Diabetic diet 

Number of diabetics are on a rise in India. India is called the world capital of diabetes. Dietary modification is an essential component of any diabetes management program.

General view about diabetes is that you have to be deprived of lot of your favourite foods and instead you will need to follow some special, complicated dietary regimen. What to eat and what not to eat is the most common question asked by my patients.

Its time to stop worrying! Here are the answers.

What is a diabetic diet?

Diabetic diet ( also known as medical nutrition therapy) is actually a healthy balanced diet that everybody should follow. It doesn’t mean living in deprivation, giving up your favourite foods particularly sweets completely or resigning yourself to tasteless food. It just means a balanced diet, not necessarily bland.

It is very important to follow this diet at all the stages of diabetes management, including pre diabetic stage to prevent the onset of diabetes or even reverse it. For this, you don’t have to shed all those extra kilos, just a loss of 5-10% of your initial body weight will do the job.

Basic principles of a diabetic diet

• Diabetic diet plan should be such that it is high in nutrients, with low fat and carbohydrates.

• Moderate restriction in calories have to be there if you are overweight or obese.

• Carbohydrates-
  • Avoid sugars (beverages like soda, energy and sports drinks, coffee drinks and processed foods like doughnuts, muffins, candy bars)\ and starches (rice, potato, refined wheat flour) as they break down into glucose with digestion. Also these are more likely to cause abdominal obesity (that is increased waistline that is more prone for heart disease).
  • Eat healthy carbohydrates like vegetables, fruits, legumes, whole-grains and low fat dairy products.
  • Amount should be such as to provide 50-60% of total calories

• Fat-
  • Select foods containing ‘good’ fats like monounsaturated fats and linoleic acid.
  • Restrict total amount to provide 25-35% of total calories (Approximately half kilogram per person per month or 3 tsp per person per day).
  • Saturated fat (eg- ghee, butter,palm oil, coconut oil) should be <7%.
  • Polyunsaturated fat(eg sunflower oil, safflower oil and cottonseed oil) should be <10%.
  • Monounsaturated fat (eg olive oil, mustard oil, groundnut oil, til (gingelly) oil and rice bran oil) should be <20%.
  • Prefer oils containing alpha linoleic acid (good for heart) – like mustard oil, soybean oil and rice bran oil.
  • All these oils can be used on a rotation basis each month.
  • Cholesterol <200mg/day
  • Avoid bakery products like biscuits, cakes, sweets and fried snacks like chips, french fries, burger, samosas, pakoras, pizza.

• Protein
  • Amount of protein should be such that it provides 15-20% of total calories (approximately 1gm/kg body weight).
  • Two types of proteins are available
    • Class 1 or complete- eg meat, milk, fish, poultry, eggs, cheese and soy. They should provide 50% of daily protein intake.
    • Class 2 or incomplete- These generally lack one or the other essential amino acids. Examples- legumes, pulses and cereals. These can be used in different combinations to cover up for the deficient amino acid.

• Micronutients- A balanced diet with adequate amount of fruits and vegetables should supply all the required micronutrients. Diabetics do not usually need extra supplementation.

– Eat fibre rich food (all parts of plant foods that body cant digest and absorb) like vegetables, fruits, beans, peas, whole wheat floor, wheat bran.

• Don’t starve yourself. Eat something every 3-4 hours.
• Eating sugar-
  • If at times you feel like eating sugar, take small quantity and avoid another carbohydrate for that day eg rice, potato that you would normally have taken.
  • You can also adjust the dose of insulin accordingly.
  • Dont forget to check your blood sugar after eating sweets.
• Alcohol should be restricted in amount
• Stop smoking

How do I start?

 Dont panic. You dont have to do all those calculations to eat. Simple method to decide as per American diabetes association is plate method.

• Take a plate and divide it into two halves.
• One half should be filled with non-starchy vegetables like spinach, carrots, cabbage, green beans, broccoli, cauliflower, tomatoes onion, cucumber, beets, okra, mushroom, pepper, turnip.
• Divide the other half again in two equal parts.
• One small half (1/4th plate) should be filled by grains and starchy foods like whole grain breads, high fiber cereal, rice, pasta, dal, cooked beans and peas, potatoes, green peas, sweet potatoes etc.
• Fill the remaining plate with your protein that includes tofu, low fat cheese, non vegetarian food like chicken or turkey without skin, fish like tuna, salmon, catfish, lean cuts of beef and pork,eggs.
• You can add a low calorie drink like water, chhach, unsweeten
  ed tea/coffee with it.

Just remember, its never late, you can start following it from now onwards. Your health is in your control. So eat healthy, stay healthy.

ALL THE BEST!