Manage Diabetes Naturally

Indian Diet Plan for Diabetes

Having diabetes does not mean that you must start eating special foods or follow a complicated diet. For most people, a diabetic diet plan simply translates into eating a variety of low calorie, but nutrient-dense foods in moderate amounts and adhering to regular mealtimes.

An unhealthy diet, stress or genes are the main culprits behind type 2 diabetes. When a person gets to know that he or she is suffering from diabetes, all that comes to their mind is a complicated diet which is boring and not too tasty. A diabetic must take extra care to make sure their food is balanced with insulin and oral medications, and exercise to help manage their blood glucose levels.

There is no perfect diabetes diet plan, so including a variety of foods and watching portion sizes is the key to a healthy diabetes meal plan. Here’s what a diabetes patient needs to follow –

Balanced meal

A diabetes patient must take extra care to make sure he is eating a well-balanced diabetes diet meal plan. He must also exercise in order to manage blood glucose levels.

Eat what your family eats

A diabetic can eat the same food the family enjoys. But it may take some planning to fit your favourite food into your Indian diet chart for diabetes. If you’re able to do that you will be able to manage blood glucose, blood pressure and cholesterol levels. The diabetes diet plan includes vegetables, whole grains, fruits, non-fat dairy products, beans, lean meats, poultry and fish. Watching portion sizes is key to a healthy diabetes diet.

Include fibre

To control blood sugar levels, first limit your carbohydrate intake and increase fibre in your Indian diet chart for diabetes. Since fluctuating blood sugar levels can cause hunger pangs, irritability and low energy, high-fibre foods like whole grain chapattis, whole wheat pasta and breads, brown rice and green vegetables will help.

Diabetes and glycemic index

Most diabetics use the glycemic index (GI) to select foods, especially carbs. Foods with a high GI are associated with greater increase in blood sugar than are foods with a low GI. However, low-index foods aren’t necessarily healthier, as foods that are high in fat tend to have lower GI values than some of the healthier options. Many factors affect the glycemic-index value of a specific food, including how the food is prepared and what’s eaten with it.

Read more: Food for Diabetics

Indian Diet Chart for Diabetic Patient

Methi seeds has been used since ancient times to manage diabetes and cholesterol. One teaspoon of methi seed powder taken twice a day before meals for a month may help reduce blood glucose levels in some diabetics. So, it is an amazing food that can be added in the Indian diet chart for a diabetic patient.

Similarly, diabetes diet plan must be loaded with antioxidant-rich vegetables as they reduce radical activity. Raw and partially-cooked vegetables contain enzymes that are needed for digestion, absorption, and almost every chemical activity in the body. They are rich in phytonutrients, which are biologically active and extremely beneficial in preventing diabetic complications (neuropathy, nephropathy).

Here’s a generic diet chart for diabetes that’s easy-to-follow. All you need for it is in your kitchen already!

Early morning: 1-2 glasses of lukewarm water + lime juice + 1 tsp Methi seeds/powder

Breakfast: 1 bowl of sprouts or 2 no Besan Chilla or 2-3 no Egg Whites Bhurjee

Mid-morning: 1 glass of vegetable juice

Lunch: 2 jowar phulkas + 1 bowl of vegetable + 1 bowl of thin dal or curd + 1 bowl of salad

Evening snack: Green tea + Roasted chana or fruit

Dinner: 2 jowar phulkas + 1 bowl of vegetable + 1 bowl of thin dal / Roasted Chicken / Grilled Fish + 1 bowl salad

Click here to know What fruits are good for diabetics

Manage Diabetes the Health Total Way!

You tend to eat food more for its taste rather than for its nutrient value. In fact, the distance between food on the table and natural food is increasing! Remember, food devoid of fibre tends to create more hunger, forcing you to consume larger portions of refined food.

This leads to weight gain, which can cause insulin resistance. If you’re diagnosed with diabetes, disciplining the body becomes the biggest priority. Planning your meals and doing regular mild exercises help manage insulin levels. You don’t starve yourself to shed weight. Reducing 7% of your body weight can reduce your risk of having diabetes by 58%.

Food plan

Health Total’s approach includes a customised diabetes diet plan with increased consumption of dietary fibre, soy foods and Omega-3 fatty acids.

Herbal plan

Our herbal therapy commences with detoxification of the liver, kidneys, colons and blood purification with Ayurvedic herbs and supplements. This helps in producing healthier body tissues and balancing the doshas. Herbs such as gudmar, mamejava and jamunbeej help to manage blood sugar level.

The combination of diabetic diet and detoxification helps in controlling the fasting blood sugar and glycosylated haemoglobin.

Why Health Total?

The diets you have followed so far must have been restrictive, asking you to cut down a lot of foods, but here’s Health Total’s holistic diabetes treatment. We make it easy for you —

• Easy-to-follow tailor-made diet plan
• Tasty, nourishing meal plans using what you already have in the kitchen
• Clinically-proven weight loss results
• Improved disease outcomes
• Added skin & beauty benefits

Health Total has helped people manage type 2 diabetes successfully. Our health experts work closely with you to help you manage the health issue through natural therapy with the objective of achieving the ideal body weight. Throughout the programme, Health Total experts will review your progress and, if needed, they will make dietary changes. The Health Total methodology brings together the best for you —

• Qualified nutritionists and doctors
• Natural nutritional therapy
• Ayurveda to heal and balance
• Simple lifestyle changes
• Support and motivation at every step

Lifestyle Tips for Diabetes Treatment

• Don’t skip meals or eat late because of work or long journeys
• Cut back on portion sizes
• Drink alcohol only in moderation – no more than one drink a day for women and no more than two for men. Know more about the connection between alcohol and diabetes
• Apart from diet, keep in mind the other factors that increase risk. For instance, stress lowers immunity level as it produces a hormone called cortisol, which can slow down your immune system. Stress also triggers free radical damage, which can upset blood sugar and make you age faster. So, how can you control stress? Use relaxation techniques such as meditation, pranayama and yoga, or listen to music or take a short holiday.
  

What is Diabetes?

Diabetes mellitus refers to a condition where the sugar content in the blood stream is alarmingly high. Excess presence of glucose in the body is not a good sign and can lead to other metabolic disorders. Also, the presence of high visceral fat in the body is an indicator that you could be a prediabetic.

There are three types of diabetes –

Type 1: This is a chronic condition in which the pancreas produces little or no insulin, a hormone needed to allow sugar (glucose) to enter cells to produce energy. Type 1 diabetes is usually diagnosed in children and young adults, although it can appear in any age. People with type 1 diabetes need to take insulin every day to live long.

Type 2: This is non-insulin-dependent diabetes that impacts the way your body metabolises sugar. So, what is the difference type 1 and type 2? Unlike type 1, under type 2 diabetes mellitus, the body either resists the effects of insulin, or does not produce enough insulin to maintain a normal glucose level. Type 2 occurs mostly in middle-aged and older people. It is the most common type of diabetes.

Gestational: This type occurs in pregnant women and goes away once the baby is born. However, gestational diabetes increases the chances of type 2 later in life.

Causes of Diabetes

By now you know that the primary cause is lack of nutrition and physical activity. But, there are other risk factors for type 1 and type 2. Family history is a known risk factor for type 1. The other risk factors include infection in the pancreas.

The causes of prediabetes and type 2 are many. The common risk factors are –

• Being overweight
• Age
• High blood pressure
• Sedentary lifestyle/Lack of physical exercise
• PCOS/PCOD
• Insulin resistance
• Low levels of HDL or good cholesterol
• Gestational

If you leave it unattended, your vulnerability to health problems such as heart disease, poor vision, kidney failure, poor blood circulation to limbs and high cholesterol increases.

Know more: What Causes Diabetes

Symptoms of Diabetes

Diabetes is often called the ‘silent killer’ because of its easy-to-miss symptoms. The best way to find out if you’re suffering from it is to get a blood sugar test done. Some of the signs and symptoms of type 1 and type 2 are –

• Increased urination and thirst
• Intense hunger
• Weight gain or weight loss
• Skin or yeast infections
• Slow healing of wounds or infections
• Fatigue
• Blurry vision
• Frequent gum infection
• Numbness

Know more about Diabetes Symptoms 

Holistic Diabetes Treatment

Even though there is no diabetes treatment, there are ways to manage the condition effectively. Lifestyle changes and diabetes diet plan can help reverse symptoms of type 2 . While Metformin is often prescribed to patients, following this Indian diet plan for diabetes and certain lifestyle modifications can wean off your dependency on conventional medicines.

So, focus on eating plenty of fruits, proteins, good fats and fibre, as help fight this health problem. Over a period of time, you will begin to notice the positive effects of these foods on your body.

Get a personalised Indian diet chart for diabetic patient. To avail holistic diabetes treatment from Health Total experts, call toll-free 1800 266 0607 and Book an Appointment.