Book (PDF) containing nutrition information and tips for diabetics in India (or following Indian cuisines)

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Permalink Reply by Jenny on November 7, 2007 at 10:01am

Sadly, the dietary advice in this booklet is based on the now discredited low fat diet which turns out not to be healthy for people with diabetes.

The booklet suggests back on fats and does not even mention recommended carbohydrate levels, though readers are told to increase starches like potatoes and the sample menus are very high in starches.

Increasing starches and cutting back on fats is a great way to end up with complications.

In addition, there is the suggestion to eat a lot of soy. This is also very unhealthy and can contribute to the development of thyroid dysfunction--the last thing someone with Type 2 diabetes needs.

I understand that it is very hard to lower carbohydrates eating a traditional East Asian diet, particularly one that is vegetarian.

However, there is no substitute for using your blood sugar meter to see what foods raise your blood sugar over 140 mg/dl and replacing them with those that do not. Use this technique if you can: http://alt-support-diabetes.org/newlydiagnosed.htm

Eating foods made of eggs, paneer, chana dahl cauliflower, and lots of green vegetables are a great place to start. Papadums made out of bean-based flour may work very well for you too.Then start adding other protein-containing foods, like other dahls, and beans to see which you can tolerate. Test out squash to see which ones work for you. Try yogurt. People vary greatly in how well they do with yogurt some see a spike, others do not.

Be sure to check your blood sugar occasionally at 3 or 4 hours to make sure you haven't just postponed the blood sugar spike.

Things that you probably can't eat very much of include rice, bread products made out of wheat flour, and potatoes both sweet and white potatoes.

Good luck, and please report back here what foods you've found work best for you if you are eating an East Indian diet.

[NOTE: I am not East Indian, but I post here because I am getting a lot of mail from readers of my web site who are, who are looking for help improving their blood sugars.

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