Easy ways to maintain your blood sugar level during the festive season

Pavithra. N. Raj, Chief Dietician, Columbia Asia Referral Hospital Yeshwanthpur mentions a few factors that can lead to fluctuations in the blood sugar level.

1. Eating large servings of sweets, savory items, fried and fatty foods.

2. Consuming alcohol

3. The stress a person, especially women, may experience if they are hosting or arranging party at home.

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4. Eating food at irregular intervals or fasting which leads to hypoglycemia and weakness.

5. Missing out of any physical activities.

Consuming alchohol can lead to a spike in the blood sugar level. (Photo: Getty Images/Thinkstock)

Some tips to maintain healthy sugar levels

1. Healthy balance meal: Restrict high calories foods or simple sugars like rice, sugar and fats. Consume high fiber vegetable and salads and also a healthy portion of protein like lentils and pulses and small portion of healthy fats.

2. Concentrate on fiber rich food like:
*Wheat or broken wheat – khichdi, pulao, pongal
*Millets – sama chawal (banyad millet) rice, khichdi
*Amaranth flour – chapati, poori
*Buckwheat flour – poori, dosa, khichdi
*Rajgira – poori, parantha
*Makhana – kheer
*Sighare ke atta – roti, chapati samosa, poori

3. If you are preparing sweets at home, prepare with skimmed milk instead of full fat milk.

4. Use jaggery instead of sugar

5. For snacks, you can serve roasted makhana, peanuts, paneer, sighare (water chestnuts), pumpkin seeds, channa sundal, chivda instead of fried snacks.

Always make it a point to consume adequate amounts of water during the day. (Photo: Getty Images/Thinkstock)

6. Opt for baked and grilled food instead of deep fried ones.

7. Avoid second helping, and keep a check on the portion size. Pre-fasting meal can be complex carbohydrates and foods that have a low glycemic index such as whole grain foods, lentils and nuts.

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8. Hydration: Include plenty of water, soups, and butter milk in your diet.

9. Regular meal timings: Follow the small and frequent meal pattern. Fasting or feasting should be avoided.

Do not forget to exercise on a regular basis. (Photo: Getty Images/Thinkstock)

10 Exercise: Regular exercise is important to burn the excess calories consumed. If fasting, then excessive physical exertion must be avoided

11. Relax: Tension or stress also may increase the blood sugar level. So try to pre-plan your day instead of keeping it for the last minute.

12. Self-monitors and checking blood sugars: Daily blood test is important at home.

13. Medication: Consuming medicine on time also helps keep the sugar level under control.

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