Diabetes (Diabetes Mellitus) :Some Guidelines

Diabetes is the outcome of poor lifestyle of modern life. More than 80% patients have been observed to be overweight with minimum physical activity under stress & pooor life style. It is a slowly progressive disease which generates life, limb & sight threatening complications after about 15 to 20 years after its onset & they affect various organs like heart, kidneys, eyes, nerves & limbs adversely. Even in todays time when Medical Science has progressed like anything, this disease has no cure. It can only be controlled by keeping the blood sugar level (BSL) within normal or near normal limits.
The total calories calculated for the patient must be followed by the diabetic patients. Eatables like sugar sweets, sugared aerated drinks, rice, potato can be taken in moderate quantities within the total calories calculated & advised to be taken in a day by the doctor. Intake of fats should be minimum. Fibre containing food items like fruits, vegetables, soyabean control BSL. Diabetic patients should consume wheat flour which has not been sieved. Edible eatables from maida should be consumed in minimum amount because of their low fibre content. Polished rice should not be consumed. Try to have vegetables & fruits with peels as they are rich in fibre. So consume them in plenty. Take minimum amount of fruits with high sugar content like mangoes, lichis, chikoos, etc. Diabetics can have plenty of salad.Sprouted dals are very beneficial. Avoid papads, pickles, sauces butter & preserved food items as their salt content is very high. Diabetics must restrain their salt intake to 5 gms only. Try to have chapatis made from whole wheat, jowar & bajra. Have whole wheat brown bread. Nonvegetarians can have eggs without yolk, fish & chicken. Try to have low fat milk & curd. Try to have food with high fibre level, as it forms the roughage in the gut which supports formation of bulk of waste mingled with some of the excessive cholestrol, some carbohydrate sugars & water which is passed out in the excreta thus helping in their reduction in the blood. About 40 to 50 gms of fibre must be consumed each day.
Here our readers must note which foood items have high Glycemic Index. (Glycemic index shows the speed with which a food item increases the blood sugar level. It is a myth that sugar raises the BSL too much. Sugar raises the BSL even slower than popcorn. The Gly. ind. figure of glucose is 100, honey 90, sugar 75, popcorn 85, bread, rice, boiled potato, biscuits, & chocolates 70, banana 60, jam 55, peas 50, rajma 40, dal 30, soya 15 & green
veggies is 15.
Note
This blog has been written in consultation with my sister Dr. Shalini Bansal, B.A. M. S.,M.D. & a few authentic books on Diabetes Mellitus.