Today is the World Diabetes Day and I would like to talk about this chronic disease. Diabetes occurs when the pancreas does not produce enough insulin or when the body cannot effectively use the insulin it produces.
There are two types of Diabetes:
Type I Diabetes: Also known as Insulin dependent Diabetes. This is due to the lack of insulin production.
Type II Diabetes: Also known as Non-Insulin dependent. This is caused due to body's ineffective use of insulin
Gestational Diabetes: This is Hyperglycemia commonly found during pregnancy.
Though diabetes being a life long disease, it can be kept under good control by maintaining a healthy diet. Whatever the type of diabetes, diet plays an important role. Healthy eating is based on 3 principles : - Balance, Moderation and Variety.
In diabetes, the ability to use, store and retrieve the food fuels (Carbohydrates, Proteins and Fats) is impaired. Therefore, by balancing the diet and correlating to the level of activity and the level of insulin (either injected or secreted by the body), we can formulate a meal plan for every diabetic.
Every diabetic might have a different diet plan according to their type of diabetes and the level of blood sugar. But there are some common dishes, fruits and vegetables they all can have. A diabetic diet is considered as a well balanced diet, and is beneficial for everyone. Along with the regular meals, a diabetic person should intake small frequent feeds. It is very important to take the meals in regular timings. Along with a nutritious diet, a diabetic person should also do exercises regularly.
10 Golden Rules for Diabetic Diet
1. Avoid all sugar products like soft drinks, ice creams, candy and cookies provided they are made with artificial sweetener.
2. Eat whole fruit instead of juices.
3. Begin each meal with a raw vegetable salad.
4. Make a light snack of assorted sprouts.
5. Cut off all deep fried foods from your diet.
6. Never skip a meal.
7. Reduce alcoholic beverages.
8. Include high fibre foods.
9. Reduce salt intake.
10. Steam or boil vegetables rather than fry.
Eat food, fruits, vegetables etc which are low in Glycemic Value. You can check Glycemic Index to know more about it.
Now-a-days many people are diabetic. It can be due to the life style, stress and the eating habit. So be very careful in what you eat, avoid stress and do exercises regularly. Try to add more proteins in your diet. Eat more sprouts, salads and fibre rich food.
Raw papaya is very good for diabetics. You can make a salad out of it and have it before lunch, dinner or between meals. Its very easy to prepare and is served cold.
Ingredients
2 tsp Green chilli (crushed)
2 tsp Sugar substitute (optional)
1 tsp Tamarind pulp
1 tsp Chilli powder
2 tsp Soya sauce (optional)
2 tsp Lemon juice
2 tbsp Coriander leaves (finely chopped)
Salt to taste
3 cups Raw papaya (grated)
3/4 cup Tomatoes (thinly sliced)
2 tbsp Peanuts (roasted and crushed)
Method
- In a mortar, put green chilli, sugar substitute, tamarind pulp, chilli powder, soya sauce, lemon juice, coriander leaves and salt. Pound it into a coarse paste using the pestle. You can use a mixer to do this. Keep this aside.
- Put the grated raw papaya in ice cold water for half an hour. This is done to make it crisp.
- Drain and wrap in a muslin cloth and keep in the refrigerator till it is ready to use.
- Just before serving, combine all the ingredients along with the sliced tomatoes and crushed peanuts, in a big bowl and toss well.
- Serve immediately.
* I usually take the quantity of the ingredients as per my taste. So you can always adjust the spices as per your taste*
Thanks for visiting
Happy Cooking!!
