Myths and Facts about regulating diabetes
Diabetes Myths and Facts
Currently,around 65 million people are diagnose with diabetes in India and this number is one the rise. A healthy life style is the best preventive measure against diabetes,even if one has a family history. This means at least 150 minutes of exercise a week. It also means building healthy food habits on a daily basis and this requires planning and commitment not only the patient but by the family members too
Healthy diabetic menu plans – Meals plans
Diabetes Myth 1 – Eating healthy is expensive.
Fact
Sensible planning will save your health and your pocket:
- Look for sales in the supermarket; prepare a grocery list before purchasing groceries.
- Buy seasonal fruits and vegetables.
- Fleuse leftovers – toasted sandwich or stuffed rotis, or even a vegetable.
- Base your meals according to the family’s food choices, adjust portions, make healthy alternatives within the same menu like brown rice and dal, oats and poha.
Diabetes Myth 2 – People with diabetes cannot eat the same food other members of the family are eating.
Fact
Diabetics can make simple changes to a menu with food items that are enjoyed by all the family members by adding healthier options but consuming the same in small portions.They can eat brown rice, sambhar, oats, poha and vegetables instead of eating white rice, bread etc.
Diabetes Myth 3-People with diabetes cannot eat dessert.
Fact
Follow a healthy eating plan which includes occasional sweets. This allows you to enjoy the flavour and a social occasion without harming the diet. For example, try two teaspoons of kheer with fruits like apple or pomegranate,instead of just a bowl of kheer.
Myth 4- I cannot get diabetes, there is no one in my family who has diabetes.
Fact
Your lifestyle, that is your food,exercise, alcohol consumption and smoking play a major part in developing diabetes, even without having a family history.
Diabetes – Myth 5 Getting treated for diabetes means becoming insulin dependent.
Fact
Diabetes can be treated with both medicines and insulin. ln fact, in the most harmonious treatment diabetes and the most effective.Also sometimes, insulin is used temp bring the sugar in control.
Myth 6 lf !don’t feel anything, don’t need to check my sugar levels.
Fact
Most people do not feel anything when they have diabetes which is what makes it a silent killer. Not checking your sugar levels is like driving a car without a speedometer or sitting for an exam without a watch.
Diabetic Menu Plans – Healthy Diet
Insulin – Where to inject? Tips for injecting insulin
- Insulin – confusion and misconcepts
- Tips for injecting insulin
Diabetes food and taste – Food products
Diabetes – Motherhood with diabetes
- Diabetes – What happens to diabetes related complications during pregnancy?
- What happens to diabetes related complications during pregnancy ?
Diabetes – How diabetes diagnosed? How to prevent diabetes?
- What are the types of diabetes?
- How diabetes diagnosed?
- Symptoms of diabetes
- Why control diabetes?
Top 5 Diabetes myths –
1. Avoid banana but apple is ok
All fruits contain natural sugars, mostly fructose which is low on glycemic index. Banana is even approved by American Diabetic Association but shunned by doctors & dietitians in the country of its origin. Banana is not just safe but recommended for people with Diabetes as it is mineral rich and helps prevent high BP too.
2. Avoid sugar in chai/ coffee but biscuits like marie and digestive are ok.
That teaspoon or even 2 of sugar in your chai is much better than that low grade sugar, transfat and emulsifier rich biscuit/ cracker. The thing is if you see sugar as a problem, you may continue having your chai/ coffee/ cola without sugar. If you must beat Diabetes then you must see that the real risk comes from unregulated intake of food and misinformation about what is good or bad for you. So have the chai with sugar but limit it to max 2-3 cups a day and dont touch biscuits and the likes.
3. Ghee specifically and fat in general must be avoided.
Nothing could be further away from the truth. Addition of fat lowers the rate at which blood sugars climb and dont over burden insulin (the hormone responsible for blood sugar regulation). Ghee and coconut both have the essential fatty acids that further support insulin, protect the heart and help maintain the intestinal mucosa. So if you are Diabetic, the one thing that you cant afford to miss out on is fat and more specifically ghee. Eat loads of it.
4. Walking is the best exercise, cardio is good.
Lift weights and join a gym. Train your big muscles and develop strength in them as loss of strength from the body is directly linked to insulin resistance and incidence of Diabetes. If you are Diabetic, gymming is the best exercise for you.
5. Once you are Diabetic, you stay Diabetic.
Not true. Its easy to regulate blood sugars and support insulin function through the right approach to diet, exercise and lifestyle. Its important though to take it a step at a time and medical journals are slowly but steadily waking up to the fact that their diet guidelines have been way off the mark. Thats exactly why Diabetes drugs are the highest selling drugs in our country even though everyone is off their favourite food and “watching their diets”.
We have been systematically taken away from our native eating habits and introduced to new ones to live more healthier lives. But in the bargain we have gotten fatter, sicker and Diabetic. Its never too late to change though, start small, start with the basics – workout, eat like the way your grandmom taught you to and regulate your bedtime. Your stress and sugars both will climb down and your confidence will climb up.
For more info on food and exercise read –
1. Indian Superfoods
2. Dont lose out, workout (strength training chapter)
3. Dont lose your mind, lose your weight