World Diabetes Day: Control Diabetes through a Healthy Diet

 14th November is celebrated as World Diabetes Day, and on this occasion I would like to share with you some tips to control Diabetes through a Healthy diet.

Diabetes management involves healthy eating, regular physical activity and weight management. Healthy eating means lots of high-fibre carbohydrate foods (wholegrain breads and cereals), vegetables, legumes (beans and lentils), fruit, unsaturated (healthy) fats, lean protein and low-fat dairy but less saturated (unhealthy) fat. The glycaemic index (GI) can be helpful in blood glucose management.

World Diabetes Day Educational Posters Click Here

Follow this simple healthy eating plan if you have diabetes:

1. Eat regular meals throughout the day. 
2. You may need to reduce the serving size of your meals and snacks, as eating too much can lead to weight gain. 
3. Include high-fibre carbohydrates at each meal. Examples of high-fibre carbohydrate foods are wholegrain bread, cereals (such as oats, WeetaBix, All-Bran and natural muesli), wholemeal pasta, brown rice, quinoa, fruit and starchy vegetables (such as potato). 
4. Do not restrict your carbohydrate intake. Aim for at least 130 g per day. 
5. Choose reduced fat and low-fat dairy products. 
6. Choose lean meats and alternatives, such as skinless chicken and turkey, fish, eggs, legumes (beans, lentils), tofu and nuts. 
7. Limit the unhealthy (saturated) fats that are found in foods such as full-fat dairy products (including cream, milk, ice-cream, yoghurt, butter and cheese), meat fat (trim the fat from meat and limit your intake of processed meats), fried foods, cakes, pastries and foods containing palm oil and coconut oil. 
8. Include some of the healthy (unsaturated) fats like olive, canola or sunflower oil, monounsaturated or polyunsaturated margarines, oily fish, avocado, seeds and nuts. 
9. Oily fish are great for heart health. Aim to include oily fish such as salmon (tinned or fresh), sardines, mackerel, herring or tuna at least two to three times per week. 
10. Save baked items like cakes and biscuits, slices and desserts for special occasions. Eat them in small serves, even if they are low in fat. 
11. Avoid lollies and sweet drinks (soft drink, cordial, sports drinks, flavoured waters and energy drinks).
12. Don't add salt when you cook or at the table and reduce the use of high-salt foods. 
13. Limit alcohol to two standard drinks per day, with some alcohol-free days each week.

These are general guidelines, and depending on your overall health condition you might require a specialized meal plan to help you to achieve a better health.

Feel free to reach out to me for consultation.

Continue Reading

Myths About Weight Loss

All of us today are interested in looking slim and thin. But being slim doesn't mean that you are fit at the same time. Having a fit and healthy body calls for a proper healthy diet plan and not just dieting and ceasing food intake. There are several diet plans that are available these days but what is important is to realize that what would be suitable to you and practically possible for you to follow.

Every other person you meet can give you a page’s lecture about diet, types of diet, time of eating, what to eat and when.....and it can go on for forever. But there are certain myths related to weight loss and diet. It is important for you to know them before you start any diet plan or take up those advices.

ONE: DO NOT EAT AFTER 8 PM

Time of eating is not important – quantity and quality of the food is important. However, eating early in the evening aids in digestion of the food and keeps the gut relaxed during sleeping. Its important that you finish your meal at least 2-3 hours before you go to bed. Moreover, late night eating is often associated with bingeing on foods that are far from good calories and may lead to unnecessary weight gain.

TWO: CARBS ARE BAD

Not all carbs are bad. There are some Good Carbs though. The bad ones (simple and refined sugars) are rapidly digested and absorbed resulting in blood sugar increases, lipid profile derangements and weight gain. Good carbs however, are rich in fiber and help to remove extra cholesterol and sugar from the system. Since they take a longer time to get digested and absorbed, they increase the metabolic rate and help in calorie burning thus preventing weight gain.

THREE: GRAM MEASUREMENT OF FOOD IS EQUAL

All grams of food stuffs are not equal. Also the calorie provided by different grams of foods is different. 1 gm of carbs provides 4 kcal; 1 gm of proteins provides 4 kcals and 1 gm of fat provided 9 kcals. Also there would be a difference in the calories provided by 20 gm of wheat flour and 20 gm of cooked rice. Limiting the number of grams of fat and carbs you consume each day makes it easier to stay in your caloric budget (and your skinny jeans).

FOUR: WEIGHT LOSS PRODUCTS CLAIMS ARE EFFECTIVE

A food product claiming to be “low fat or low calorie” may not necessarily be healthy. Not all diet pills claiming to reduce fats and all therapies claiming fat loss may be safe. The drug/ food/ therapy needs to be approved and certified by FDA.

FIVE: SWEATING IS INDICATIVE OF WEIGHT LOSS

If you are not sweating probably you are not working hard......is a total myth. There is absolutely no relation between perspiration and weight loss. During perspiration, one is losing water with electrolytes and NOT FAT. The sweating capacity of every individual is different and sweat is an indicator of the cooling mechanism of the body.

SIX: HUNGER ALARMS TO EAT

Rather you should be eating according to your time and meal pattern. If you are eating according to your hunger pangs, you will end up eating more as the feeling of satiety occurs late. You should try and not skip meals so as to avoid over-eating. Moreover, when you are over-eating, rarely there is a chance that you would eat healthy foods. So do not wait for your hunger alarms.

SEVEN: WEIGHT LOSS IS A BEHAVIOR

Weight loss is a behaviour rather than numbers. Numbers are not that important as they may not be true representative of weight. There are several factors that affect the weight and all of them are not under our direct control. So weighing every single day may not be very helpful.

Weight loss goal requires modification in your complete routine, leave alone diet. Dietary modifications may not be completely effective if there is no proper routine for exercise, inadequate sleep and long sitting hours. Impractical goals are not only difficult to achieve but demoralizing at the same time.

Continue Reading