Strictly watch your diet this festive season:
- The prevalence of diabetes has alarmingly reached its epidemic proportions. 346 million people worldwide have diabetes.
- WHO predicts that developing countries will bear the brunt of this epidemic of diabetes in the 21st century.
- WHO projects that diabetes death will double between 2005 and 2030.
- More than 80% of diabetes deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries.
India is a land of festivals in which eating and gifting sweets mandatorily adds up to its attraction. With a number of irresistible food-sharing occasions and mouthwatering sweets to look forward to during the festive season, one\'s health can go for a complete toss as it becomes difficult to make a healthy choice between the platters of delicacies. Binging on high calorie sweets and snacks coupled with a sedentary lifestyle makes Indians vulnerable to various ailments particularly Diabetes. As per a study conducted by the Indian Council of Medical Research spanning 4 Indian states namely Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Jharkhand and Chandigarh, 62.4 million people in India are afflicted with diabetes and another 77.2 million with pre-diabetes, reiterating the fact that India is the \'World\'s Diabetes Capital\'.
Festive eating has always been a challenge to people with diabetes as it escalates sugar levels. This leads to serious conditions like stroke, heart disease, nerve or kidney damage and even blindness. Healthy diet, regular physical activity, maintaining a normal body weight and avoiding tobacco use can prevent or delay the onset of diabetes. The treatment for diabetes starts from the plate itself.
However, it becomes essential to work out ways and means to enable the diabetic person to enjoy the festival as well as help manage their diet. As it is very easy to put on extra pounds during this time of the year, following are some of the preventive measures to help avoid festive weight gain and manage their diabetes better.
- Make healthy substitutions – Use low fat dairy products and substitute sugar with natural sugars like honey, jaggery, raisins and dates.
- Dry fruits over deep fried foods – Deep fried snacks are mostly made of refined flour which should be avoided. Walnuts, almonds and pistachios are heart protective and should be eaten in moderation.
- Carbonated beverages and alcohol should be strictly avoided. However, one can opt for healthier drinks such as unsweetened fresh fruit juice, buttermilk, etc.
- Eat in moderation i.e. one can use a smaller plate and take smaller servings.
- Do not skip exercise routine during festivals. This reduces the risk of heart disease, lowers cholesterol and helps in undoing some of the damage done by over-eating!
- Consume whole grains, apples, legumes, beans etc as fibre helps in blood sugar control. Also, include special foods like Bitter gourd (karela), fenugreek (methi), garlic, onion, flaxseeds (alsi) and soyabean (in the form of nuggets, granules and atta) that mainly help control diabetes.
Family members should not only encourage the diabetic member by only preparing the healthy diet but also try to eat the same meal along with them. This would benefit the diabetic member to take up the diet positively for living a healthy life. Limiting carbonated beverages, cookies and processed sweets in the household will help the diabetic family member to adhere to a well-balanced diet. It is important for the diabetic family member to know that they are not alone. Therefore, family and friends play a crucial role in helping a diabetic person manage their blood sugar so that they can live a long, healthy and happy life.
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by : Dr. Vandana Mathur, Consulting Nutritionist, Metropolis Healthcare Ltd,
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