The festive season is here and how. Navratri, the nine-day festival, commenced on 29th September; Dussehra falls on 8th October this year; and soon we would also be gearing up for Diwali, which would be celebrated on 27th October 2019. To cut the long story short, these few days of festivities are often tied with a radical shift in our regular dietary patterns. For Navratri, many devotees observe ritualistic Navratri fasts/vrat, wherein they refrain from eating meat, fish and eggs. They adopt a light sattvik diet, legumes, lentils, and rice are also not part of a traditional Navratri meal. If you happen to be a diabetic, you must consult an expert before you start fasting. And when you get a go-ahead, perhaps you could keep these precautionary measures in mind as well.
Diabetes Diet: 5 Diet Mistakes To Avoid This Festive Season
1. Don’t indulge in too many sweets: Indian festivals are incomplete without sweets. Sweets made with milk, sugar and nuts are a mainstay in a typical Navratri vrat thali. But you very well know that indulging too much may topple your blood sugar levels. Therefore, practice moderation. For sweet cravings, you can always tuck into some fresh fruits.
2. Choose wisely: While you cannot include many grains and cereals in your Navratri fasting diet, but you still have plenty of vrat-friendly alternatives to choose from. Make a wise call. Buckwheat, water chestnut flour and singhara atta are packed with fibre, which enables slow release of sugar in the bloodstream and helps manage blood sugar levels. Sabudana makes for a healthy bet too.
3. Try to avoid a lot of potatoes: Potato is one of the most popular vrat ingredients; however, eating too many potatoes may wreak havoc on your blood sugar levels. Potatoes are packed with starchy carbohydrates. Practice moderation. Sweet potato is a good alternative to potatoes as it is a storehouse of complex (good) carbs.
4. Not staying hydrated: It is imperative for diabetics to stay hydrated at all times. Several diabetics complain of weak kidneys. Diabetics are often dehydrated because the kidney is overworked and is making you expel fluids at a rapid speed. It is, thus, very important for diabetics to keep drinking water to prevent them from feeling dehydrated.
5. Staying hungry for too long: It is not a wise idea to stay hungry for too long during fasting. You must keep snacking from time to time. Keep your snacks light; make sure they are dense in nutrients. (Think: fruits, nuts, baked snacks etc.)
