Simple Carbohydrates

These include ingredients like sucrose, glucose or fructose, or foods like sweets, candies, cakes, sweet drinks, jams.

Simple carbohydrates are rapidly absorbed and digested.

Result? They cause a sudden surge of sugar in your bloodstream which can cause problems. So they should be avoided altogether, or eaten in very small quantities.

Complex Carbohydrates (including fibre) Also called starches, these include whole wheat or wholegrain bread, whole wheat pasta, brown rice, beans, oats, most vegetables and fruits.

Complex carbohydrates are slowly absorbed and digested.

Result? They help to keep our sugar levels relatively stable.

3. Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables - Eat five portions of fruits and vegetables daily.However, there is no reason to avoid all naturally occurring fructose in fruits, vegetables and other foods.

4. Take small and frequent meals

5. Don't eat too many foods that contain lot of fat - All fats are high in energy (kilojoules). Eating too much fat can lead to weight gain, unstable blood glucose levels and higher blood fat levels.

The type of fat you eat is also important. People with diabetes have a greater risk of developing heart disease so try to eat less saturated fat, which increases LDL (the 'unhealthy' cholesterol).

Foods high in saturated fat include meat fat, full fat dairy foods, cream, solid cooking fats (such as butter, lard and ghee), oils such as palm and coconut, and products that contain these fats (for example fried foods, snack and convenience foods).

When you do eat fats, choose mainly:

• Polyunsaturated fats and oils - found in polyunsaturated margarines (check the label); sunflower, safflower, soybean, corn, cottonseed, grapeseed and sesame oils; oily fish such as herring, mackerel, sardine, salmon and tuna; nuts and seeds.
  
  
• Monounsaturated fats and oils - such as canola or olive oil margarines; canola and olive oil; avocados, nuts and seeds.

6. Don't have sugary foods like jams, jellies and jaggery (gur) too often as they are mere calories and result in rapid surge of blood sugar levels.

7. If you drink alcohol, drink within sensible limit - Ideally avoid it altogether. Alcohol behaves like a simple carbohydrate and can quickly destabilize your sugar-levels.

If you can't avoid it, drink ONLY in moderation and NEVER on an empty stomach. Although alcohol in small amounts can be fit into your meal plan if your blood sugar is under good control, drinking alcohol on an empty stomach can cause low blood sugar.

Alcohol can contribute to complications of diabetes, so ask your doctor how much alcohol can be included in your meal plan and then stick to it.

Author: Manita Jangid

(The author is a Nutritionist)