Fighting Diabetes: Switch to Healthy Eating Habits, Low Glycaemic Foods Diet

• First and foremost step towards fighting diabetes is switching over to healthy eating habits.
• Few simple changes like eating more vegetables, fruits, grains and beans are highly beneficial in the fight against diabetes.

• In general the diet should provide balanced quantity of nutrients to the body.
• The special nutritional requirements of a diabetic should also be taken into consideration.

• Medical research has proved that high-carbohydrate, low-fat diet with adequate protein and dietary fiber is ideal for fighting diabetes.

• Such diet provides more volume and is more filling even if they are low in calories.
• Diets low in saturated fat, reduce cholesterol, help in weight control and keep diabetes away.

• Starches, fruits, vegetables and milk products are healthy foods although they raise blood glucose levels more quickly than fats and meat.

GLYCAEMIC INDEX OF SELECTED FOODS

• Foods containing same calories or carbohydrates may respond differently to blood glucose levels.
• Some carbohydrates like table sugar increase blood glucose quickly. While rice, wheat, potato other starches increase blood sugar slowly (complex carbohydrates)
• Glycaemic index measures how soon blood sugar levels increase after consumption of various foods.
• Foods that increase blood sugar quickly are called High Glycaemic foods. While those that cause a slow increase in blood sugar are called Low Glycaemic index foods.

• Diets with low glycaemic index are considered better for diabetics.
• However, wheat, carrots have high Glycaemic Index, but are still good for diabetics. These have complex carbohydrates (slow sugar) and so are preferred over food with simple carbohydrates.

• On the other hand milk has low Glycaemic Index but is bad for diabetics because of high calories and fat content.
• It increase body weight and lead to obesity, which is a high risk factor for diabetes.

GLYCAEMIC INDEX OF SELECTED FOODS

Foods with low glycaemic Index increases blood sugar slowly and are considered better for diabetics than diet with high glycaemic index.

• 10 to 19 %  –  groundnuts and Soybeans.
• 20 to 29 %  –  lentils, kidney beans and fructose.
• 30 to 39 %  –   apple, tomato soup, chickpeas, black eyed peas, skimmed milk, curd, yogurt and ice cream.
• 40 to 49 %  –  Bengal gram, black gram, beans, dried peas, sweet potato, whole meal oats and orange juice.
• 50 to 59 %  –  frozen peas, white noodles, potato chips and sweet corn.
• 60 to 69 %  –  white bread, beetroot, raisins, shredded wheat, sucrose, banana and sprouted green gram.
• 70 to 79 %  –  potato, broad beans, whole meal bread, millets and white rice.
• 80 to 90 %  –  honey, maltose, mashed potatoes, carrots and corn flakes.
• 100 %   –  glucose.

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