Dr. Shikha Sharma’s Do’s & Dont’s for a Diabetic Diet

Diabetes has become a chronic disease worldwide due to unhealthy eating habits. The more you adapt to unhealthy eating habits, the more you would be prone to diabetic diseases. There are two types of diabetes wherein, type 1 occurs at an early childhood naturally and the type 2 which is more common and the most dreaded one that occurs due to being overweight and poor eating habits.

Type 2 diabetes is where the body fails to control the blood sugar levels naturally and finds it difficult to break down the food to use them as a source of energy. Hence there occurs a drop in the metabolism rate, which hikes a person’s body weight and blood sugar levels. The main underlying reason for such a scenario arises from one’s eating habits. However, Dr. Shikha Sharma a well-known dietitian says – “Diabetes not only occurs due to eating habits, but it also is due to stress levels, changing lifestyle and lack of proper exercises.”

 

Foods that a Diabetic Person should have

1) Amla Juice

Amla is rich in Vitamin C and this helps in controlling your blood sugar levels effectively. Having a glass of amla juice or two spoons of the juice every day will help you.

 

2) Onion

Onion is a natural diuretic and eating a small piece of raw onion every day will help in controlling diabetes and ease digestion.

 

3) Fruits

Fruits like apple, kiwi, oranges, peaches help in controlling diabetes. Such fruits provide you with the required nutrients and contain fructose which increases the blood sugar levels at a slower rate.

 

4) Vegetables

Add more of vegetables to your diet. You can eat veggies like spinach, onion, pumpkin, bitter gourd, cauliflower and lady’s finger which will control diabetes easily and naturally within months.

 

Foods to Avoid

Foods that contain high sugar content, hike the glycemic index and need to be avoided. These include foods such as white sugar, ice cream, maida, rusk, canned juices which claim to have zero calories and also fruits like chikoo and mangoes that are very sweet – adds Dr.Shikha Sharma.

 

1) Sweetened Food

Avoid any type of sweets, ice creams or chocolates as it increases your blood sugar levels instantly.

 

2) Salt

People who are diabetic needn’t necessarily cut salt entirely but having a control over it or by reducing their salt intake is better. This will help you in controlling your blood pressure.

 

3) Rice

Avoid eating white rice, white bread and anything that contributes a higher than required intake of carbs.  

 

4) Dairy Products

You can eat greek yogurt and other low-fat dairy products which will actually help your body gain the required calcium, proteins and vitamins. But avoid high-fat milk, ghee, curd and cheese as this adds to your cholesterol levels and can result in heart diseases.

Dr.Shikha Sharma  further adds that – “A diabetic person must not only have a control over what he eats but should also exercise regularly and practice yoga and meditation for better results.”

So remember to follow the below tips for a healthy and controlled blood sugar level-

• Drink plenty of water and stay hydrated
• Always eat in regular intervals. Avoid a huge gap between meals.
• Workout regularly for 30-45 minutes a day to boost your metabolism and blood circulation.
• Practice a diabetic diet regularly without skipping it.
• Have a control over binge eating.

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