Sushmita Sengupta | Updated: April 08, 2019 10:04 IST
It is not easy managing diabetes. A diabetes-friendly diet comes with many restrictions. Even the most 'healthy' foods could set your blood sugar levels racing (Read: fruit juices). Diabetes is fast emerging to be one of the most rampant conditions across the globe. Characterised by too much sugar in the blood (high blood glucose), diabetes is often linked with many other health complications such as obesity and stroke. According to WHO, in the year 2014, 422 million people were diagnosed with diabetes across the world. The WHO also said that the prevalence of diabetes is steadily increasing in the past 3 decades and is growing most rapidly in low and middle income countries. Lack of awareness about diabetes management and its complications, delayed diagnosis, can make the condition worse and even lead to untimely death.
When it comes to diabetes, one has to be extra careful about their diet. Due to abnormal metabolising of carbohydrates, a diabetic is advised to ditch refined carbs and take complex carbs instead. Diabetics are also recommended to take low glycemic index foods. The glycemic index (GI) is a relative ranking of carbohydrate in foods according to how they affect blood glucose levels. Carbs with low GI value (55 or less) are digested, absorbed and metabolised slowly and cause a gradual rise in blood glucose.
(Also Read: Does Having Sugary Food Cause Diabetes?)
When it comes to diabetes, one has to be very careful about their diet.
While a lot of experts have spoken about a perfect diabetes diet, many of these 'diet tips' don't take into account a diabetic's tussle with 'liquid calories'. Yes you heard us, liquid calories. So you have been good, avoided all refined carbs and loaded up on whole grain foods and later in the day chugged in whole bottle of an aerated drink. This act of yours may undo most of your healthy efforts to manage diabetes naturally. Diabetics should steer clear of aerated and sugary drinks. Various studies and reports have time and again reinforced that these drinks are full of liquid calories and can cause major spike in the blood sugar levels. A can of fruit juice is not one of the healthiest substitutes either. Fruit juices, especially packaged fruit juices are loaded with fructose that elevates the blood sugar levels. However, there is one juice that you can have, and that juice may also help regulate your blood sugar levels naturally. We are talking about karela juice or bitter gourd juice.
Karela juice is an excellent beverage for diabetics.
How To Make Karela or Bitter Gourd Juice
About Sushmita SenguptaSharing a strong penchant for food, Sushmita loves all things good, cheesy and greasy. Her other favourite pastime activities other than discussing food includes, reading, watching movies and binge-watching TV shows.