Is it a curable disease?
Do I have to live with this my whole life?
How do I control it?
Can I control it?
These are common questions that are being asked by people who are suffering from diabetes or diabetes mellitus. And my answer to each one of them is – it’s a condition that you can control. No doubt Diabetes today is one of the world’s largest health challenges and the number of people diagnosed is rising dramatically. Diabetes is serious, but it’s not at all impossible to manage it. It’s not impossible to reduce its effects. All this is achievable if people with diabetes choose to make healthier food and living choices. Eating healthy while trying to keep a check on your weight is essential for diabetics and choosing a wrong diet could harm more than doing good. If you have diabetes you need to select nutrients that have low glycemic index and low glycemic load in order to maintain stable and desirable glucose levels. Diabetics experience considerable oxidative stress and to combat the free radicals in their bodies, they need a diet which is rich in antioxidants. Besides antioxidants, they should also focus on eating lean protein, high-fiber, less processed carbs, fruits, and vegetables, low-fat dairy, and healthy vegetable-based fats to maintain stable blood glucose levels while providing essential nutrients for the body to function well. Diabetic diets have to be planned taking into consideration the type of diabetes and the lifestyle of a patient (which varies from person to person). Therefore a sustainable diet and lifestyle program, like the one I have designed is needed to improve the quality of life – one where you can take control of diabetes.
The aim of Sonali Malik’s diet plan for diabetes is to:
- Identify the root cause of diabetics and understanding the lifestyle.
- Perform a nutritional assessment together with analysing the eating habits and preferences.
- Provide phase 1 of diet plan with activity plans.
- Provide weekly meal planning.