Dr CM Batra,

Consultant Diabetologist / Endocrinologist,

Apollo Hospital, New Delhi

Winter brings with it bouts of laziness, and an urge to curl up in bed munching on your favourite, mouthwatering delights. Your dietary regimen is also likely to go haywire, leading to a fluctuation in your blood sugar level too. Such neglect could put your health at great risk, especially if you’re diabetic.

At this time of the year, people often binge on nuts, raisins, gajak (jaggery and peanuts), cheese and so on, which are absolute no-nos! They can lead to weight gain and affect the blood sugar level, making it difficult to manage diabetes. Such wrong food choices can aggravate health problems.  

During winter, people with diabetes tend to have a higher HbA1c level than during the warmer months. Sugar levels can shoot up when the temperature drops and in winter, diabetics show alarming fluctuations in sugar levels. The reason could be dietary changes in winter.

The HbA1c is formed when haemoglobin combines with glucose in the blood. A higher level of glucose in the blood would mean HbA1c is produced in larger quantities. The formation of the HbA1C during the period of 8-12 weeks is indicative of the control over blood sugar.

Introducing lifestyle changes is a must to manage your blood sugar levels. As long as you avoid unhealthy food and snacks, you will not face any problems during winter. Smaller meals and regular snacking with foods rich in complex carbohydrates, extra dietary fibre, zero trans fat and zero cholesterol is the mantra during this time.

Contrary to popular belief, healthy snacking does not mean you have to compromise on taste. It is about making informed choices that will help you pick up snacks that offer taste and health in equal measure. Nowadays, diabetic-friendly snacks, which are low in calories and have no cholesterol, but contain complex carbohydrates and extra dietary fibre are available in the market. More importantly, they are free of trans fat too.

Munching on these snacks at regular intervals will quell your craving for fatty stuff.

Foods that are rich in complex carbohydrates and extra dietary fibre eliminate the risk of extreme swings in the blood sugar level. Healthy snacking and an active lifestyle are the key to control fluctuations in blood sugar level.

WHAT YOU CAN MUNCH ON

1. Diabetics can eat eat ragi and oats based snacks. However, these should be baked, not fried
2. Snacking at regular intervals help manage extreme swings in blood sugar level
3. Your biggest challenge is managing the fluctuations in the blood sugar level
4. Snacks made of oats, ragi, barley, beans, brown rice and whole grains play an effective role in maintaining your blood sugar level.
5. Include foods with extra dietary fibre (especially soluble fibre), complex carbohydrates, no added sugar, zero trans fat and zero cholesterol in your diet

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