When I did the piece on disease – fighting fruits, we got a mail from one Akeem Subair who simply wrote that it would be appreciated if we go a step further than treating fruits and illnesses generally. I am so sorry that I have delayed in responding. But, it’s better late than never. I hope this meets your expectations. Having said that, it is high time we started looking for diet solutions to our medical challenges, considering the fact that we are what we eat and drink. You can also face the challenges of healthy condition by embracing appropriate diet.
The proper diet is essential for diabetic treatment. It helps magically in patients suffering from diabetes. It provides relief from symptoms and various complications in diabetics. Many diabetic patients can control their blood glucose by losing weight and that is possible only be proper diet. A doctor/dietician chiefly decides the foods to be eaten by diabetics. Because that diet is mainly healthy, interesting and easy to follow. It is no longer a boring diet schedule. People with diabetes are twice the risk of developing heart diseases, so they should reduce the intake of saturated fats, and cholesterol like meat and dairy products that are major sources of satuarated fats.
Instead, they should make use of unsaturated and mono unsaturated fats like mostly vegetables oils are high in unsaturated fats and olive oil is a good source of mono unsaturated fat. It is the healthiest type of the fat. American Diabetic Association recommends that the diabetic person should eat high fibre diet. It has been shown that the foods with fibres, such as fruits, vegetables, peas, beans and whole grain breads and cereals helps in lowering the blood glucose level. The patients with diabetics should eat green leafy vegetables like Ghiya, Tinda, Tori, Kheera, Cabbage, Lettuce, Muli Palta, Palak, Capsicum etc. He should at tomatoes, bitterguard (Karela), amla powder, methidan powder, Jammu beej powder, Goondkatira (in milk), Garlic. Diabetic patient should have tea without sugar, lemon water (without straining), Clear vegetables and Dal soup, whole pulses, plain aerated water, clear tamarind (imli), water, Jaljeera, coconut water, diluted khatti lassi (buttermilk),
BITTER GOURD
It is also known as Bitter Melon or Karela. Bitter melon is the English name of Momordica Charantia. It is a green cucumber shaped fruit with gourd like bumps all over it. It look s like an ugly, light green cucumber. It is firm like a cucumber and tastes very bitter. It is used as a food as well as medicine. It grows in topical areas, including parts of East Africa, Asia, the Caribbean and South America. Bitter Melon is chiefly helpful in the treatment of diabetes and psoriasis. The seeds, leaves and vines of Bitter Gourd are used extensively. The leaves and fruit have been used occasionally to make teas and beer, or seasonal soups in the western world.
APPLE
Apple is the delicious fruit and most of the people enjoy eating apples. It has been found beneficial in the treatment of diabetes because of its rich pectin content. It is a natural ingredient found in the inner portion of apple. It helps in detoxification of the body by providing galacturonic acid which is needed for the elimination of various harmful substances from the body. This food also decreases the body’s insulin requirements. It has been strongly said that “An apple a day keeps the doctor away”. Apple is one of the wonderful gift of God to man for a healthy diet. Apples are also rich source of potassium. It is also a fighter against dangerous bacteria and viruses. It is one of the oldest fruits that man consume. Apple eaters achieve a good health that non-apple eaters never attain throughout their life.
ARTICHOKE
It is also known as Agathi flower. Artichoke contains large amount of insulin, hence it is used for the treatment of diabetes. Artichoke also contains large amount of potassium, calcium, iron and sulphur which is required by the body to perform various vital functions.
BENGAL GRAM
It’s Indian name of Chana. It is an important component of Indian diet. It possesses an anti diabetic properties. These seeds are rich in fibres. They reduces the rate of glucose absorption and also decreases the gastric emptying, thereby preventing the rise in blood sugar levels following a meal. Due to its presence in the body, the cells become more sensitive to insulin and an increase in the number of insulin receptor sites occurs and there is a stimulation of the cell’s ability to burn glucose. It also causes less glycosuria (i.e. passage of sugar in urine), thereby lowering fasting blood sugar levels and also lowers insulin requirements.
PROTEINS
Diabetics should eat proteins in moderation and prefer fish or soy protein, poultry on meat. High fat meat should be strictly avoided.
CURD OR YOGURTS IN DIABETICS
The popularity of yogurts has been continuously grown. There is also a growing demand for puddings, desserts and other artificial dairy products. It incorporate a bacteria into the digestive system that stimulate the pancreas. It cleanses the pancrease form its waste products and acids and therefore helps in the production of more insulin and provides favour for the diabetics patients. Yogurt is an ancient wonder food. It is also strongly antibacterial and anti cancer. A cup or two of yogurt a day boosts immune functioning by stimulating production of gamma interferon. It also increases the activity of natural killer cells that attacks viruses and tomours. A daily cup of yogurt reduces colds and other upper respiratory infection in human. Yogurt also fight bone problems such as osteoporosis because of their high calcium content.
ONION
It is known to cure virtually everything. It is an exceptionally strong antioxidant. It words off diabetes, hay fever, blood clot, fights asthma, chronic bronchitis etc. Onion extract is found to reduce blood sugar levels during oral and inter venous glucose tolerance.
OATS
Oats help stabilize blood sugar, have estrogenic and antioxidant activity. High doses can cause gas, abdominal bloating and pain and some.
BROCCOLI
It is a super source of chromium that helps regulate insulin and blood sugar. Therefore, it is considered to be an effective anti-diabetic food. It reduces needs of diabetics. In case of milk diabetes, chromium may prevent the onset of complete disease. Along with diabetes, it is a complete package of versatile disease fighters. It has antiviral, anti-ulcer activity. It is most protective when eaten raw or lightly cooked. It is extremely high in cancer fighting activity. Like other vegetables, it also speeds up removal of estrogen from the body, thus helping to suppress the breast cancer. It is also rich in cholesterol reducing fibres.
BEANS (LEGUMES, SOYABEANS)
It is excellent food for diabetics. They are very highly in fibres. It is also a potent medicine in lowering cholesterol. One half cup of cooked beans daily reduces cholesterol an average 10 percent. They regulates the blood sugar levels in human body very well.
GARLIC
Garlic have significant blood sugar lowering action. The active ingredients in it are believed to be allyl propyl disulphide (APDS) and diallyldisul-phide oxide (allicin). There may be some other constituents such as flavonoids, which also plays an important role. These ingredients lowers the blood glucose levels by completing with insulin for insulin-inactivating sites in the liver. This results in an increase of free insulin. The additional benefit of the use of the garlic is its beneficial cardiovascular effects. They are found to lower lipid levels, inhibit platelet aggregation and are hypertensive. So, the liberal use of garlic is recommended for diabetic patients.
JAMBUL FRUIT
The Jambul tree is found mainly in India and its seeds have been used for centuries because of their medicinal properties. This fruit is the best choice for the control of diabetes as it reduces the blood glucose level. Its seeds contains Glucoside, Jamboline and Ellagic acid due to which the conversion of starch into sugar is reduced; if there is excessive production of glucose.
The use of Jambul seeds for Diabetes was also confirmed by “Shaligram Nighantu. Pharmacopia” in ancient India, Jambul seeds reduces the passage of sugar in urine quickly and they have been also effective in controlling diarrhoea. The jambul fruit also consists of Resin, albumen, gallic acid, essential oil and tonnic acids. In earlier times, the inner area of the Jambul tree was used in the treatment of diabetes. The bark of the tree was burnt. It produced a while coloured ash.
This was them pestled in the mortar and finally placed in a bottle. The diabetic patient was then given about two grams of that ash in the morning on empty stomach and two grams was given in the afternoon and in the evening an hour after meals.
SOYABEANS
Soyabeans in any form like whole beans or sprouts, soya flour, Soya milk, have been proved to control the blood sugar levels in diabetics. It is also best in preventing neurological complications like, numbness of feet and shivering of hands that is very common among many diabetics. Soyabean bread is known to form a very good food for diabetes.
It contains very little amount of starch but contains high amount of fat and proteins, both are of excellent quality. Hence, along with its richness in proteins, it also exerts a valuable effect in lowering urinary excretion of sugar in people suffering from diabetes.
GROUNDNUT
They shows a great influence in controlling the blood sugar level in diabetics. It has been advised that diabetic patients should eat handful of groundnuts per day. Along, with its use in diabetics, it is also used to prevent malnutrition. It reduces the deficiency of Vitamin B or niacin. It also prevents the development of any vascular complications.
GRAPEFRUIT
It is an excellent fruit for diabetics. It not only controls the blood sugar level diabetics but also prevents diabetes in person who are at greater risk/or have tendency to develop diabetes. Grapefruit is included in Citrus fruits category because it has very good flavourer it has very good flavour, produces appetite in patients and refreshers the patient.
Hence, this anti-diabetics like-lettuce, Tomato, Almond, Banana (uripe banana which is cooked as a vegetable is beneficial for diabetics), legumes, Tea (tea made from the parsley or leaves of walnut are good for controlling diabetes), buttermilk (The lactic acid present in the butter milk, activities the pancreas and thus more insulin is secreted which controls the blood sugar levels the blood sugar levels), Brewer’s Yeast (This contains high source of mineral chromium and this mineral causes increased secretion of insulin from pancreases.
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