Diabetes has emerged to be one of the biggest causes of concerns for doctors and health experts throughout the world. The steep rise in number of people diagnosed with diabetes in the last decade or so is especially worrisome. As per a study titled “Lifetime risk of diabetes in metropolitan cities in India', more than half of men and two thirds of women currently aged 20 years and residing in metro cities of India are at risk of developing diabetes at some point. Another study published in the Lancet in the year 2018, predicted that 98 million Indians have a strong chance of having type 2 diabetes by the year 2030. India has been struggling with the overwhelming surge in numbers for a while, and now with COVID 19 pandemic upon us, diabetics have been rendered even more vulnerable. Diabetes is a condition that is marked by fluctuations in blood sugar levels. This could either happen when your body is not producing enough insulin, or isn't able to respond to it. Lack of timely treatment could worsen the condition and even take a toll on your eyes, kidney and heart. Diabetics also need to be extra cautious about their diets, and refrain from food that could lead to blood sugar spikes. Here are some diet mistakes, they should avoid.
1. Not taking liquid calories into account: Avoided that doughnut? Good. But what about the cola drink you had later? We often tend to forget about the calories of so many of these sugary drinks that can prove to be as harmful. Moderation is key.
2. Preferring juices over whole fruits: Juicing fruits strips them off their essential fibre content. Fibre is essential to slow down the digestion and eventual blood sugar spikes. Therefore, as a cardinal rule, always choose whole fruits over fruit juices.
3. Choosing the wrong fruits: While there is nothing wrong with eating fruits. There are some that have high Glycemic index and some with low glycaemic index score. Fruits like guava, orange, pear, grapefruit, berries have low glycaemic index. In other words, they tend to metabolise slowly and keep your blood sugar levels from rising.
4. Eating refined, processed food: It is important that you steer clear of foods with refined carbs, they do not provide fibre. Instead, they get digested very soon, causing abrupt blood sugar spikes and also make you hungry in short spells .
5. Not reading the labels properly: ‘Sugar-free’ items in your cart may not always be devoid of sugars. Tinned foods, or canned foods often contain many kinds of sugar like fructose, sucrose. Always turn around the jar or tin you are holding to read the contents properly.
Keep these tips in mind and stay healthy. Make sure you do not skip your medicines, if any.