New Age Diabetes
Diabetes is a disease that occurs when your blood glucose, also called blood sugar, is too high. Blood glucose comes from the food you eat, which is then helped by Insulin, a hormone made by the pancreas, to get into your cells to be used for energy. When the pancreas is unable to produce a suitable amount of insulin or when we eat too many foods that are high in glucose, it causes diabetes.
Why are we referring to it as New Age Diabetes, you might ask? With the increase in globalisation, trade and a large influence of social media, it has become very easy to gain access to foods that are packaged, high in sugars and artificial add-ons. This has led to wide-spread diabetes amongst the elders and youth alike. In fact, on research, it has been found that the younger generation is more prone to getting diabetes due to a variety of foods and the pattern of their consumption as well as the lifestyle that is being adopted today.
India, Diabetes & Breakfast
A Western diet is becoming more popular in India, which means more refined carbohydrates, processed foods, and trans fats. As the urbanization of cities continues, more people are leading less active, sedentary lives, as well. As of December 2021, the estimated number of diabetes patients in the 20-79 age group is 74.2 million and is likely to increase to 124.8 million by 2045. It is also not a shock that most of these numbers hail form the urban cities. If diabetes is to be curtailed, it is important that we change our food habits and lifestyles. A traditional breakfast in India is one that could contain a lot of simple carbs and saturated fats. We are used to eating fried foods and rice-based breakfasts as part of our tradition. Whilst this is okay to do once in a while, it cannot be an everyday practice. We must make a change and move towards complex carbs, millets, nuts, seeds and breakfasts with no trans-fats – something more wholesome and nutritious.
Why should a Diabetic eat breakfast?
With a steep incline in the Diabetes cases in India, it is important for us to understand how breakfast affects our body. As the word suggests, we are breaking our fast. By the 8th hour of fasting, the liver has used up all its glucose resources and therefore, eating a nutritious and wholesome breakfast, restores the glucose levels. Now, one would argue saying “Aren’t low glucose levels a good thing for a diabetic?” But here’s the deal – periods of fasting cause hunger; hunger causes bingeing or untimely food consumption; sporadic eating causes blood sugar spikes and these spikes are not in favour of the body’s functioning. The goal is to maintain adequate blood sugar levels through the day without sudden spikes. Eating your meals on time and not skipping your meals is a definite step in the right direction when it comes to diabetes.
What foods to include in a Diabetic’s breakfast?
If you are diabetic, you must be doubly mindful of what you eat. Since it is something, you will live with for your entire lifetime, making changes to your lifestyle as opposed to following fad diets and quick fixes, will serve you well. Adding foods such as oatmeal, millets, good fats and proteins from nuts and seeds and small quantities of natural sugars from fruits or plant-based sweeteners is a wholesome way of starting out your day right. Look for Muesli that is unsweetened or naturally sweetened with dates for example. Make sure that the brand you choose contains slow-release (complex) carbs such as oats, millets, nuts, seeds etc. I find that for those who are working, this a great breakfast on-the-go and can be had with milk, yogurt or even just as it is.
Work smart, not hard…
Being diabetic is not the end of the world, as most people think. It is the by-product of our lifestyles today. The good thing, however, to note here, is that you can reverse its effects, stop it from advancing to a bad stage or even put an end to it if you detect it in its early stages. All you need to do make changes to your food and lifestyle one tiny little step at a time. Making smart switches in terms of the breakfast you eat, the carbs you choose, the time you sleep and staying active every day, can help in controlling and fighting diabetes in an easy way.
One option, that I find is great for breakfast, if you are diabetic, is Divine Flavour sugar-free Muesli. It is sweetened with a tiny amount of date syrup and is jam packed with oats, ragi, nuts, seeds and berries. Their Banana Walnut Muesli will remind you of your favourite banana bread with a hint of cinnamon and the Cranberry Pistachio Muesli will take you on a tropical holiday!
To know more: https://www.divineflavour.com/shop-best-healthy-breakfast-products-india
