sure that you keep yourself engaged in regular physical activities. You may start with a light walk and other activities like climbing stairs and skipping.
Hope this helps.
Meenakshi