Managing diabetes in winters: Nutrition tips to control your blood sugar levels
Do you have diabetes? Follow these healthy eating tips in winters to manage your blood sugar levels.
Cold weather can make one crave for comfort food and disrupt daily workout routine for many. For people with diabetes, extra calories and lack of physical exercise can play a havoc with blood sugar levels. If you have diabetes, it is crucial to develop a healthy routine in winter season and avoid health problems.
Planning a new regimen for winters in advance can help in management of diabetes. It will not only give sufficient time to decide on healthy snacks but also prepare you for a workout plan that suits you.
For those cravings in between meals, people with diabetes can opt for dry fruits like almonds and walnuts, while hot soups are perfect as evening snack. Also, diabetics should make sure to include a high-protein meal in their routine to keep them full.
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If you are still unsure about how to control your blood sugar levels in winters, Kanika Malhotra, Celebrity Nutritionist and weight loss specialist shares some useful tips with HT Digital.
Why diabetes management becomes tricky in winter season
"Diabetic management might need to change once the temperature begins to come down. That’s because diabetes can be difficult to manage during the winters than during the summers because low temperatures combined with comfort food (read fried and unhealthy snacks) can make it difficult to stick to your meal plan as well as your daily workout plan," says Malhotra.
If you are one of those who like to curl up on the couch binge-watching your favourite series, you must take extra precautions to make sure the pounds don't pile up.
"Extra snacking, hearty comfort meals and a lack of physical activity can lead to weight gain. Come up with a plan so that this doesn’t happen," says Malhotra.
The nutritionist advises people with diabetes to pick lower-calorie, lower-carb snacks such as raw veggies, popcorn or hard-boiled eggs. "Dry fruit like almonds, walnuts, figs, pine nuts also help to keep the body warm," says the wellness expert.
People also love to sip tea and coffee all day long during the cold weather, but diabetics must make sure they go for healthy alternatives.
"Make a habit to sip sugar free beverages while sitting at work or leisure like green tea, jasmine tea, chamomile tea, ginger tea etc as they help in burning extra fat and ease the process of digestion," says the nutritionist.
Soups and salads for evening hunger pangs
Malhotra suggests making soups and healthy warm veg salad to satiate those evening food cravings.
"Try brewing some hot clear soups for supper to ease the hunger pangs specially during evenings. A healthy warm veg salad with two egg whites is also an amazing evening option to provide satiety when the clock strikes 5:00," says Malhotra.
Protein for dinner
A high protien meal like cottage cheese, chicken, eggs, lentils at night will help you keep fuller, says Malhotra. She also suggests adding 1 tsp of desi ghee in the diet daily for people with diabetes. "It not only provides immunity but also helps keep ur body warm and nourished," she says.
Go for walks
Try not to let the cold weather prevent you from moving and getting in way of your daily workout routine.
"Remember that the goal is to be fit all year round with five days of physical activity every week. Your warm-weather physical activities may no longer work when the temperature is below freezing, so think about other options to help you meet your activity goals during the winter months," says Malhotra.
She advises to include yoga in the daily routine if going to the gym is inconvenient.
Malhotra also suggests an amazing evening snack recipe you can try in winters.
Broccoli almond soup
Ingredients
3/4th broccoli flower
6-7 almonds
3-4 peppercorns
Onion and bay leaf
Method
Boil 3/4th broccoli flower for 5 minutes
Blend 6-7 almonds and 3-4 peppercorns to form a mixture
Sautee 1 finely chopped onion with 1 bay leaf till it is pinkish brown.
Keep it aside
Heat little olive oil in a pan
Add the sautéed onions
Strain and add the blended mixture of broccoli and almonds
Add salt as per taste
Add 200 ml low fat milk
Add a pinch of cornflour
Give it a boil
Keep on low flame for 5 mins
Add salt and pepper
Enjoy your delicacy.
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