This article is dedicated to the diabetic patients:

 The Balance of Good Health should be based on the 'Nine Guidelines for a Healthy Diet', which are:

1. Enjoy your food

2. Eat a variety of different foods

3. Eat the right amount to be a healthy weight

4. Eat plenty of foods rich in complex carbohydrate and fibre.

5. Eat plenty of fruit and vegetables

6. Take small frequent meals

7. Don't eat too many foods that contain lot of fat

8. Don't have sugary foods like jams, jellies and jaggery too often

9. If you drink alcohol, drink within sensible limits.

Eat plenty of foods rich in Complex Carbohydrates and Fibre:

Eating more complex carbohydrate rich foods leads to gradual increase in blood sugar levels. This helps in better control of diabetes. Some rich sources of complex carbohydrates are:

a) Whole grain like oatmeal, unpolished rice, ragi, barley and bajra roti;

b) Whole wheat flour mixed with soy flour chapatti, adai, pesarattu, brown bread, etc.

Benefits of fibre:

Foods high in soluble fiber like cluster beans, guava, kidney beans (rajmah), gum acacia helps:

a) Delay absoprtion of carbohydrates and hence are unlikely to cause sudden rise in blood glucose levels;

b) Prevent constipation and reduce blood cholesterol and triglyceride levels thus helping to prevent heart disease.

Intake of Protein rich foods is a must:

Proteins are essential for growth, development and tissue repair. There might be increased loss of protein in diabetic patients hence it is essential of consume slightly higher protein than required by a normal person.

Some rich sources of protein are:-

a) Fish, chicken, egg whites;

b) Skimmed milk and milk based preparations;

c) Pulses, soybean and nuts (nuts are richh sources of monounsaturated fatty acids. These are helpful in improving lipid profiles (Cholesterol levels)

However, people with kidney disease (nephropathy) should restrict their protein intake. They need to consult their doctor/nutritionist to know the exact protein allowance.

Don't eat too many foods that contain a lot of fat:

Huge level of fats or lipids in your blood can cause heart disease, heart attack and stroke. It is therefore very important that you keep your lipids at a healthy level.

a) Use 3 tsp of oil in your food on a daily basis or half a liter/month

b) Choose leaner cuts of meat and lower fat version of foods such as skimmed or semi-skimmed or low-fat curd and cheese.

c) Trim all visible fat and skin from meat and poultry and choose cooking methods that do not add fat, for example grill/bake/roast instead of fry.

Use your oils in rotation:

Sunflower, groundnut, mustard, corn, soy bean and olive oil

Avoid/Sparingly

Saturated fats (like ghee, butter, coconut oil) and hydrogenatef fats (like vanaspati)

Eat five portions of Fruits and Vegetables daily:

Some people are not sure whether they can take fruits or not. However, there is no reason to avoid all naturally occurring fructose in fruits, vegetables, and other foods.

a) Fruits and vegetables are low in fat and high in fibre, so help to achieve the right balance between the nutrients in the diet.

b) They also contain vitamins, minerals and other substances known as phytochemicals which together help protect us from diseases such as cancer and heart disease. Moreover, liberal intake of B-Vitamins have shown to help prevent nerve damage in diabetes.

Fruit juices on the other hand contain a lot of sugar because plenty of fruits go into making a glass of juice hence they should be avoided. In addition, fruit juices do not add fiber as most of it is strained which in trun can raise blood sugar level instantaneously.