Diet for Diabetic Patients in Kerala

An essential part of diabetes treatment is meal planning.

Here we discuss which Kerala diabetic diet plan or what foods for diabetic patients in Kerala is ideal.

It is often seen that a diabetic person adjusts the food according to his taste.

Some people follow food restrictions based on the incomplete knowledge they get from the media and social media.
All this is not at all healthy and can be dangerous at times.
What are factors to be considered by a diabetic patient?

• Age
• Body weight
• Nature of work
• Measure for labour

A diabetic person should adjust their diet, keeping all of these in mind. You should also check that the food you eat is suitable and compatible for the body.

Best Diet for Diabetic patients in Kerala 

A diet for diabetes should be formulated by prioritizing grains and vegetables available in each locality in a particular climate. 

Breakfast for diabetic patients in Kerala

Breakfast is the food the body gets the first thing in the morning after a very long interval. Most diabetic patients have high blood sugar levels in the morning, so choose an appropriate breakfast. 

Three things are to be noted:

• What to eat?
• How much to eat?
• When to eat?

Our breakfast is generally high in carbohydrates, so we must be cautious about quantity.

It is advised to have 30 to 45 grams of carbohydrates. Breakfast should be prepared in a way that includes carbohydrates and protein.

Appam egg, dosa/ idli, or sambar are breakfast food. Idli can be eaten up to four a day, and it can be eaten with sambar or chutney.

Along with idli, we can have sambar or chutney. If it is dosa, you can have two or three.

Care should be taken to use significantly less oil while making dosa.

Along with dosa, sambar or chutney can be eaten. One cup of upma cooked with various vegetables can be consumed. Utmost one and half cups can be eaten.

Two appams can be eaten along with an equal amount of chana curry. Try to have breakfast before 8 am itself.

Lunch

People in Kerala typically have a rich and heavy meal with various side dishes for lunch. Diabetic patients can also have a rich and heavy meal.

Rice is the main course item for Keralites. We have been told that diabetic patients are not supposed to eat rice for a very long back.

Some people omit rice entirely from their diet during the initial stage of diabetes.

But most people find it very difficult to not have even a bit of rice during lunch.

Having a cup of rice or a quarter plate of rice is advisable.

It is good to maintain the habit of a healthy dish. The plate can be filled quarter with rice, half with boiled or nonboiled vegetables, and a remaining quarter with daal and other peas or fish curry.

It is how diabetic patients should be having their lunch.

Diabetic patients should have fish curry during lunch meals.

Eating fried fish should be avoided. Increased oil intake can increase the blood sugar level and reduce the insulin levels in the blood.

It is better to prevent pappad, fryums, and coconut grinded chammandhi. Those who really want chammandhi can reduce coconut and add other ingredients to prepare chammandhi.

There must be at least 25 per cent of protein in diabetic patients’ food. Fish, Soya chunks, pea, daal, and chicken are all sources of food rich in protein.

• Eat salads daily.
• Do not add mayonnaise, vinegar, and other preservatives to the salad. 
• Instead, lemon extract can be added 
• If you eat a salad before meals, you will need to eat only less food during meals. 
• Having buttermilk or soup before lunch helps you lower the amount of food you eat during lunch.
• Basmati rice, green peas, and a bit of boiled chicken cooked to form a pulav-like dish is a good lunch item.
• It is not good to eat tapioca and jackfruit along with rice.
• Eating lunch on a small plate will automatically lower the amount of food you eat. 
• Lunch must be eaten at least by 1 pm in the noon.

Diabetic people can have three main food and two mild and intermediate food. Oil-fried items and other bakery items must be strictly omitted from the diet.

Dinner

A diabetic patient should have a considerably moderate dinner. 

You must have your dinner before 8 pm at night.

You can eat three chapathi made of whole meat and fish curry, chicken curry, or vegetable curry.

People who dislike chapathi can eat dosa made from whole wheat.

Once in a while, you can have rice bran soup (kanji). While preparing this kanji, it is advisable to remove the initial water in which rice is cooked and add water the second time and boil it again.

Some additional diet tips for diabetic patients in Kerala 

Maintaining a healthy diet and food habits can keep diabetes at bay. You can prepare a healthy diet by considering your preferences, likes, and dislikes. Those people who follow a diet because of diabetes should also consider the following points mentioned below:

• Include vegetables, fruits, grains, fish, and meat in your diet.
• There should be a proper interval between each meal. Also, there should not be a gap of more than five hours between meals during the daytime.
• Should be very careful while eating food rich in carbohydrates.
• Do not eat the same food items daily.
• Eat vegetables with low starch levels in salad form.
• Drink fruit juices along with main meals. Sugar-free fruit juices need to be taken only in tiny tumblers.
• Never drink fruit juices during the interval time between two main meals. 
• Eat vegetables rich in fiber in the form of salad or curry during lunch and dinner.
• When having meat, avoid adding coconut or eating fried meats. Since chicken has fewer calories than mutton, it is advisable to have chicken than mutton or other meat.
• Eat small fish such as sardine, maceral, etc. Avoid big fishes.
• Eat a boiled egg.
• Use vegetable oil instead of animal fats. 

Facts and misconceptions regarding Kerala’s diabetic diet.

Is it true that reducing the intake of sugar prevent diabetes?

Some people avoid adding sugar in tea or coffee, or other drinks at a very young age to prevent diabetes.

This conception is wrong because avoiding sugar alone doesn’t prevent diabetes because sugar (glucose) reaches our body from almost all foods.

It’s okay to eat sweets within the calorie limit of the day, but eating sweets along with foods rich in carbohydrates will increase your blood sugar level.

If the food is a fried item, it can increase your oil intake also. It can be harmful.

Excessive sweets can lead to obesity.

It is a factor that increases the risk of diabetes.

It is essential to know what kind of sweets are taken.

The sugar contained in fruits, fructose, is better than one held in sugar, sucrose.

Can diabetic patients drink payasam ( sweet stew-like traditional dish)?

A diabetic patient can have payasam when they feel like drinking.

Care should be taken take half a cup of payasam containing less sugar only. ( Almost 60 ml).

 Also, need to reduce the intake of the day’s remaining meals.

Which fruits are safer for diabetics patients to eat? Are dates recommended?

According to their blood sugar level, a diabetes person needs to control fruits.

 If the blood sugar level is under reasonable control, then a diabetes person can moderately eat fruits.

 Apple, orange, watermelon, robust and guava, etc., are permitted.

Avoid processed fruit products and dried fruits.

Dates belong to this category, So better to avoid dates.

Along with the selection of fruit, time for eating is also essential.

Avoid having fruit right after having lunch.

It is always best to eat them intervals gap between the main meals.

Is it true that a diabetic person can eat as much wheat as he wants?

The general misconception of diabetic patients is that they can eat wheat as long as they avoid rice.

But the amount of starch you get from wheat is the same as the amount you get from rice.

Three ample size chapati is equivalent to eating four cups of rice.

Therefore whatever you eat, it essential to control the amount of intake.

Is it necessary to avoid rice altogether?

When choosing rice, what should care?

Rice is an integral part of the daily diet of Keralites.  

Preparing a diet for diabetics people by completely removing rice was not found to be successful.

So you needn’t stop yourself from eating rice, but reduce the amount of intake of rice.

Kerala’s Diabetic diet advises you to select rice with a low glycemic index.

Glycemic index is a measure of the ability of each food to raise blood glucose levels.

Foods with a high glycemic index tend to grow blood sugar faster, and you need to control it. 

Non-bran kinds of rice have a lower glycemic index than white rice, so try to eat non- bran rice in small amounts.

Is it okay for a diabetic patient to fast?

If a person with diabetes who is taking medication or taking insulin is fasting, the risk of hypoglycemia is very high.

It is a misconception that you can skip any one of your meals and makeup by eating a little more in the next meal.

Eating the right amount at the right time is essential for diabetes control.

Avoid fasting and eating sadhya ( traditional Kerala food containing many dishes usually served on a plantain leaf).

Is dieting/ food control necessary for a diabetes person under medication?

This is a misconception that diet control is not necessary if they are taking anti-diabetic medication.

Diabatic Management can only be effective if diet and exercise are in the right way and the medication prescribed by the doctor.

Can The diet and calories of a person with diabetes be changed day today?

The biggest complaint of a diabetic’s diet is that they have to eat the same food every day.

For this, use a food exchange method.

You can group similar food items into separate groups.

So that you can choose different food from the same group that gives you the same amount of energy and protein, which will help you vary your diet, but it has many limitations.

 For example, all members of the oil group have the same energy, but you should control unhealthy butter and vanaspati.

Apart from this, the quantity to serve the cooking method affects blood sugar level.

So it is a good idea to have a rough idea of which foods increase your sugar intake.

It is not good to vary your calorie intake every day.

What specifications should bring in the diet of children with type 1 diabetes?

When controlling food in children, it is essential to ensure that they get enough nutrients.

As they are in their growth stage, they should get all of the starch, meat and fat, nutrients, proteins all in the right amount.

You can give Healthy fats

( nuts) in small portions.

 Avoid Excessive calorie-containing saturated bakery products.

As they are taking insulin, make sure to feed them properly at regular intervals.

It can be three main meals and three intermediate meals ( snacks).

What is the truth behind saying that diabetic people should eat more fibre-rich food?

Fibre can help prevent a sudden rise in blood glucose levels.

The best way to get more fibre in your diet is to eat plenty of whole grains, vegetables, and fruits.

What is the best food which diabetic patients can eat?

The purpose of the patient’s treatment is to control the level of glucose in the blood as well as to prevent other complications.

You should take both of these factors into account in maintaining the diet of diabetic people.

Other factors that need to consider are the diet, age, gender, and body weight of a diabetic patient.

The daily diet should include whole grains, low-fat meats, fish, legumes, and vegetables.

For a snack, you can consist of boiled peas, sprouted beans also. Include salad for lunch and dinner chapatti.

Diabetics people need to eat at regular intervals along with maintaining a balanced diet.

The gap between two meals affects the metabolic functioning of the body.

Better to have dinner before eight o’clock, and need to care to chew the food slowly.

Can you eat diabetic people eat tapioca and other tubers?

Tubers have a high glycemic index, which can cause a rapid rise in blood glucose levels.

Tapioca and potatoes have this problem.

Dried kappa has a lot of energy compared to green kappa.

According to Kerala diabetic diet and diabetic people should avoid them.

What is the breakfast menu suitable for diabetic patients?

Steamed breakfasts have a lower glycemic index than other foods.

According to  Kerala diabetic diet, Idli Dosha and  Sambar are good for breakfast.

White bread is not good.

Bread with whole grains is a little safer.

The cooking process also affects the glycemic index.

For example, cooking using oil and coconut.

Foods prepared from semolina are not so good.

The glycemic index is high. Considering the number of calories, four tablespoons of semolina is equivalent to four chapattis.

 Since Oats are whole grains, they are rich in fiber. Oats have a low glycemic index compared to corn flakes.

So oats are a better option for diabetic patients.

But the amount of intake is a matter.

Half cup to one cup is good and also avoid sugar.

Add skim milk containing less fat.

Some diabetic patients sweat a lot after eating. Why?

Gustatory sweating is the state of excessive sweating after a meal.

Reduce the amount of food intake.

Eat food-rich fibre,  avoid spicy foods.

All these can reduce this condition.

Autonomic neuropathy is responsible for such a condition.

In rare cases, some people may need to take medication for this problem.

Do Fenugreek and bitter gourd help in controlling diabetes?

Fibre present in Fenugreek is water-soluble.

These help in absorbing the glucose and fat present in the blood.

Roast Fenugreek and take one teaspoon before meals or mix this power in chapatti dough.

Or it can be combined with Buttermilk and taken.

Studies have shown that the peptide contained in butter guard acts like plant insulin.

But all these are to be taken along with medications         ( supportive therapy).

You are not supposed to make any changes to the medication you are taking.

Is artificial sweetener suitable for diabetic patients?

Artificial sweeteners used instead of sugar are low in calories and relatively safer.

Artificial sweeteners belonging to the noncaloric group don’t increase the blood glucose level.

But pregnant women and lactating mothers should use it only after consulting this with their doctor.

We at Saatwika Ayurveda, which provides the best ayurvedic treatment in Kerala serve satwik food.