On World Diabetes Day, here are five culinary tips for diabetes patients.
Thursday is World Diabetes Day, a day dedicated to raising awareness of the effects of diabetes and the difficulties it causes.
We looked at how to treat cooking for a diabetic person with the help of Nhluvuko Ngobeni, a dietitian, and here’s what he said.
1. Dull nourishment:
Beans, potatoes, spaghetti, paprika, and bread are examples of boring foods. They all produce starches, which are broken down into glucose and used as food for our cells.
The problem with such bland foods is that they can quickly increase blood glucose levels. There are some safer bland food options for diabetics that affect blood glucose levels more steadily, such as whole-grain flour, whole-wheat pasta, oats, dark coloured rice, and darker pap.
These are rich in fibre, which makes the stomach-related system working well and delays gastric purging, and the whole grains also help to protect the heart.
2. Foods high in protein, such as beans, almonds, eggs, beef, and fish
Meat and fish are rich in protein, which makes your muscles remain healthy. However, a healthy eating regimen excludes red and cooked meat (ham, Vienna sausages, and wieners), which have been linked to cancer and heart disease. Furthermore, when cooking food for a diabetic, be certain to remove or strip all visible fat from the meat.
3. Dairy ingredients and substitutes
Calcium and protein are available in milk, cheddar, and yoghurt, which are helpful to one’s bones, teeth, and muscles. However, since certain dairy foods, especially soaked fat, are high in fat, it is best for a diabetic to choose low fat or fat-free alternatives.
Low-fat or fat-free milk, low-fat or fat-free yoghurt are some examples.
4. Oil and butter
We need some fat in our diet, but we need less saturated fat. This is because certain soaked fats will raise cholesterol levels in the blood, increasing the risk of heart disease and stroke.
Olive oil, vegetable oil, and spreads made from these oils, as well as almond margarine, are some of the most beneficial soaked fat nourishments that can be used to prepare for diabetic patients.
5. A high-fat, high-salt, and high-sugar diet
As a diabetic, you don’t need to worry about any of these as part of a healthy eating plan. The fewer times you do so, the easier. Rolls, crisps, chocolate, desserts, spread, and sugary drinks are among these items.
Sugary foods and drinks are rich in vitality and increase glucose levels, so use diet light or low vitality options instead. Instead of salt, herbs such as parsley, paprika, pepper, garlic, onion, rosemary, ginger, oregano, and cove leaves can be used to season the food. While salt is used, no more than one teaspoon can be consumed every day.
Eating a lot of salt increases the risk of hypertension, which raises the risk of heart disease and stroke. Furthermore, once you have diabetes, you are already at a greater risk of having these disorders.
