Problems of diabetic patients increase during festivals. But if you use some other things instead of sugar then they can also enjoy sweets. Festivals are celebrated in every house by enjoying various types of sweets. It can be said that without sweets every festival seems dull. All the foods prepared during festivals are mostly rich in sugar and fat. More importantly, consuming Diwali dishes in excess can be harmful for people suffering from various health conditions. Therefore, diabetic patients need to take care of their eating habits during festivals.
What does medical science say?
Scientifically, it is considered appropriate to choose sweets with low GI i.e. glycemic index, and low GL i.e. glycemic load. Balancing these with fiber-rich foods and keeping portion control in mind helps manage blood sugar levels effectively. Prefer low GI sweets such as barley-based sweets, which have a GI of 22 and GL of 11 or less. Oatmeal cookies, which have a GI of 55, GL 9-11, and oatmeal cookies, which have a GI of 55 and GL 38, can also be a good option.
What should we eat?
You can use gram flour laddu (which has GI 24 and GL 11). Homemade laddus also helps in controlling sugar along with high protein and fiber. You can eat sweets that use jaggery, such as laddus made with jaggery, seeds, and dry fruits. They are rich in antioxidants and high in fiber and also have low GI.
Coarse grain sweets like coconut, gum, millet, which contain protein, fiber, omega, and various minerals, can also be taken for diabetes. Apart from this, fruit custard is also a good alternative to sweets, which can be made with glycemic fruits like apples, pomegranates, and cherries with skimmed milk. This is a good and fresh homemade option for diabetes.
Instead of sugar in food items, you can bring natural sweetness with black raisins, honey, dates, figs, and fresh fruits. Also, it can be made more delicious by using cardamom, cinnamon saffron, etc.
Take special care of some things
Generally, before consuming sweets, eating things rich in protein and fiber and then eating things rich in fat and carbohydrates slows down the process of absorbing sugar in the body, which helps in controlling blood sugar. Keep in mind, consume sweets only in limited quantities because excessive consumption of sweets in any form can increase the blood sugar level, and consuming only homemade dishes or sweets always proves to be effective in maintaining a healthy routine.
In diabetes, it is important to maintain a balanced healthy routine and fixed breakfast and meal times. Additionally, daily exercise can be especially helpful in balancing the extra calories you consume in the form of sweets. Always consult a dietitian or health care professional to create a plan tailored to individual health needs to promote a healthy lifestyle.
(PC: Freepik)
