Brief Answer: Low fat low carbohydrate diet with more fiber Detailed Answer: Hi XXXXXXX Thanks for posting the query. To control the blood sugar levels it is important to maintain a balanced food intake, in terms of composition and timings. To start with, make sure that she maintains her meal timings and does the light activities that the doctor has approved for her. The following considerations will be helpful: • Include more fruits and vegetables in the diet • Avoid the refined foods like Maida and its products. • Avoid the carbohydrate rich foods, like starchy fruits ( banana, sapota, grapes, custard XXXXXXX etc.), refined flour, plain sugar, refined fruit juices. • Take controlled portions of food. • Check your fat intake, Avoid: Butter, Cream sauce, Hydrogenated fat, Cocoa butter, Coconut fat, pure Ghee, processed cheese and cream and other commercially baked food items. Choose: Olive oil, Canola oil, Margarine that's free of trans fats and Vegetable Oils • Include Whole grains and pulses • Watch the sodium- Consider the following:  Read the labels to check the sodium content of the food item.  Stop adding table salt in the food.  Avoid salted salads, pickles and papads.  Packaged and preserved foods have the sodium based preservatives. The intake of these should be avoided as far as possible.  Avoid taking the ready to eat snacks. These are generally from bakery, and thus contain sodium. Here is a day’s sample diet plan to help you understand the composition and timing requirements. Early Morning: Green tea (sugar less) – 1 glass Breakfast: Non fried preparations like: Whole wheat bread without butter – 2 slices Vegetable poha/ Dalia/ Sevian/ upma - 1 cup Idli 2pc. With Sāmbhar – 1 cup Or Chapatie 2 no. with sabji - 1 katori Cornflakes with skimmed milk (less sugar) – 1 cup Stuffed chapatti (2 no.) with dry vegetable – 1 katori Mid-Morning: Fruits (avoid the carbohydrate rich fruits like mango, sapota, grapes, banana, custard XXXXXXX and watermelon also avoid fruit juices and fruit milk shakes) Lunch: 2 chapatti + sabji 1 katori - with salad and skimmed curd OR boiled brown rice 1 Cup + dal – 1 cup with salad 1 katori + 1 glass thin butter milk or 1 katori skimmed curd. Evening Snacks: Tea / Coffee (less or no sugar) + high fiber bis. OR Sprouts / roasted channa 1 katori Dinner: 2 chapatti + vegetable 1 katori + skimmed buttermilk 1 glass + salad 1 katori. Start the meals with salads and buttermilk, and stop eating when you are just full. Hope this helps you and please feel free to come back for further clarifications or discussions, over your mother's diet. Meenakshi

---