{"id":3902,"date":"2022-07-20T11:53:54","date_gmt":"2022-07-20T06:23:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.fitterfly.com\/blog\/?p=3902"},"modified":"2024-06-12T16:45:25","modified_gmt":"2024-06-12T11:15:25","slug":"how-to-control-diabetes-with-indian-food","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.fitterfly.com\/blog\/how-to-control-diabetes-with-indian-food\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Control Diabetes With Indian Food?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Manage diabetes with healthy Indian food<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Indian cuisine has a global reputation of being diverse and highly flavourful. Thanks to a huge chunk of the population being vegetarian, our daily meals have an assimilation of many grains, legumes and vegetables. Your average Indian meal could be a great way to <\/span>manage type 2 diabetes<\/span><\/a> without having to spend money on fancier, non-local alternatives. Let\u2019s find out how.<\/span><\/p>\n

The pulse power<\/b><\/h2>\n

One of the best things about Indian food is its incorporation of lentils and pulses in an average day-to-day <\/span>thali<\/span><\/i> in almost every Indian household. Pulses<\/a> have a <\/span>low glycemic index<\/a><\/span> and make for a filling meal. To make the most of your daily <\/span>dal <\/span><\/i>consumption<\/span>, <\/span><\/i>soak the lentils for at least an hour before cooking. This not only reduces the cooking time but also helps you avoid flatulence. You can choose from a wide variety: <\/span>Moong, Arhar, Chana, Masoor, Moth, Urad, Chhola, Matar, <\/span><\/i>etc<\/span>.<\/span><\/i> Try to include the whole pulse or the non-skinned version of these <\/span>dals<\/span><\/i> more to increase the soluble fiber content in your diet.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Millets<\/b><\/h3>\n

Whole grains are more fibrous and have more nutrients<\/a> than refined white grains. This is one area where major tweaks are needed because the majority of the country, especially the urban populace, is heavily dependent on wheat and white rice for its carbohydrate needs. We need to include more regional grains like millets – <\/span>Jowar, Ragi, Bajra, Kuttu. <\/span><\/i>These used to be a part of our <\/span>thalis <\/span><\/i>until the Green Revolution. It is high time we bring them back in our diet. These grains have a <\/span>lower glycemic index<\/span><\/a> and are rich in iron, magnesium, potassium and other important minerals and nutrients. Feather on the cap? They are <\/span>gluten-free<\/span>! Rotis and parathas made of multigrain flour is a much healthier option.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

You can replace white rice with unpolished brown rice or <\/span>Daliya<\/span><\/i> (broken wheat). <\/span>Daliya <\/span><\/i>makes for a good breakfast alternative. You can also make it into a<\/span> Khichdi <\/span><\/i>with<\/span> Moong Dal<\/span><\/i>. A comforting <\/span>Bajra Khichdi <\/span><\/i>is another healthier option.<\/span><\/p>\n

Seasonal, non-starchy, leafy vegetables<\/b><\/h3>\n

In-season and regional leafy greens are bountiful in our country. <\/span>Palak <\/span><\/i>(Spinach), <\/span>Sarson<\/span><\/i> (Mustard leaves), <\/span>Methi<\/span><\/i> (Fenugreek leaves),<\/span> Bathua <\/span><\/i>(Chenopodium album)<\/span>, Kulfa <\/span><\/i>(Purslane)<\/span>, Sahjan <\/span><\/i>(Moringa) are full of iron, calcium, magnesium, zinc and what not! They can be prepared in negligible cooking time and don\u2019t always need elaborate preparations to taste good. <\/span>Palak Paneer <\/span><\/i>is a good example, provided that you do away with the usual dollops of cream, <\/span>ghee<\/span><\/i> and fried <\/span>paneer<\/span><\/i> cubes. Made with blanched spinach leaves mulched into a coarse puree, with fresh paneer cubes, is a much healthier version. You can even make simple dry <\/span>bhajis <\/span><\/i>with other leafy greens combined together in minimal oil, with just some garlic, salt, turmeric and red chili powder.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Other non-starchy vegetables like bottle gourd, bitter gourd, cabbage, cauliflower, pumpkin, eggplants, carrots, peas are a good, easily and locally available source of much needed nutrients that help you <\/span>control diabetes.<\/span> Just be mindful of how you prepare them – switch from heavy frying or grilling to steaming, blanching, parboiling. It is a much better option to pressure cook your veggies and then add a <\/span>tadka<\/span><\/i> to them in your everyday cooking.<\/span><\/p>\n