Preparing the right meal for a diabetic can be a difficult task. The most important thing to consider is to control the blood sugar within the optimum level. With the proper diet and a decreased amount of sugary foods, you can reduce the risk of diabetic complications such as heart and kidney diseases.

Important nutrition and foods for diabetics

Carbohydrate

Carbohydrates are one of the major source of energy for the body and can be easily obtained because they are found in almost every food that contains starch and sugar. However, most carbohydrates will affect your blood sugar level, so consuming the right amount of carbohydrates and the suitable form of carbohydrate is quite important.

For a diabetic's daily intake, carbohydrates have to make up 45-65% of the total calories consumed per day. They are also urged to consume at least 130 grams of carbohydrates everyday as well. 

Carbohydrates that should be AVOIDED by diabetics:

• All forms of sugar, such as brown sugar, white sugar, Melaka sugar, rock sugar, and honey.

• Sugary drinks such as carbonated drinks, fizzy drinks, syrups, and sweetened condensed milk.

• Variety of jams and kaya (Malaysian coconut egg jam).

• Sweets, desserts, chocolates and cakes.

• Ice cream, sweet flavoured yoghurt, sweet flavoured lassi.

• Preserved food such as canned fruits dipped in syrup and gelatin.

Foods with complex carbohydrates that can be eaten with SOME RESTRICTIONS

Cereals and grain products:

• White rice or brown rice, porridge.

• Bread, biscuits, sugar-free cookies and cakes, oats.

• Pasta, macaroni, spaghetti.

• Noodles, vermicelli, kuey teow, laksa.

• Capati, roti canai, dosa, idli.

• Atta flour, rice flour and wheat flour.

Starch-rich vegetables:

• Carrots, potatoes, yams, breadfruit, corns and pumpkins.

• Radishes and turnips.

Lentils and beans product:

• Green beans, red beans, black beans.

• Peas, chickpeas, dhal beans and kidney beans.

• Papadom.

Milk and dairy products:

• Fresh milk, UHT, low-fat milk, creamer.

• Skim milk powder, full cream milk powder, low-fat milk powder.

• Natural yoghurt, sugar-free yoghurt.

Fruits (fruits are high in fructose, a diabetic can only consume a small amount):

• Apples, pears, oranges, starfruit.

• Ciku, kiwi, lemon, papaya, pineapple, watermelon, honeydew.

• Guava, mango, banana.

• Langsat, longan, rambutan, lychee, prunes, raisins, dates, mangosteen.

• Jackfruit, cempedak, durian.

Foods that can be consumed at will:

• Green leafy vegetables such as spinach, broccoli, Chinese broccoli, water spinach, long beans, tomatoes, cucumbers, parsley, and others.

• Suitable drinks for diabetic patients are sugar-free drinks such as Chinese tea, mineral water, plain barley, black coffee and black tea.

• Spices and herbs, such as chilli powder, curry powder, cinnamon, cloves, coriander, ginger, lemongrass, cumin, black pepper, tamarind and chia seed.

Fat

Daily fat intake should be around 25% of the total daily calorie. Normally, consuming food as usual can obtain you a sufficient amount of essential fat. Taking in excess fats will lead to an increase in calories that causes weight gain and an increased risk of heart diseases as well as hypertension.

The intake of saturated fats should be well controlled. For example, ghee, coconut milk, cream, coconut oil, margarine, and mayonnaise.

Proteins

Proteins are beneficial for promoting the growth of cells and muscles. Ideally, the daily diet should contain as much as 10-20% of protein out of the total calories. The examples of foods with high amounts of proteins are fish, shrimps, squids, skinless chicken, lean meats, soybeans, tofu, and tempeh and low-fat dairy products.

Fibres

Fibre is very good in terms of slowing down the absorption of glucose into the bloodstream. It also slows down the emptying of the stomach content so that the feeling of fullness lasts longer and can prevent constipation. It is recommended to get 20 to 35 grams of fibre intake per day from various food sources. There are two types of fibre:

• Water-soluble fibre such as oats, legumes, vegetables, and fruits.

• Water-insoluble fibre such as whole-grain products, brown rice, and wholemeal biscuits.

Diabetic products

Examples of diabetic products are diabetic jam and diabetic chocolate. However, these products also contain carbohydrates as well as artificial sweeteners, which claim to raise blood sugar levels and contain no calories. Please refer and consult a dietitian or nutritionist before consuming these products.

Diet schedule for diabetic patients

A regular diet schedule is highly recommended, especially one which contains three main meals: breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

Adapting a regular diet can help the patients to control their blood sugar levels more efficiently. If hunger kicks in before or after a meal, having additional meals such as high tea and supper are allowed, but the foods should just be in small quantities and sugar-free.

Furthermore, following a regular diet can also help diabetics remember the right time to take anti-diabetic medications.

This will prevent the patients from becoming hypoglycemic, the condition of having low blood sugar. Hypoglycemia is a common emergency condition that can be experienced by diabetic patients, usually after they missed a meal or overdosed on anti-diabetic medications. The symptoms of hypoglycaemia are trembling, palpitations, sweating, rapid heartbeat, blurred vision and nausea. What can be done is to consume up to 3 candies or mix a tablespoon of sugar in a cup with 250ccs of water and drink it immediately. Wait for 15 minutes and observe If the symptoms gave subsided. If the symptoms persist, you may repeat the steps above or visit any hospital or even clinics. If the blood sugar has returned to an optimal level and without symptoms, eat food as soon as possible to prevent relapse hypoglycemia.

Suggested eating schedules are:

• Breakfast, from 6 to 8 p.m.

• Lunch, from 12 to 2 p.m.

• Dinner, from 6 to 8 p.m.

• Supper, from 9 to 10 p.m.

Preparing food as described in Malaysian healthy plates can help people in acquiring a balanced nutrition, and it is suitable for diabetics. You may also refer to a dietitian and nutritionist for your meal plan.

Conclusion

Exercise is very important for diabetic patients too. Exercising for at least 150 minutes a week or 3 to 5 days per week can help your body’s insulin function more efficiently. Examples of exercise are brisk walking, jogging, cycling, swimming, and more depending on your interest.

For those who are looking for recipes for diabetics, you may attempt to follow the foods menu as described above. However, this could not necessarily apply to you. Hence, you may also modify food according to your preference. The fundamental aim is to minimise the use of any byproducts or seasoning such as sugar, oil and salt.

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