Diabetes in Pregnancy

Diabetes is characterized by excessive amounts of sugar in the blood and urine. People who suffer from diabetes may have high levels of thirst, hunger and may suffer from weight loss.

A few Do and Don’ts

• As the sugar levels are always very high, introduce a variety of bitter foods in the diet of a diabetic. This offsets the sugar levels and a balance is created.

• Diabetics should eat a lot of fenugreek (methi) leaves and seeds. This is crucial for a diabetic. A good way of consuming fenugreek is to soak the seeds overnight. You can then either have sprouts or, before every meal, have a teaspoon of the water in which you had soaked the seeds. Add fenugreek leaves when you are kneading dough to make chapattis and paranthas.

• Drumsticks are very healthy for diabetics. Normally drumsticks are added to sambhar.

• When drumsticks are out of season, try bittergourd (karela). Make a soup or have it as a dry vegetable preparation.

• Bengal gram (kala chana) and pulses used in a variety of vegetables and as well as dals should be had as frequently as possible.

• Fruits such as papaya and grapefruit (mausambhi) can be quite useful. You could throw in an occasional orange too, and of course, Indian gooseberry (amla).

• Cabbage has an excellent ability to heal. It reduces water retention in the body while retaining the body moisture.

• White goose foot (bathua) leaves can be kneaded into the chapatti dough, cooked as a vegetable or mixed with curd as an ingredient in raita.