Diet
source: Bal Sandhu
If you are diagnosed with diabetes it is essential to make some lifestyle and dietary changes to avoid developing the complications related to diabetes.
What is the best diet for people with diabetes?
A balanced healthy diet is essential for managing diabetes. This means including a variety of different foods to your meals, low in fat and low sugar with a good amount of high fibre.
The most important points to consider with diabetes
Maintain a regular eating pattern through the day; this means that you must eat at regular times in the day. It is not helpful for your diabetes management if you have long gaps between meal times or if you have large meals once a day
Choose low sugar alternatives to drinks such as diet or no added sugar drinks and do not add sugar to tea and coffee.
Include a high fibre starch food at each meal such as wholemeal cereal, granary bread or chapattis made with wholemeal flour. Aim to have 3 fruits as snacks through the day and have plenty of salad or vegetables with meals.
Sweet foods such as Indian sweets can be eaten in small amounts as long as these are taken with meals, they are then less detrimental to diabetes control.
Daily 30 minute exercise such as walking is recommended for general wellbeing. If you are unable to walk consistently for 30 minutes then aim to do two lots of 10 minutes in a day.
