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Planning and preparing meals in summer can be a tedious affair. The discomfort of cooking in kitchen, often the warmest area of the house, may discourage one to experiment with their culinary skills in the season. Thinking of food that can whet appetite and takes less time to prepare is surely a challenge in hot summer months. However, having a meal plan ready for the sweltering summer days can come handy, especially for people with diabetes, who can’t afford to take short cuts or skip important food groups that can aid in managing their blood glucose levels. (Also read: Diabetes: Must-have foods to manage your blood sugar in summer)
Diabetes as we all know is a metabolic disorder, that’s on rise all over the world mainly due to the modern lifestyle that allows lesser time to stay active and eat healthy. Diabetes can lead to many complications for your heart, kidney, eyes and other health issues if the disease management is not up to the mark and the excess sugar remains in the bloodstream to wreak havoc on health.
Breakfast can play a crucial role in diabetes management considering it’s the most important meal of the day. The right breakfast can also keep your energy levels up throughout the day and your moods better.
“Diabetes is a lifestyle disorder and can be managed well by making lifestyle changes. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day as it will kick start the day and help people with diabetes, especially on medication, prevent hypoglycaemia, better sugar control, and give the right nourishment to keep them active in the day. But the right combination of foods for breakfast is very important which will decide if it will spike the sugar levels or maintain them,” says Avantii Deshpaande, Clinical Nutritionist, in an interview with HT Digital.
Avantii suggests 5 best breakfast ideas for people with diabetes this summer:
1. Yoghurt fruit parafait
This will help combine all good groups. A simple recipe which has a fruit, yoghurt or dahi along with granola can be a quick and easy on-the-go breakfast recipe. For people with diabetes, the original recipe can be tweaked a bit by replacing flavoured yoghurt with plain Greek yogurt or regular home-made curd. In summer, the choice of fruit could be a mango and you can also enjoy the delicious fruit in the best way possible. In place of granola, one can use roasted nuts and seeds mixture so that there is no extra sugar. The whole recipe can be topped with soaked sweet basil seeds to give a summer cooling effect.
How it prevents blood sugar spike
If you use a mango or any other fruit in this recipe along with curd and nuts it will reduce the glycaemic load of the fruit, ensuing that the sugar spike does not happen.
2. Paneer paratha, dal chillas, or eggs
Kick-start the day with a protein breakfast rather than carb-rich one like poha or upma. Dal chilas, eggs, idli with sambhar and chutney, parathas made with paneer, mixed besan, methi can be a good choice. For better management of diabetes make sure that you include protein in every meal.
How it prevents blood sugar spike
A protein rich breakfast always has an added advantage of keeping the sugar in control along with muscle building and better satiety.
3. Include loads of fibre
Make sure to include fibre in the breakfast. Fiber-rich foods include fresh fruits and vegetables and whole grains. It is best to add a fruit with a protein-rich breakfast when you have diabetes. A lot of times having a mixed fruit and vegetable juice like cucumber celery juice, tomato and mint juice or orange carrot with spinach, would be a great idea for the summers. But make sure that you keep the fiber intact and do not strain the juice.
How it prevents blood sugar spike
High-fibre foods take more time to digest and thus helps prevent sugar spikes.
4. Include good fats
Make sure to include good fats in your breakfast if you have diabetes. Good fats are the foods high in omega-3 fatty acids. Almonds, walnuts, flax seeds, melon seeds, chia seeds etc are great sources of omega-3 fatty acids. If you are in a hurry and want to ensure you get the nourishment for the day, consume a smoothie made with almonds, chia seeds and a fruit so you get the much-needed nourishment for the day. Having soaked sweet basil seeds with water is also a great way to get the dose of omega-3 fatty acids.
How it prevents blood sugar spike
Healthy fats can play an important role in regulating blood sugar levels by supplying anti-inflammatory and antioxidant benefits that can help regulate metabolism and body’s response to insulin.
5. Hydrate well
You can end the breakfast with a glass of lemon water with black or pink salt added. This ensures that you get the electrolytes from the salt along with the lemon juice which is rich in vitamin C. Lemon juice will help in the absorption of the iron from the food too.
How it helps manage blood glucose levels
Studies have suggested that staying hydrated can keep blood sugar levels in control. Drinking adequate fluids in summer can also prevent dehydration which could worsen diabetes.
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