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Bite these Snacks if you are diabetic

Planning three times meals for a diabetic is not a difficult task but, snacking options is what they lack information in. I personally realised this when I was planning a menu for my Mom who is a diabetic. I prepare meals for her and I tried every possible new dish, a recipe that I knew. However, after a point, it was a task for me. Finding snack option was like most of them were packed with carbs and this raises the insulin levels.

Then I researched on the same and got these healthy snacking options. These can help other diabetics too. The key is to choose snacks that are high in protein, high in fibre and healthy fats so that it keeps you a full until your next meal. The choice of food should be nutrient dense.

hard boiled eggs

  1. Hard-boiled Eggs: Why this? Because its protein content really shines and perfect to slow down the spike in blood sugar levels.

yogurt with berries

  1. Yoghurt with Berries: It’s an excellent diabetic friendly snack. Its rich in antioxidant prevents damage to cells of the pancreas. Their high flavonoid content helps with regular blood sugar. Limit to one serving per day.

nuts and seeds

  1. Nuts and Seeds: Nuts like almonds, walnuts, pecans, pistachios are perfect on the go snack. They are high in good fats, good carbs and a lot of fibre for appetite control. You can opt for seeds like pumpkin, flaxseed, sunflower. Grab around 15 (a small handful) and make sure not to go overboard, because they are high in calories.

hummus-raw-vegetables

  1. Hummus with Raw Veggies: This is another delicious snack that diabetics can enjoy without any guilt. Hummus is high in fibre and healthy fats and low in carbs. Take around 1/3 of a cup of hummus and dip with bell peppers, carrots, cucumber, celery, or broccoli.

avocado

  1. Avacado: Perfect snack option! The high fibre content and mono-saturated fatty acids in avocado make it diabetic friendly, preventing blood sugar to spike high! Since its high in calories, restrict to half or one-fourth avocado at one time.

apples with peanut butter

  1. Sliced Apples with Peanut Butter: Yummy! You can eat any fruit simply or have it with peanut butter. Apple is rich in Vitamin C, B and Potassium while peanut butter is rich Vitamin E, Magnesium and Manganese. All of which is known to help manage Diabetes. Both are rich in fibre. The polyphenol antioxidants they contain are thought to protect pancreatic cells from damage that often worsens diabetes.

beet and carrort

  1. Beet and Carrot sticks: Simple, easy, and basic is sometimes the best. Perfect office carrying snack. The beta-carotene, fibre, and antioxidants will help to level blood sugar and keep you feeling full. 8-12 carrot is a good amount to go.

boiled beans

  1. Boiled Beans: Super healthy and filler to curb your hunger pangs. Beans are an excellent source of antioxidants, Fibre, Protein, B Vitamins, Iron, Magnesium, Potassium, Copper and Zinc. Consuming them prevent blood sugar spikes and help lower insulin levels after meals.

edamame

  1. Edamame: They are unripe, green soybeans that are still in their pods. They are a very nutritious and convenient snack. It improves insulin resistance. It is typically served steamed, and you can enhance its flavour by mixing it with seasonings of your choice.

chicken and veg soup

  1. Chicken and Veggie soup: It’s like chicken noodle soup, but skip the noodles!  Use chicken and any and all low carbohydrate vegetables you can think of. Seriously, it would be hard to go wrong. The high protein intake, water, and fibre from the veggies make it one of the most satiating and diabetic friendly snacks around.

protein bars

  1. Protein bars / Protein powder: They are a great snack option for diabetics due to the amount of protein they provide. They are quite filling too. You can make protein bars homemade by using peanut butter, whey protein and oats flour. To add sweetness you can use a small amount of raw organic honey or add dates/figs.

cchia seed pudding

  1. Chia seed pudding: Chia seed pudding is made by soaking chia seeds in milk until the mixture achieves a pudding-like consistency. It’s a healthy snack for people with diabetes because chia seeds are rich in many nutrients that help stabilize blood sugar, including protein, fibre and omega-3 fatty acids  The fibre in chia seeds can absorb a significant amount of water, which may help control diabetes by slowing down the digestion process and release of sugar into the blood

popcorn

  1. Popcorn: Air-popped popcorn made with coconut oil is one of the best healthy snacks for diabetics. It’s high in fibre and can easily be made in about 5 minutes on the stove. Sprinkle a bit of rock salt and enjoy!

Tuna roll 1

  1. For NON VEG lovers – Tuna and Turkey roll up is a great handy snack. They are essentially a breadless sandwich wrap consisting of turkey breast slices wrapped around low-carb contents of your choice, such as cheese and veggies. Because of its high protein content. It prevents your blood sugar levels from rising too high

Snack your way and keep blood sugar under control. Stay healthy and happy!

We hope these snack ideas help you manage your diabetes more effectively while keeping your taste buds satisfied. Remember, the key to maintaining stable blood sugar levels is choosing snacks that are high in protein, fiber, and healthy fats. Stay healthy and happy by incorporating these nutritious options into your diet. For more tips on managing diabetes and healthy snacking, check out Healthy Reads or consult a GOQii Coach by subscribing to Personalised Health Coaching here.

#BeTheForce

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What Happens To Your Body When You Eat Too Much Sugar

too much sugar

“You are what you eat, so eat something sweet” is a very sweet quote but has a bittersweet reputation when it comes to health! Did you know that carbohydrate, an essential micro nutrient, is a producer of sugar? Sugars, in fact, are simple carbohydrates which are easily absorbed and digested by the body. It is an empty calorie food, has zero nutritional value and provides only energy. It is naturally found in lots of foods. For instance, as fructose in fruits, as lactose in dairy and dairy products and different cereals and grains. 

Is It Really A Villain Of Good Health? 

Along with negatives, sugar has many positives: 

  • It makes anything taste better
  • Provides immediate energy to your body 
  • Naturally found sugars in foods like fruits and vegetables have little effect on blood sugar and are considered healthy
  • It increases happy hormones

Adverse Effects Of Eating Too Much Sugar 

Too much of anything is bad, and the same goes for sugar! Here are some ill-effects it can have on your body: 

  • Weight Gain or Obesity: Too much consumption of white sugar can contribute to weight gain or obesity, due to it’s high calorie content. When eaten in excess, it gets dumped into cells and gets stored as fat and results in weight gain.
  • Type 2 Diabetes: Excessive intake creates problems for pancreas. Body monitors blood glucose levels and produces insulin to help control it. When blood glucose level is high and has more glucose than your body needs, cells become insulin resistant, the control breaks down, blood sugar rises to dangerous levels and leads to Type 2 Diabetes.
  • Hurt your Heart: There is a clear relation between sugar consumption and high BP. Eating too much can harden the arteries and damage heart tissues, which is a major risk factor for heart disease and stroke.
  • Tooth Decay: It is the primary food source for bacteria that can grow in your mouth and cause tooth decay.
  • Non Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD): is a metabolic stress related liver disease. A diet high in sugar and specially fructose, can trigger your liver to store fat which can lead to NALFD.
  • Hampers Immune Function: It can interfere with the immune system as bacteria and yeast feed on sugar. So excessive glucose in the body causes these organisms to build and cause infections.
  • Accelerates Ageing: When it enters your bloodstream, it attaches to protein. The mix of these proteins with sugar causes loss of elasticity and increases premature ageing. Thus, it can mess with your skin by contributing to wrinkles and sagging.
  • Increases Risk of Developing Gout: Gout is an inflammatory condition that causes pain in the joints. Added sugars raise uric acid levels in the blood and increases risk of developing and worsening gout.
  • Damages Kidneys: When blood sugar is too high, the kidneys spill it into urine, which can cause permanent damage.
  • Fertility: High blood sugar impairs reproduction function in both men and women. Excessive consumption can rob essential vitamins and minerals.

How Can You Cut Down The Intake? 

Daily recommended limit of sugar for women is 6 tsp (30gms), men 7tsp (35gms) and for children 3tsp(15gms). Apart from this recommended limit, you can also do the following:  

  • Avoid sugary drinks such as sodas, energy/sports drinks, etc. That will reduce sugar intake and could help you lose weight. Homemade sherbet’s like lemon, kokum or amla, etc. can be a better alternative to sugary drinks.
  • Avoid packaged or processed food in favour of whole foods like fresh fruits, vegetables, seeds, whole grains, legumes and nuts.
  • When you buy ready to eat foods, read nutrition labels. If you know how much sugar is in a product, you can limit the intake of that food. Some of the common names of hidden sugars on packaged food labels are corn syrup, cane sugar, dextrose, agave, high fructose corn syrup, coconut palm sugar, etc. Food manufacturers add sugars in foods like ice-cream, cookies, candy, soda, ketchup, sauces, bread, yogurt, etc.
  • Instead of adding sugar in cereals or oats, try fresh fruits like banana, strawberry, sapota and apple, etc.
  • Avoid protein/granola bars which contain lots of added sugar. Eat low sugar snacks such as nuts and fruits.
  • Don’t store desserts like ice cream, cakes, different sauces in the fridge and biscuits and cookies on shelves to reduce cravings. 
  • Natural sweeteners such as stevia and xylitol can be healthy alternatives to sweet sugar.

Sugary or sweet products are sweet to the tongue but not for the body. Consuming small quantities is the key to healthy eating. For least harm to the body and fullest enjoyment, eat it in moderation. 

We hope this article helps you make healthy eating choices. Do leave your thoughts in the comments below! For more on nutrition, check out Healthy Reads or ask a GOQii Coach by subscribing for personalized health coaching here: https://goqiiapp.page.link/bsr

#BeTheForce 

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Navigating Pregnancy: A Journey of Transformation

PREGNANT-women

Seeing two pink lines (positive) on the pregnancy test strip and confirming the pregnancy after the doctor’s visit knew no boundaries to their happiness.

But, with each passing week of the pregnancy came not only new excitement but, also doubts whether the changes taking place inside the body were normal or not.

Here’s an insight into Pregnancy.

The entire pregnancy is about 38 weeks plus minus 7 days. If the baby is born before 37 weeks then it is a pre-term delivery whereas if the delivery happens after 42 weeks then it is called a post-term delivery.

Pregnancy is divided into 3 trimesters and each trimester is 3 months.

The first trimester is the most crucial to your baby’s development. During this period, your baby’s body structure and organ systems develop. Most miscarriages and birth defects occur during this period. Inculcating a healthy lifestyle during this period is very important as the foetus depends on its mother for nourishment. During this period have a balanced diet, compromised of proteins, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins and minerals. Make sure you include Folic acid tablets which are essential for normal brain development of the baby.

In this period the expectant mother may not put on weight, rather she may lose some due to morning sickness. She needs 300-350 calories more than her normal requirement during this period. Do not stop eating because you feel nauseated but, try and include foods that you like and that are light on your stomach. Proper diet and exercise ensures foetal health and growth.

 Physical changes that normally occur during the First Trimester (1-3 months).

– Nausea (morning sickness) with or without vomiting
– Increased frequency of urination
– Food cravings
– Breast heaviness and darkening of the areola
– Constipation, gases or heartburn
– Occasional headaches
– Fetal heart sounds can be heard during the Sonography by the 5th week of pregnancy.

Emotional changes

– Happiness, euphoria, fear or irritability
– Frequent mood swings
– Confused mental state if the pregnancy was unplanned

The Second trimester

The Second trimester of pregnancy is often called the “golden period” because many of the unpleasant effects of early pregnancy disappear. During the second trimester, you’re likely to experience decreased nausea, better sleep patterns, and increased energy levels. You need to supplement with Iron and Calcium tablets as prescribed by your Doctor.

Physical changes that normally occur during Second Trimester (3-6 months).

– Decreased nausea and vomiting and increased appetite
– Fatigue and giddiness
– Constipation and bloating
– White discharge from the vagina
– Mild swelling of ankles and feet and leg cramps
– Weight gain 4-6 kgs
– Lower abdomen and back discomfort
– Darkening of skin and stretch marks on tummy

Emotional changes

– Joy of looking pregnant due to enlarging tummy
– Excitement about feeling the fetal movements.

It is advisable to get the Anomaly Scan by the 20th week of pregnancy to check if there are any congenital defects in the baby like Down’s syndrome, cleft lip or palate and heart and spine abnormalities.

Along with the Anomaly scan, if the Mother is less than 30 years of age then the Double Marker blood test is recommended and if she is more than 30 years of age then the Triple Marker test is recommended which is used for detecting chromosomal abnormalities that might occur after the conception. 1 in 700 births can have chromosomal abnormalities.

You have now reached your final stretch of pregnancy and are probably very excited and anxious at the same time for the birth of your baby. Some of the physical symptoms you may experience during this period include;

– Large, itchy abdomen and breasts with protruding umbilicus (navel)
– Gentle uterine contractions (Braxton Hicks Contractions) (false labor)
– Leaking of breast milk from the nipples
– Shortness of breath
– Difficulty in sleeping
– Increased constipation and occasionally piles
– Increased in foetal activity (kicking)
– Fatigue and breathing difficulty

Emotional changes

– Anxiety about labour and baby care
– Excitement about shopping for baby and preparing for the baby nursery
– Irritability and impatience about reaching the due date
– “Nesting instinct” – Nesting is the act of preparing your home (cleaning, stockpiling and organizing) for your baby’s arrival

How do you know you are in labour?

  1. Blood tinged or brownish vaginal discharge
  2. Diarrhoea
  3. Fluid gushing or leaking from the vagina means the membranes of the amniotic sac that surrounded and protected the baby have ruptured
  4. More frequent and intense painful Contractions.

Look out for these signs and know that your baby is on its way. Contact your Doctor and prepare for the delivery. Labour can be absolutely exhausting extending anywhere between 12 to 36 hours but, always remember the end result is the joy of holding your precious baby in your arms and knowing that this is your perfect creation. It’s not the end but the beginning of a beautiful journey.

We hope this article helps you. For further information or guidance, reach out to our certified experts by subscribing to GOQii’s Personalised Health Coaching here.

#BeTheForce 

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10 Dietary Changes That Can Help Manage Diabetes

manage diabetesDiabetes – the one word that makes your mind wander in so many directions! You find yourself asking questions like: Will this last for ever? Will I ever get better? How can I manage my diabetes? Well, these are smart questions that anyone should ask. And, yes, you can and will get better! You just need to make a few tweaks in your lifestyle and you should be fine.

While it may seem like an insurmountable hurdle or a wall that cannot be breached, there are thousands of diabetics with good testimonies. Aged people who have lived with diabetes so much so that they sometimes forget that they have diabetes. How can this be your testimony? Well, the pointers below show some of the things you can do to kickstart your own journey to overcome diabetes.

Of course it’s not going to be easy to let go of all your favorite meals. But, no one is saying you have to get rid of them all at once. You’ve just got to be smart about it. Do not make diabetes “complex”,  make eating “complex” to keep diabetes “simple”. Just as in everything else, a lot of effort has to go into your overall lifestyle if you are to conquer diabetes. Just be conscious and you’ll make headway. To eliminate diabetes, take a step towards improving your eating habits and you’ll feel a lot better generally.

Some Dietary Changes To Help You Manage Diabetes

1. Eat Complex To Live Simple: Eating complex doesn’t mean you have to stop eating everything. It simply means you have to make your carbs complex over simple ones, as these are the best type of carbohydrates for diabetics. Complex carbohydrates digest slowly and maintain steady glucose levels in the body.

2. Make fiber an important part of your diet: Fiber refers to plant-based food that slows down the breaking of carbohydrates and keeps you full for longer periods of time. Yes, fiber can go a long way in improving your situation. You don’t have to go over and under in search of fiber rich foods. You can get your fiber fix by following these simple tips:

  • Do not sieve the flour
  • Eat whole fruits over a glass of juice
  • Choose whole grains and whole pulses
  • Eat more vegetables
  • Do not peel the edible portion of the fruit for example – apple, guava, pear, peaches
  • Make soups and salads your best friends

3. Choose healthier versions of your favorite food

Instead of these Choose these
White bread Brown bread
Normal roti Bran roti/multigrain roti
Meat Fish
Normal rice/parboiled rice Brown rice
Sugary or flavored cornflakes Plain cornflakes/oats
Sugar Jaggery/honey
Mayonnaise veg sandwich Hungcurd vegetable sandwich
Normal chocolate Dark chocolate
Creamy cheesy dip Salsa dip
Whole milk Skimmed milk
Salted nuts Unsalted nuts
Soda Salted fresh lime
Potato sticks Raw veggie sticks
Fried chicken Grilled chicken
White pasta Whole wheat pasta
Fruit juices Whole fruits

It surely can be very difficult to do away with all your favorite meals. Instead of doing away totally, you can instead opt for close alternatives as shown above. Choose the healthier version of your favorite meals and you’ll thank yourself for it.

4. Say “NEVER AGAIN” to Trans-fat: Trans-fat is basically obtained chemically by the hydrogenation of oils. It will make your condition worse! To avoid trans-fats, avoid chips, cookies, pastries and margarine. Incorporate healthy fats by following these simple methods:

  • Introduce olive oil or rice bran over butter or ghee
  • Remove the skin from chicken before cooking it
  • Prefer healthy ways of cooking such as grilling, baking and roasting over frying
  • Enhance flavour of food by using more of herbs and spices instead of oil. It will not only give you good taste but also prevent you from consuming extra oil as well as provide you the benefits of antioxidants
  • Prefer fish over red meat as it is full of good fat
  • Eat fish 2 or 3 times week instead of red meat
  • Use hung curd as dressing instead of mayonnaise
  • Prefer baked chips over fried ones

5. Choose Low-glycemic index foods: Glycemic Index refers to the rate at which a particular food raises our blood glucose levels. Foods with high GI spike our blood glucose level and vice-a-versa. Again, fiber is your hero! Fiber rich foods have lower glycemic index – another reason why you should take them.

Some Low GI Sources include whole nuts, whole cereals, cherries, oatmeal, apple, vermicelli, whole dals, prunes, plain yoghurt, soymilk, whole milk, peaches, channa dal and peanuts.

6. Eat small but frequently: The logic here is, heavy meals spike our glucose levels. So small frequent meals will keep our metabolism high, while maintaining glucose levels.

7. Walking and Exercise are your best friends: Exercise is important as it helps to maintain your ideal Body Weight which is very important for diabetics. Exercising helps your weight loss efforts, and is especially important in maintaining an ideal body weight.

8. Limit only high caloric fruits: Except for some fruits like mango, banana and chikoo, one can eat any fruit but  in prescribed amounts only.

9. Use functional foods in the diet: These foods provide “extra benefits” to your diet. Apart from nutrition, it provides you a number of benefits. Functional foods are full of antioxidants, unsaturated fatty acids and are also rich in fiber. Some of them include mustard seeds, flax seeds, fenugreek seeds, curry leaves, cinnamon, cloves and chia seeds.

10. Before sleeping ask yourself the following questions:

  • Am I taking too much of alcohol? If the answer is no, then you are okay
  • Am I taking medication properly? If yes, give yourself a pat on the back
  • My feet are clean? No? Then rush to the bathroom!
  • Am I feeling stressed? If your answer is yes? Chill with music and take deep breaths. Remember nothing comes at the cost of your health and ensure you feel some relief.
  • Have I checked my weight?
  • Did I walk for 45 minutes today? If yes, you’ve done well. Feel good about it because you are on track to manage diabetes
  • Now, time for sleep…Proper timing is essential. Get good sleep.

You can manage diabetes by living healthy. Eating in moderation and eating healthy can go a long way in giving you really good results!

We hope this article helps you manage diabetes effectively. For more help to manage diabetes, get the right guidance and motivation by certified experts, join the GOQii Diabetes Care program. It’s India’s only diabetes program that is driven by Smart Science and Personal Coaching to improve Fasting Blood Sugar (FBS), Postprandial Blood Sugar (PP), reduce HbA1c levels. You can subscribe here: https://store.goqii.com/diabetescare.

To read more on how to manage Diabetes, check out Healthy Reads.

Let’s #DefeatDiabetes and #BeTheForce!

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