Ayurveda for Diabetes ? Diet Mistakes You Should Avoid

Common dietary and lifestyle causes of diabetes in Ayurveda are excessive consumption of kapha aggravating foods, continuous eating, lethargic lifestyle, lack of physical activities and exercises, excess sleeping, genetic factor, stress, fear and long-standing illness. Since diet plays a big role in management of diabetes, here are some foods you should avoid when you’re doing meal planning for yourself or for someone in your family who’s got diabetes.

1) White Rice, Bread and Flour:

White bread, rice and flour have high levels of carbohydrates. Eating bread and other refined-flour foods will significantly increase your blood sugar level. Moreover, gluten-free products are known to raise blood sugar, with rice-based products having the greatest effect. Replacing white bread with high-fiber bread will significantly reduce blood sugar level.

2) Artificial sweeteners:

Artificial sweeteners are synthetic compounds that stimulate the sweet taste receptors on the tongue, without any added calories. Eating carbohydrates increases the blood sugar levels and insulin is released to bring them back to normal. Artificial sweeteners are said to interfere with this process. Although short-term use of artificial sweeteners won’t raise blood sugar levels, but long-term effects in humans are unknown.

3) Sugar-free products:

Sugar-free does not necessarily mean carbohydrate-free or calorie-free. Although some sugar substitutes do not have calories, many of them do. If you eat lots of ‘sugar-free’ foods, they may contain sweet tasting substances like sorbitol, mannitol, xylitol, isomalt, and hydrogenated starch hydrolysates. These are ‘sugar alcohols’ that are technically not sugar, but are high in carbohydrates. These foods affect your blood glucose just as a sugar-containing foods would, in proportion to the number of carbohydrates in each serving of the food.

4) Dried fruits:

Fruit is a great source of several important vitamins and minerals, including vitamin C and potassium. When a fruit is dried, the process results in loss of water that leads to a higher concentration of these nutrients. Unfortunately, the sugar content also becomes more concentrated. Sticking with low-sugar fruits like berries or an apple can provide tremendous health benefits while keeping your blood sugar in the target range.

5) Energy bars:

Energy bars aren’t entirely off limits, but you need to read the labels. They may appear to be a healthful snack choice, but many energy bars contain high levels of sugar and carbohydrates. You need to always look for a balance of protein and carbs with little fat and wholesome ingredients that best suit your needs.

Conclusion

Diet & lifestyle changes can help to control diabetes but for a long-term solution, consult a jiva doctor to get the best ayurvedic treatment for diabetes