How to Manage Your Blood Sugar This Navratri?
It’s the festival season again! After 2 years of not getting a chance to celebrate, we know you are all super-excited to get into the festive mode.
But for experts at Fitterfly, we want to make sure that you enjoy and indulge while keeping your blood sugar levels in control. Here are a few tips from our expert nutritionist to make sure you stay on top of your blood sugar levels while fasting and feasting this Navratri!
In this blog, we will help you understand how to enjoy the festival without giving up your favorite foods and how to safely fast this Navratri:
1. Take your medications on time and do not skip the dosage
This is an essential step in the daily management of your blood sugar but is especially important during festivals. Because there is so much to do and because we are more likely to eat something unhealthy, medicines can help reduce the risk of fluctuations.
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Make it a part of your routine. Or set an alarm on your phone to make sure you don’t miss it! Most importantly, remember to keep a stock of your medicines in your bag, just in case you’re visiting a friend or family member and not at home during the time you need to take the medicine.
2. Avoid taking high-fat and high-sugar sweets
Sweets like gulab jamun or jalebi are both fried and made up of refined flour which can raise your blood sugars not only instantly but also after 3-4 hours as the fats take a longer time to digest.
Instead, you can opt for having a small portion of mithai which is made of dry fruits with barfi which is dal-based (moong dal barfi, chana dal barfi, etc) But remember to stick to only one because it still has a lot of ghee in it. You can also opt for milk-based barfi with sweeteners.
3. Avoid indulging in fried foods
As mentioned earlier fats can give a delayed spike in your sugar so you can say no to stuffed aloo samosa and replace it with dal-based or vegetable-based pakodas (1-2), instead of puris sticking to parathas.
Indulge more in the delectable aloo gobhi, and chana masala. And always remember to balance your plate with protein, and fiber.
4. If you are fasting
Avoid taking high-fat, high-calorie recipes like sabudana vada or khichdi, instead opt for samai chawal khichdi with a bowl of spinach or cucumber raita.
If you are fasting the entire day and need to break your fast then also stick to the low-fat, low-sugar recipe or else it can raise your sugars instantly and dip suddenly which will lead to renewed hunger.
You can break your fast with a plate full of dal, mushrooms, or soya ki sabzi along with a small bowl of rice or 1-2 chapatis.
5. Stay hydrated
Make sure to drink a lot of water, including buttermilk, sabja water, tomato soup(unstrained), or a plain glass of lemon water. It will help you to regulate your body temperature. It will also leave you feeling full.
6. Portion control
Portion control simply means we need to reduce the amount of food that we consume each time. What you can also do for better portion control is trick your mind into eating less food.
Using smaller cutleries like plates or katoris makes us feel full quicker (psychological satisfaction). Share the food with your family member or a friend. It is always better to have frequent smaller meals rather than one large meal.
Fittertake
People with Type 2 diabetes might find it overwhelming to manage their blood sugar during festivals because let’s face it who doesn’t love the amazing festive recipes? But it is important to indulge in moderation.
You can use the Fitterfly App to track your meals, exercises, water intake, and blood sugar entries during this period. If you are part of the Fitterfly program you can reach out to your coach at any time to get insights on diabetes management anytime during the day.
If you want personalized insights and 24×7 insights about nutrition and other aspects of diabetes management, check out our programs – Diabefly & Diabefly Pro. Or contact us at: 022 4897 1077 (Ext 1)
