As much as Diwali is a festival of lights and happiness, it is also a festival of sweets and flavors. During the biggest festival of the country, there is often an atmosphere in all the houses that people cannot stop themselves from eating sweets.
This is also correct. All the family members gather at the festival. Everyone eats together. In such a situation, it becomes difficult to be very picky about food and drink or to do something different from others. Until then everything is fine.
The real problem is when these sweets cause our blood sugar to skyrocket. In such a situation, the taste of sweets can spoil the fun of our Diwali. So eat sweets this Diwali but be careful.
Dr. Senior Consultant, Department of Internal Medicine, Sri Balaji Action Medical Institute, Delhi. Diwali can be celebrated with sweets too, says Deepak Gupta, if a few things are kept in mind and a few precautions are taken.
So, today' Health water' we will know what things should be kept in mind while eating sweets during Diwali. You will also know that-
- Why can eating too many sweets be dangerous?
- What causes the blood sugar level to rise?
- How can blood sugar be controlled?
Know diabetes statistics before savoring dessert
We are talking about savoring sweets during Diwali. But before this it is necessary to know what the statistics of diabetes in the country and the world say.
Status of diabetes in the world
- According to the International Diabetes Federation (IDF), around 537 million people between the ages of 20 and 80 are suffering from diabetes worldwide. This means that about 10.5% of people in this age group have diabetes.
- It is estimated that this figure may increase to 64.3 crore by 2030 and 78.3 crore by 2045.
- According to IDF data, around 23.97 million people in the world are unaware of their diabetes status.
View the data in plain language graphics:
Statistics of diabetes in the country
- According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 77 million people in India are suffering from diabetes. It is estimated that by the year 2045, the number of diabetes cases in India may increase to 12.4 million.
- According to WHO, about 2.5 million people in India have pre-diabetes. This means that these people have a higher than normal blood sugar level, but not so much that it can be considered as diabetes.
- The danger for these people is that they can be included in the list of diabetic patients at any time.
WHO estimates that more than half of diabetics in India are unaware that their blood sugar levels are high.
Pre-diabetic and undiabetic people are at higher risk Dr. Deepak Gupta says that people who are pre-diabetic and are unaware of their diabetic status are at the highest risk of eating sweets during Diwali.
The reason behind this is that people who know they are diabetic are more conscious about the quantity while eating sweets. While people who don't know their blood sugar is high, they eat sweets to their heart's content. This can cause their blood sugar to rise rapidly and lead to many serious health problems.
If you want to eat sweets during Diwali, understand the math of blood sugar Dr. Deepak Gupta says, if you want to eat sweets during Diwali, first you have to understand the math of blood sugar. It is important to know what is causing your blood sugar to rise. See graphic.
Here's how to manage your blood sugar if you crave sweets If we know the reasons why the blood sugar level is rising, it can be easier to control it. Knowing all these reasons, we can exercise restraint in enjoying sweets. See the graphic below for some things to keep in mind.
Eat carefully We should be careful about what, when and how much we eat. Almost half of the problem will be solved with this. While we know that eating sweets can raise blood sugar, eat them just for the taste.
Dr. Deepak Gupta says that one small piece of dessert gives the same taste as eating 10 pieces. So, instead of eating 10 pieces of sweets, eat just one piece. If there is a sweet like rasgulla, chew it and eat it
Determine the time to eat sweets The sweet taste is such that you will feel like eating it whenever it comes in front of your eyes. So, first of all it is important to keep it away from the eyes. Apart from this, fix a fixed time for eating sweets. With these remedies, one can avoid eating sweets frequently.
Stress management is important During the festive season the burden of physical labor and expenses increases. Both of these things can cause stress. During stress our body releases the hormone cortisol. This can cause blood sugar to rise quickly. So, understand this before the festival and avoid too much stress.
Oily food should be controlled Sweets aren't the only thing responsible for blood sugar spikes. Eating too much oily food can also raise blood sugar. So, try to eat less oily food.
Drink 8-10 glasses of water daily As we know, blood thickens due to dehydration in the body. Due to which the blood sugar level can increase rapidly. So it is necessary to drink 8-10 glasses of water every day.
Don't forget to exercise regularly
Regular exercise makes cells a little more active and uses insulin better. Which helps in maintaining the blood sugar level. It is also a good way to burn daily calories.
Image Credit: (Divya-Bhaskar): Images/graphics belong to (Divya-Bhaskar).