Checklist for Diabetes- Best Diet for Insulin Dependent Persons

Type-2 diabetes has become very common these days due to stressful & inactive lifestyle, improper diet and even hereditary factors. Whatever the causes of diabetes may be, it is very clear that such patients have to maintain their daily routine with great care. This makes their lives easier with diabetes and can even get them out of insulin dependency. Here is a list of Do's and Dont's for someone who's taking insulin.

• Have regular and balanced meals. It's essential to maintain a steady level of glucose in the blood.
• Select whole grain flours and cereals like whole grain atta, brown rice and whole wheat bread. If possible, use mixed grain atta prepared from wheat, gram flour, fenugreek and soya. Refrain from taking foodstuff made from refined flour such as biscuits, pasta, sandwiches, burgers and pizza.
• Take more of legumes or dals, especially those which are eaten with husk like chana, moong and black masoor.
• Include vegetables like spinach, broccoli, cabbage, tomatoes, cucumbers and lettuce in your diet.
• Avoid starchy vegetables like raw banana and potatoes. Carrots can be taken once in a while but potatoes are a complete 'no-no'. Potatoes cause blood sugar to shoot up in a very short time. Since diabetics don't have enough insulin to clear up the sugar from blood, it poses a problem.
• Take fruits like apples, oranges and muskmelon but avoid those high in sugar like mangoes, bananas and chikoo.
• Non-vegetarians can take fish and chicken breast. These are, in fact, great for them.
• Avoid red meat altogether.
• Have 1-2 eggs per week.
• Milk, curd and paneer prepared from low fat milk are fine. However, soyamilk is great as it has low levels of lactose and saturated fats.
• Don't take sugar and honey.
• Sweet or dessert can be taken occasionally- like once in two weeks or so. However, the total amount of carbohydrate for such sweet dish should be consistent.
• Avoid artificial sweeteners. They aggravate diabetes.
• Cooking oil should be selected very carefully. Oils like mustard oil, olive oil, groundnut oil, safflower, sunflower or soyabean oils are all fine.
• Ensure to have meals that don't make blood sugar very high or very low during the day. Do not, in any condition, give a gap of more than 3 to 4 hours between meals.
• Eat smaller portions at every meal. Top this up with some nutritious snacks.
• Ensure to drink at least 8 glasses of water each day. This helps in avoiding dehydration.
• If you can't leave, at least limit the intake of caffeine and alcohol.
• Exercise regularly. This helps in weight loss and makes the body cells more receptive to insulin. Ideally, diabetics should walk for about 40-45 minutes daily or for at least five days a week.
• Cycling, swimming, tennis, aerobic dancing and rope skipping are also good for diabetics. However, if having other problems like high blood pressure or heart related issues, they must first consult their doctors about their exercise routine. Walking is, anyway, safe for everyone.
• There are certain yoga asanas that specifically cure diabetes. Learn them from professional yoga trainer before trying them out.