World Diabetes Day 2020: Ways to manage blood-sugar levels during Diwali

It is sheer coincidence that World Diabetes Day and the Indian festival of Diwali happen to be on the same day this year, that is, November 14. 

And as we all know, celebrations in India are incomplete without lots of food, sweets and drinks. But, for those who have diabetes, this could be a time when the individual needs to be more careful about what he/she intakes as unhealthy eating today can lead to problems tomorrow. 

An essential part of a person who has diabetes is to maintain or rather control their blood sugar levels. But given Diwali is a tempting time to indulge in junk, fried and all sorts of unhealthy food items, this could be a little difficult for some to manage. 

So, in order to get more perspective and an expert's view to how can one control blood sugar levels during Diwali, we spoke to Dr Mudit Sabharwal, Consultant Diabetologist and Head – Medical Affairs, BeatO, who listed a few pointers that one can be mindful of. 

Take a look. 

Regular monitoring: Be aware of your blood sugar levels by regularly monitoring it. This will help you in deciding what to eat and how much to eat. 

Choose Natural sweeteners over artificial ones: Try dates, raisins, figs, anjeer or fruits to sweeten your desert.

Mindful eating: Opt to grill, roast or bake your snacks instead of frying.  

Opt for healthy oils: Choose healthy oils like olive oil and canola oil in food preparation- rich in monounsaturated fatty acids helping to manage your sugar levels better.

Go for healthy snacks: Opt for nuts like almonds and walnuts and fresh vegetable salads with healthy and nutritious dips. Vegetables are highly fibrous food that would help in making you feel full and thus you will reduce the intake of other unhealthy stuff.

Protein intake: Choose Proteins like fish, chicken or soy over carbohydrates and fats for a meal or snack. Opt for food items rich in Omega 3, monounsaturated fats (MUFA) and polyunsaturated fats (PUFA) that help in bringing better blood sugar control.

Avoid unhealthy drinks: Avoid sugary fizzy and alcoholic drinks and go for coconut water and lemonade instead.

Exercise: Maintain your regular exercise, diet routine and stick to it with three major meals and frequent snacks.

Take medicines: It is extremely important to have your medicines and take insulin shots on time as per the schedule prescribed by your doctor.

Water intake: Drink plenty of water as it will help in cleansing the gut and will also give you a feeling of fullness, so you will eat less junk food.

Homemade sweets: Try making your own sweets at home so that you can control the carbohydrates, oil and sugar that goes in preparing them.

Distribute sweets that come as a gift: Distribute the sweets to others, especially needy ones, to avoid stocking them and having later yourself and prevent your efforts made for a healthy Diwali going in vain.