Dr Nawal Al Alem from Tadawi Medical Center gave QL her expert guidance on how to manage your diet with diabetes.  The article discussed the basics of diabetes – how it happens, its effects and relationship with the food we consume.

Keeping the rhythm aflow, this article outlines ways to help control blood sugar levels for diabetics with Dr Nawal's key points guiding you on managing diabetes as a long-term relationship 

The following tips will guide you on healthy eating habits and food choices. 

• Firstly, it is necessary that you ensure you have 3 spaced out meals every day without skipping light snacks in between. Fibers are your best friend. Eat plenty of foods that are rich in fiber such as vegetables, fruits, whole grains, legumes, seeds and nuts. The beauty of fibers is they naturally help slow down the speed of glucose absorption in the digestive system, which prevents a sudden rise in the level of blood sugar after meals which is key for Diabetics. 
• Keep the right fats in your diet, always choose healthy unsaturated fats such as avocados, nuts and olive oil. Such fats help in lowering blood cholesterol and prevent heart disease. Food rich in omega-3 such as fish is also beneficial for the heart.
• Did you know that the average sodium intake per day is 2,300 milligrams which is equal to 1 teaspoon of table salt? It is recommended to reduce sodium and refined salt intake and stay away from canned and fast foods.

An easy trick for diabetics is to organize their intake and breakdown each meal in a balanced way is to follow the “sugar meal plate” concept.  The concept makes it easier for the patient to know the space that each food item should occupy in his meal, and it certainly represents a diet with balanced sugar intake. In the beginning, we divide the plate into two halves, then we divide one of them into two quarters, so we have a half and two quarters. First, we fill the half with non-starchy vegetables such as lettuce, broccoli, spinach, carrots, green beans, tomatoes, celery, the list goes on. We then fill one quarter with proteins such as chicken, beef, fish, eggs, Tofu or cheese. The remaining quarter we fill it with anything with whole grain such as brown rice, bran bread, oats. To compliment your plate, add a portion of fruit, and a glass of Laban (yogurt drink) or organic fat-free milk. Organize the food intake by following the “sugar meal plate” to balance a sugary diet and to easily know the space that each food item should occupy per meal.

If your doctor advises you to take diabetic medication, do continue to do so but hopefully overtime with a more balanced diet perhaps you can discuss your options on reducing them! But please stick to them and follow your doctor’s instructions. It’s also key to monitor your blood sugar closely.

This brings us to the most important element, for diabetics and for everyone else, aim to squeeze into your day at least thirty minutes of high intensity physical activity, in addition to getting enough sleep at night. I also like to suggest you monitor your steps and aim for 8,000-10,000 every day!

Having diabetes does not mean deprivation of the foods you love but the basis of the diabetic diet is to determine the quantities, and reduce the intake of some types of foods that raise blood sugar levels, by following simple steps that will take some time of repetition until they become a part of your lifestyle. Make it your promise to yourself to follow our basic recommendations until it becomes part of your daily habits. As they say, practice makes perfect!

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