One should gear up for a completely different lifestyle, being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. This involves a more active daily routine, frequent medical appointments, medications, and most importantly, healthier food habits. serious repercussions such as heart problems, kidney disease, weak eyesight and several other complications, can take place if you don’t take charge of your diet on time.
Also Read: 5 Healthy Diet Tips For Diabetics
Here are some of the dietary guidelines for diabetic patients:
-Before digging in we need to know what type 2 diabetes is?
Simply put, type 2 diabetes is a chronic medical condition which causes frequent hikes in the blood sugar levels. Insulin is a hormone that assists in moving glucose/sugar from the bloodstream to the cells and a diabetic body fails to perform this.
–Generally, there is no hard and fast rule for not consuming any particular food, except obviously the food items that contain high sugar. Below are some some rules to abide by if you are a diabetic patient:
- Eat at regular intervals.
- Control your food portions.
- Eat a balanced, nutritious diet, rich in fiber and healthy carbohydrates.
- Rely more on veggies
It is advisable for diabetics to make lifelong friends as they will help in controlling rising sugar levels. You can choose healthy food items such as cauliflower, eggplant, yellow and red peppers, spinach, broccoli, green beans, lettuce, and celery.
-You can be creative and either have these veggies cooked with chapatis or in your salads.
- You should also avoid too much salt or any frozen or packed food items that may contain high sodium content.
- Consume low glycemic index food.
-Now you must be wondering , what is the Glycemic Index?
The index which tells how fast the body soaks in the glucose/sugar from a certain food item is generally termed as GI index or Glycemic index. Diabetics should prefer low GI foods because the higher the GI ranking, the faster the body takes in the sugar.
-Here are some alternative healthy snack options for diabetics:
- Tofu or low-sodium cottage cheese patty with spinach and avocado.
- 2 boiled eggs with roasted beets and turmeric-pepper seasoning.
- Chickpea salad with cherry tomato and avocado toppings.
