Diwali 2021: How To Manage Your Diet If You Are A Diabetic

Diwali is a time of fun, lights, music and food. We cannot spend a Diwali that doesn't carry the aroma of hot pakoras or the taste of sweet jalebis. The foodie in us often wakes up when it's a time of a festival like this. While it's alright to indulge a bit in festive food, overindulgence can cause health problems. For diabetics, indulging in sweets, fries or too many carbs can cause health issues. In order to avoid those, here are some tips for diabetics to manage their blood sugar levels during Diwali:

1. Regulate Your Carbs Intake
 

Don't just focus on consuming less sugar. Carbs can also cause a spike in blood sugar levels. Carbohydrates disintegrate into glucose in our body and more amount of glucose can cause problems among diabetics. If you are indulging in small quantities of sweets this season, make sure to cut down on your carbs consumption or distribute it across meals.

2. Complex Carbs
 

Complex carbohydrates, unlike refined ones, take time to break down. Refined carbs like sugar break down easily into glucose and cause a spike in blood sugar levels. A slow breakdown process ensures that the body stays energised without affecting the sugar levels.

3. No Alcohol
 

If you want to manage your sugar levels during Diwali, stay away from alcohol. Alcohol contains high amounts of carbohydrates. This will adversely affect the glucose assimilation in the body in the case of diabetics. Hence, don't indulge in alcoholic drinks and choose water or healthy drinks instead.

4. Don't Skip Meals
 

The basic rule behind maintaining your blood sugar level during the festive season is not to skip meals. This may ultimately result in overeating. And, it can badly affect the body, especially for people who face problems of high blood sugar levels.

5. Plan Your Meals
 

It's important to plan your meals ahead of time. This allows you to balance not just the sugar content of one meal but the sugar and carb content across the meals and snacks you will have during the day.

6. High GI Foods
 

Read the glycemic index of any food item before consuming it. Eat foods that have high GI as they are more fibrous and more complex. Hence they take time to break down and digest.

7. Eat Fruits
 

If you are craving too many sweets, stop yourself. Instead of indulging in sweets, eat fruits. In fact, you can use fruit pulp or juice to make sweets at home.

8. Control The Portion Size
 

Try to eat less if you are eating frequently. Eating on small plates sometimes helps to deal with the inclination to overeat.