Diet tips for Diwali and christmas

Festival Diet tips Festivals are celebrated all over the world and are times of excitement, decorations, presents and of course rich and delicious foods. For people with diabetes , this surely is a testing time. Be sure to have a good time, but don’t take any chances with blood sugar levels. Festivals mean fasting, feasting or both and can make you lose control over your blood sugar levels For people with diabetes, there is a thin line between fasting and feasting • Fasting for long hours can cause dehydration and Hypoglycemia. • Feasting without control can raise your blood sugar levels. Festive season means a variety of food and a lot of socializing with family and friends. It is quite possible that you may be less cautious about dieting. 1. Choose foods rich in fruits and nuts over those which are too sweet or oily. 2. If you still don’t want to miss out the fun, opt for low fat snacks and sweets prepared with artificial sweeteners. 3. Use low-fat or skimmed milk while preparing the puddings and other dairy products. 4. Stick to drinking sugar free, diet drinks or fresh fruit juices which have lots of natural sugars 5. Avoid having alcoholic drinks. If you must drink alcohol, have in moderation and along with food. Have a bedtime snack to avoid low blood sugar over night. 6. Avoid having high sugar, high fat and high calorie food after completing the fast as these can raise your blood sugar levels. 7. Have fiber rich foods like wheat, semolina, beans, brown rice, fruits, vegetables and salads before and after fasting. 8. Exercise during times, when you are not on fasting and avoid strenuous exercise. 9. Stop your fast if you feel dehydrated, sick, or notice signs of high or low blood sugar. 10. Get plenty of rest and sleep to avoid being tired 11. Meditate to relieve stress 12. Aim for 30 minutes of physical activity, 5 days a week 13. Check your blood sugar levels frequently to catch-up with fluctuations 14. Do not skip your medicines. 15. If you are on insulin, talk to your doctor about change in dose if required. 16. During fasting carry chocolate / biscuits to avoid hypoglycemia. 17. Avoid red meat, if you want add chicken / fish in the form of curry/ grilled /boiled / roasted. 18. Reduce salt intake, daily 5 gm permissible. 19. Do some yoga /meditation to control stress. 20. Avoid starchy / bakery foods and preservative foods.