Onam sweets and diabetes: Follow these tips to keep your blood sugar levels in check

The only way is mindful eating, calorie counting or portion-sizing and the smart art of substitution, which means removing some carbohydrate component to accommodate another, says Dr Jahnavi Bhograj, Clinical Dietician, Manipal Health Clinic, Bengaluru

Payasam with moong dal, ghee and coconut milk has a low glycemic index because of the protein in the dal, the use of good fat and ghee, which again has a low glycemic index, jaggery and coconut flakes (Source: Wikimedia Commons)

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As with all festivals, the big question confronting people with diabetes is how much can they indulge their taste buds during Onam. Or more precisely, can they savour the sweet delicacies this time of the year? Are there any workarounds that they can follow without raising blood sugar levels? “The only way to relish the festival season is mindful eating, calorie counting or portion-sizing and the smart art of substitution, which means removing some carbohydrate component to accommodate another,” says Dr Jahnavi Bhograj, Clinical Dietician, Manipal Health Clinic.

“Payasam is a favourite dessert and there are many ways of preparing it, sometimes with rice and broken wheat. But the best variety of this dish that works for people with diabetes is the Parippu

Payasam with moong dal, ghee and coconut milk. This has a low glycemic index because of the protein in the dal, the use of good fat and ghee, which again has a low glycemic index, jaggery and coconut flakes. Similarly, you can use alternative ingredients without compromising on taste. For example, millets could be a great substitute for the usual carbohydrates in payasam. The glycemic index of millets is medium, may not be that low, but they have a favourable carbohydrate-to-fibre ratio. The American Heart Association recommends one gram of fibre for every 10 grams of total carbohydrate. Millets have 65-75 per cent carbohydrates and 15-20 per cent dietary fibre. Hence they lower the glycemic index of the dessert or sweet you may want to savour. You can top it up with dry fruits, which enhance satiety,” says Dr Bhograj.

She even suggests the right way to consume sweets. “If you really want to have a dessert at the end of the meal, then first cut out other food items from your platter, so that you can keep to the calorie allowance for the day. Have your food in a certain order. Begin with vegetables (basically load up on fibre), then move to protein like dals, grain and then dessert. This sequence would automatically restrict your craving for dessert and help you exercise portion control. Frontloading your diet with fibres and protein in your diet keeps you feeling full longer, delays digestion and avoids blood sugar spikes. It is better to skip payasam while having sadhya or the full meal spread. Still, if you do, then reduce the amount of rice and compensate it with an activity that reverses the effect. If you want to have a serving independent of meals, then have it after two hours of a major meal, making use of the snack time. But never overshoot your total calorie allowance for the day,” suggests Dr Bhograj.

One has to be mindful of blood glucose levels regardless of whether one is feasting or fasting (which might result in blood sugar dips), according to Dr Abhijeet Bhograj, Consultant Endocrinologist, Diabetes and Thyroid, Manipal Hospital. “Always be mindful of glucose levels while fasting or feasting. And I would say that for anybody with an average blood sugar count or HbA1c count of more than eight, even the slightest indulgence is a no-no.”

Even those with manageable levels of blood sugar should follow a certain drill, he advises. He suggests a few simple tips and tricks:

1. Burn your calories away. You may have to exercise and indulge in physical activity more.

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2. Sleep well. Sleepless nights mean your hunger hormone ghrelin surges and you may develop a craving for high-fat, high-sugar food.

3. Have fruits in between meals, say at 11 am and then at 4 pm, and that, too, not the overripe ones.

4. Keep yourself hydrated.

5. Have home-cooked sadhya than the one served at restaurants as you can have much better control over the amount of sugar, carbohydrates and calories.

6. Have your medicines at the same time and keep a testing kit at hand should there be any sugar swings.