Do's and Don'ts of a Diabetic Diet | Kauvery

Ms. M. Mahalakshmi, Dietician, Kauvery Hospital, Trichy demonstrates a list of do's and don'ts diabetics should follow regarding their diet to keep their sugar levels at an optimum. There are many restrictions on the kind of food that a person with diabetes can and cannot eat.

Do's of a diabetic diet

A person with diabetes should exercise and maintain a healthy diet. Exercise should be done for at least 45 minutes. If it cannot be done at a stretch, it can be split into segments of 20/25 minutes, twice a day. It is not necessary to do vigorous exercise. A regular walk should do.

Don'ts of a diabetic diet

1. Avoid sweets, including honey and jaggery

2. Avoid or reduce salt

3. Avoid refined flour like maida, Maggi, noodles, etc. (Refined flours are higher in carbohydrates and thus contain more starch and sugar)

4. Avoid easily digestible foods like oats, porridge, juices, etc. (as they are digested faster, it cause glucose levels in the blood to rise)

5. Avoid aerated drinks like Coke, Fanta, etc.

6. Avoid processed instant powders like Boost, Horlicks, etc.

7. Avoid deep-fried food like bajji, vada, bonda, etc.

8. Avoid ghee, dalda (any oil that hardens when cold)

9. Avoid high sugar fruits like mango, pineapple, banana

10. Avoid tuber vegetables like potato, colocasia, yam, beetroot, etc.

Good eating habits include:-

• Stick to eating meat only once a week
• Eat meats like chicken, fish, and eggs
• Eat home-cooked food
• Eat plenty of vegetables and fruits
• Use different types of oil every month like sunflower oil, rice bran oil, groundnut oil, etc.

With a little care, you can successfully manage your diabetes.