Partying and dining out

It is very important to lead a happy life even if you have diabetes. This helps in managing your stress which is helpful in normalising sugar levels. No two people lead the same lifestyle. Your routine, meal schedules, snacks/food choices, exercise/activity level affect your sugar control. You should have a tailor-made diet plan based on your lifestyle, preferences, activity level, associated medical conditions and treatment goals.

Ask yourself: How often do you eat out?

If your answer to the question is ‘very often’, then look for restaurants which offer diet/health food or low-fat choices. These days, restaurants do serve healthy vegetable juices along with healthy starters and meals. Some even provide the nutritive value [calories, proteins, fats and carbohydrates] of different dishes.

• Calorie budgeting: If you plan to go out for dinner then budget your total caloric requirement. Eat a light lunch comprising of salads, fruit and yoghurt.
• If you have to eat out at dinner plan your day’s other meals such as breakfast and lunch. Eat a low-fat breakfast like a bowl of cereal with toned milk or a sandwich. Include plenty of vegetables in the form of salads for lunch along with soup, chapatis, dal and vegetables.
• Diabetes should not stop you from socialising or attending parties, weddings, picnics and other celebratory events. You need not completely give up all your favourite foods. The key is to make a variety of healthy food choices and limit portion.
• Eat before you leave: Eat a healthy snack before leaving the house e.g. sprouts and fruits, buttermilk and bhel, a sandwich, oats, multi-grain biscuits or a roasted snack.
• Plan your meal: Check out all the foods available at the party or browse through the menu card at the restaurant. Mentally decide what and how much you will eat. Select foods and portions that fit into your meal plan.
• Cook a healthy dish at home and bring the healthy dish to the party to share. After you have filled your plate, move away from the buffet table. Don’t snack on appetisers while chatting.
• Take your time to eat and relish the flavours. You tend to eat less if you eat slowly.
• Drink lots of water instead of alcohol or carbonated drinks—it has zero calories and is healthy!
• Remove the cream/butter and extra frills from desserts and the fatty parts and skin from meat dishes.
• Participate actively in the party games and dancing. Circulate more among friends and family rather than among the buffet tables.

When you eat a meal at a restaurant, remember to choose :

• A salad or fruit-based dish as a starter
• Clear soups instead of creamy soups
• Tandoori roti, jeera rice, seasonal vegetable, mixed dal as part of the main course
• Broiled, steamed, grilled foods over fried foods
• Small serving sizes, clubbed with steamed vegetable salads or fruit dishes. Select a low-fat or fat-free salad.
• A small serving of a sweet dish once in a while. Or substitute it with fruit raita or frozen yoghurt.

Curb the craving

We all get cravings, sometimes for snacks and at other times for sweets. It is very difficult to explain the cause behind food cravings but it is well-known that one gets an intense craving for foods that are forbidden.

You can deal with them in the following ways:

• Drink a glass of water with a dash of lemon or fresh lemon juice. Craving for food may be thirst in disguise, and a bit of extra flavour may help you drink more and eat less.
• Choose a snack which contains protein, carbohydrates, fat and fibre because such a snack helps in controlling blood sugar levels and cravings, such as mixed vegetable and sprout chaat or a few almonds and walnuts.
• Don’t sit idle. Involve yourself in some activity or exercise.
• Sometimes, give in to your cravings. Take a few bites and satisfy them.

Spare the salt

Choose low-sodium products and read the food labels carefully. Reduce the daily salt intake in food.
You could try the following mix as a seasoning in place of salt : 1 tsp garlic paste, 1 tsp onion paste, 2 tsp ground thyme, 1 tsp mild paprika, ½ tsp white pepper, ½ tsp powdered mustard seeds, ½ tsp ground black pepper, 1 tsp ground dried lemon peel.
Mix all the ingredients together in a small jar and use it when needed.

Holiday time

A vacation is a time for fun, relaxation and a break from a busy working life. It is a stress-buster and rejuvenator. But a holiday doesn’t mean a holiday from regular, healthy and controlled eating!

Request for a diabetic meal on the flight. If diabetic meals are not available select vegetarian, low-calorie, low-fat items from the regular menu or eat the food that you have packed.

While travelling, carry plenty of food with you. For example:

• Fresh fruits
• Salad vegetables
• Roasted chana, murmura, khakra
• Baked/roasted snacks and savouries like soya nuts, roasted chakli, chiwra
• High fibre or multi-grain biscuits that don’t contain sugar
• Thepla [cooked in less oil] or soft chapatis [flour kneaded in milk]
• Dried fruits.

Prepare healthy snacks like bhel, chana chaat, fruit chaat at the holiday venue. Drink enough water to keep yourself hydrated. Fresh lemon juice, coconut water, buttermilk or unsweetened soya milk should be preferred over fruits juices, soft drinks and soda.

Be active. Go for long walks or play outdoor games. If you are off to a beach or near a pool, you can swim or play some beach games. Otherwise, walk for some time whenever possible.

Cooking healthy meals

• Consider healthy alternatives to traditional meats. Choose lean meat or poultry. Use cooking methods like baking, steaming, broiling and grilling. Don’t deep-fry. Stir-fry in minimum oil instead.
• Increase fibre intake. Eat whole grain cereals, legumes and beans to increase the fibre content of your meal.
• Go easy on the toppings. Lighten your recipes by using reduced-fat or fat-free mayonnaise, butter, sour cream, or salad dressing. Avoid butter icing, glazing with sugar and other toppings. Sour cream, fat-free or low-fat mayonnaise and salad dressings with olive oil make for great garnishes.
• Focus on fruits. Choose fresh or canned fruits instead of ice cream, cakes, or pies. Transform high-fat, high-calorie desserts by replacing whole milk or whipped cream with milk or cream containing 1 – 3 per cent fat or skimmed milk. Fresh fruits are both tasty and healthy and vastly preferable to ice creams, pastries and pies. Use toned milk or skimmed milk to prepare dessert recipes that call for milk.
• Drink low-calorie beverages, water or diet beverages. If you must have colas, go for diet colas or low-calorie beverages. Water is still the best drink in the world!

‘Fast’ food

Neither fast nor feast if you are diabetic! If you have to fast for religious reasons, don’t do it too often. Never, never starve, but follow the same pattern of frequent, small meals of the food that is allowed during a fast. Avoid fruit juices, sweets or fried snacks.

Here’s a menu you could follow during a fast:

Keep yourself well-hydrated by drinking plenty of water.

In times of sickness

If you have fever, vomiting, nausea or are otherwise feeling sick, you either lose your appetite or have a diminished appetite. You should have your favourite foods at this time.

Motivate yourself to eat even if you feel nauseous at the very sight of food. Citrus fruits, soups and plain toasts are good foods to choose.

Here is a menu for when you are feeling sick:

If you are not lactose-intolerant, then you can drink two glasses of milk a day or have porridge prepared in milk.

This was first published in the November 2012 issue of Complete Wellbeing.

The post Living with diabetes appeared first on Complete Wellbeing.

Top benefit: Oats contain a specific type of soluble fibre that helps lower LDL cholesterol.

Nuts: Being a storehouse of nutrients, nuts are your best bet for a mid-meal snack. Chop and add to your favourite breakfast cereal; or powder and add to milk.

Top benefit: Nuts have a good balance of fats, proteins, carbohydrates and fibre. They are rich in both omega-9 and omega-3 fatty acids which have cardio-protective effect.

Fish: Consume two servings [100 g] twice a week. Enjoy it boiled, baked or grilled rather than fried. Opt for ‘fatty fish’ like herring, tuna, trout, sardine and mackerel.

Top benefit: Fatty fish have high amounts of omega-3 fatty acids that help reduce the harmful triglyceride levels and increase the good HDL cholesterol levels.

Garlic: You can have your garlic freshly crushed, sautéed, cooked at a low temperature or raw. Incorporate it in salads, soups or vegetables.

Top benefit: It reduces the lipid content in the arterial wall. And helps dissolve clots which in turn improves blood pressure and heart rate.

Green tea: Sip on three to four cups a day. Make sure you do not brew or over boil.

Top benefit: Green tea contains antioxidants that are 10 times more powerful than black tea. It is also believed to possess anti-inflammatory and antithrombotic [prevents blood clots] properties.

Canola oil: Have one tablespoon a day. Use it when cooking vegetables or pulses, but not for frying or any form of cooking at high temperatures.

Top benefit: Like olive oil, canola oil is low in saturated fat and high in heart friendly fatty acids.

Soy: You need to have about 25g of soy protein daily. It can be in the form of vegetable, tofu, soy milk, nuggets, chunks or flour. Soak and cook well before consumption.

Top benefit: Several components associated with soy protein have been implicated in lowering cholesterol. It makes an excellent protein substitute for red meat, and thus helps reduce the intake of saturated fats.

Whole grains: It is recommended that at least half of your cereal intake should be whole grains, preferably cooked and not fried.

Top benefit: Cereals provide complex carbohydrates, fibre, minerals, vitamins, phytochemicals, resistant starch and other useful substances. They help in reducing several risk factors for heart diseases.

Fruits: Along with nuts, fresh fruits are perfect for fighting off mid-meal hunger attacks. Have three to five servings in a day.

Top benefit: Fruits help in weight management and blood pressure control.

Vegetables: Whether as a salad, soup or cooked [stewed/steamed], vegetables are one of the most versatile ingredients. Besides ensuring you have three to five servings a day, make sure each serving is of a different variety and colour.

Top benefit: Vegetables are low calorie foods containing phytochemicals, fibre, vitamins and minerals. Each colour of vegetable provides different additional nutrients, like carrots are rich in alpha carotene, while spinach contains folate, magnesium and potassium.

This was first published in the September 2012 issue of Complete Wellbeing.

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