Controlling blood sugar level is probably a diabetic person’s topmost concern. It’s common to think that blood sugar management falls entirely in the realm of medicine, but the art of tweaking the diet favourably goes a long way.
Today I write about five easy dietary tweaks that can help you manage blood sugar. As with all effective and sustainable changes, these tweaks don’t ask you to overhaul your diet, but only to make minor adjustments.
The top 5 diet-based tips to manage blood sugar levels effectively:
#1
Cook & cool the carbs
Starchy foods like rice, pasta, potato and corn should be cooked one day in advance and refrigerated. Before eating it the next day, mildly warm up the starchy dish (take care to avoid excessive heat). The process of cooking and cooling the food forms resistant starch in the product. Resistant starch, as the name suggests, is difficult to break down, hence does not lead to a spike in blood sugar levels after it is consumed.
The caveat is that before eating it the next day, make sure to reheat it only mildly. Mild heat does not destroy the resistant starch crystals, whereas subjecting the food to excessive heat will break down the resistant starch, nullifying any benefit of the cooking and cooling process.
#2
Follow a nutrient sequence
The order in which you eat your foods in a meal can alter the way the blood sugar level behaves. To keep blood sugar in check, eat the protein-rich food first, followed by the fibre-rich food, and finally eat the starchy food (carbs, like roti, rice, poha, upma, etc.).
In a typical Indian meal, the order would look something like this:
1st: Dal / meat / paneer / tofu
2nd: Veggies (cooked and/or raw)
3rd: Rice / roti (to be eaten with another helping of veggies and dal/protein food)
#3
Avoid (over)ripe fruit
As part of the diabetic diet, always choose fruit that’s not overripe. Firm fruit that’s slightly on the raw side is preferable. A slightly raw banana is preferable to an overripe one with brown, spotted skin.
Make sure not to store your fruit for long periods or allow them to ripen too much. Fruit is best eaten at the just ripe or slightly under ripe stage. You should also eat the peels of fruit that are edible after washing them well with potable water.
#4
Pick low GI foods
As a general rule, the more processed a food, the higher its Glycemic Index (GI). GI is a measure of the food’s ability to raise blood sugar levels, which is why foods with low GI are preferred for diabetics. For example, steel cut oats are preferable to instant oats, which are processed. Instant oats is therefore more likely to cause a sudden spike in blood sugar. Reading food labels carefully is crucial because the profile of the ingredients used in any product deserves attention for many reasons, including the fact that it can influence GI.
#5
Use acidic ingredients
Creating an acidic medium for prepared food can blunt the blood sugar response. Adding acidic ingredients, such as lemon juice, vinegar or tamarind, to a dish is a great way to lower its GI value. The simple instance of adding a dash of lemon juice to poha and dal, or vinegar to salad and soup, does much more than just enhance its taste.
As I always say, it’s the little changes that bring in the big results. Stay tuned for more pieces on dietary tweaks that can help you achieve your health goals!
I love your little changes leading to results philosophy
Beautiful article, dear Sujata. Keep writing