Diet Chart for Diabetes

Introduction

Diabetes is a condition in which the sugar levels in the blood rises above the normal level. Sugar levels get increased in the blood due to decreased insulin production and unhealthy lifestyle habits. Increased level of sugar can damage the heart, eyes, liver, and other organs of the body. Ayurveda deemed Diabetes as Madhumeha which states “Sweet (honey like) urine”. Increased blood sugar levels cause excess secretion of sugar in the urine as well.
The signs and symptoms of diabetes include excess thirst, increased frequency to pass urine, digestion problems, inflammatory lesions, wasting of muscles, diarrhea, fever and necrosis.

Causes

Diabetes is a Kapha disorder developed due to imbalance of Kapha dosha. The imbalance can occur due to an unhealthy diet and lifestyle habits such as excess or lack of sleep, lack of physical activity, consumption of sweetened food items, unrestricted intake of yogurt, etc. Imbalanced Kapha Dosha decreases the digestive fire (Agni) which further slows down the body metabolism. This phenomenon increases the blood glucose levels in the body.

Diet Chart for Diabetes

Consumption of a balanced nutritious diet is essential to tackle diabetes by normalizing the blood sugar levels. In this segment, we have shared a generalized diet plan which if followed by diabetic patients might avoid a rise in the blood glucose levels.

Early morning- A glass or two of water + 1 teaspoon Fenugreek seeds/ Amla powder
OR
1 glass Copper pot water + 5 Mint leaves + 1 or 2 Tulsi leaves

Breakfast– Veg Oats/ Veg Idli/ Veg Vermicelli/ Veg Upma/ Veg Khichdi/ Besan pancake/ Missi Roti/ Chapatti with Vegetable or Dal/ Egg whites

Mid-morning– Sprouts/ Coconut water/ Salad/

Lunch– Chapatti with Vegetable + Dal + Salad/ Fish/ Chicken (Occasionally) (Add 1 tsp Fenugreek seed powder 30 minutes before lunch)

Evening– Roasted Chana/ Herbal tea/ Homemade soup

Dinner– Chapatti with Vegetable + Dal + Salad/ Nutri Nuggets

*Completely stop the usage of Sugar in your diet

Foods To Have

Cereals: Oats, Whole grains, Whole Wheat Flour ratio: Wheat flour (1 kg) + Chana flour (250gm)
Fruits: Apricot, Peach, Loquat, Pear, Plum, Blackberry (Jamun), Melon, Papaya, Guava, Apple, Pomegranate, Orange and Amla
Vegetables: Curry leaf, Mint, Turnip, Coriander, Green pepper, Green chili, Ginger, Beetroot, Cucumber, Broccoli, Fenugreek leaves, Green beans, Peas, Pumpkin, Radish, Round gourd, Ridge gourd, Bottle gourd, Capsicum, Mushroom, Spinach, Beans, Cabbage, Cauliflower and Okra (Bhindi)
Pulses: All split lentils and legumes Frozen pulses only
Dairy products: Tofu Whole milk and Cream, Butter, Full fat Yogurt, Cheese and condensed milk
Spices: Cinnamon, Fennel, Pepper, Ginger, Turmeric, Coriander and Cumin
Drinks: Amla juice, Herbal tea, Bottle gourd juice, Bitter gourd juice, Coconut water, Neem juice and Giloy juice
Flesh foods: Chicken soup, Roasted or Grilled fish and Egg whites
Dry fruits and seeds: Sesame seeds, Flax seeds, Chia seeds, Pumpkin seeds, soaked walnuts and almonds
Oils: Olive oil, Canola oil, Soybean oil, Cow ghee (Only in small amounts) Note: 500 ml of cooking oil to be used per month
Other foods: Homemade products only All bakery items, artificial sweeteners, sweets, jams, fruit jellies, sauces, coconut bar, chocolate, cream soups, ice-cream, mayonnaise, pickles and fried foods

Foods To Avoid

Rice, Refined sugar, Whole refined flour and its products
Sapodilla, Dates, Grapes, Litchi, mango, banana
Potato, Taro root, Sweet potato, Eggplant,Yam, Jackfruit, Frozen and Canned vegetables,
Frozen pulses only
Whole milk and Cream, Butter, Full fat Yogurt, Cheese and condensed milk
Red chilies
Carbonated beverages, Cream based liqueurs, Alcohol, Whole milk drinks, Sugarcane juice, Canned and Packaged soup
Egg yolk, Rabbit, Turkey, Ham, Lamb, Pork, Lean beef, Crab, Lobster, Prawns, Red meat, Goose, Duck, Mutton and organ parts like Chest, Liver and Kidney
Peanuts, Raisins, Cashew and Pistachio
Hydrogenated oil, Cream, Butter and Trans-fat
All bakery items, artificial sweeteners, sweets, jams, fruit jellies, sauces, coconut bar, chocolate, cream soups, ice-cream, mayonnaise, pickles and fried foods

These are generalized diet guidelines which may prove to be beneficial for diabetes. Diet may need to be altered according to your medical parameters.