The Hindu Business Line : No more cravings!

Freshly whizzed in the blender and a bright green, it looked like an unusual and exciting drink. But only till you saw Granny grimacing as she tried to gulp down the contents, saying, "Poison! This must be how poison tastes." The drink: bitter gourd juice, a popular (rather, unpopular) traditional therapy for diabetes. It needs a certain amount of desperation for people to bring themselves to have it every day. However, thanks to more research and new information, there are now ways to make eating an enjoyable experience for diabetics.

Walk into any supermarket and you'll see shelves of "diabetic products." These could range from cereal mixes (as substitutes for rice) to jams and jellies and, of course, artificial sweeteners. Says Chennai-based nutritionist Shahnaz B. Gulrez, "Sugar-free does not mean that the product is devoid of calories. One has to read the label carefully before deciding to incorporate that product into the diet." She says that these jams, instead of sugar, use sorbitol, fructose and xylitol, which contain calories.

Shahnaz encourages people to consume less sugar rather than use sugar-free products or artificial sweeteners, which are shrouded in controversy due to their alleged harmful effects. Of course, as in any diet, caution and balance remain the watchwords here too, but developing a positive attitude to a way of eating that might seem restrictive goes a long way in helping the affected.

However, ask Dr Indulal of the Coimbatore-based Arya Vaidya Pharmacy, if ayurveda has anything that can make the diabetic's food more interesting and he says, in a rather apologetic tone: "Actually, enjoyment doesn't come into it. In general, it is an indulgent and sedentary lifestyle which leads to diabetes in the first place."

The dietary recommendations change according to the body type, he says, but gives some general guidelines. Some foodstuffs to be avoided: all milk products except buttermilk, all sweets, coconut, black gram, and sweet fruits. Salt consumption should be kept minimal and it's better to be a strict vegetarian, he says, though one can have mutton soup occasionally. Consumption of root vegetables too is to be cut down. And the good stuff: Amla (gooseberry), which delays the degeneration caused by diabetes, in any form barring pickle, snake gourd, green gram, bitter gourd and drumstick leaves. Pomegranates are good too. (If this rather spartan choice dismays you, take heart, we give you a few recipes here.)

According to information gleaned from the Web site, www.diabetes-india.com, run by medically qualified professionals, many fallacies abound with regard to diet. The site points out that the dietary restrictions on diabetics that are being followed now are mainly based on Western literature and don't really apply in the Indian context. People are wont to blame rice and recommend chapattis, but it is worth recognising that the incidence of diabetes in rice-eating Oriental countries such as China and Japan is less common than in other populations.

"It's not how much sugar one takes in but the amount and nature of the fat in the food. This warrants an urgent reconsideration of the traditional understanding of diabetic diets. `No rice, no sugar in coffee, no fruits/potatoes' just doesn't mean anything. `No oils, no fats, no food fads' must be the advice to the diabetics in this country," the Web site says.

And yes, diabetics can eat fruits. Fruit-based carbohydrates are the best substitutes for fat-based calories; they have fibre and essential nutrients.

Shahnaz says that diabetics should follow a diet — more of complex carbohydrates, moderate protein, good fats like PUFA — and exercise to bring down blood glucose levels. It is important to remember that diabetics have a combination of disorders.

To make eating a pleasurable experience, the meals should have a lot of variety. She finds that cravings surface or intensify once a particular food is restricted. "You have to give yourself a treat once in a while. Don't go overboard but one piece of a restricted item won't matter much if the doctor's given you a free hand in manipulating the insulin levels that you have to take," she says. Don't replace an entire meal with large helpings of the treat, though; that's no good.

If you yearn for a milkshake, make an apple smoothie with skimmed milk or yoghurt. If you can't beat the craving for mango, put a bit in a fruit chaat or in your smoothie; don't eat white bread but do eat cereals, whole wheat bread, ragi chapatti, puttu (without the coconut) and soya dishes. You can also make omelettes from the whites of eggs and eat broiled/roasted lean cuts of meats. Another tip that will work: "When it's a treat, try to share it with someone rather than eat it all by yourself," says Shahnaz.

Also, try and find ways to jazz up foods such as whole cereals and pulses, vegetables and leafy greens commonly regarded as boring — the Internet throws up a wealth of information and there are many cookbooks specifically for diabetics. Bon appetit!

Recipes you can try...

Bitter gourd salad

Ingredients

Bitter gourd - 2

Tomatoes (finely sliced) - <17,1m,0m><18>2 (medium)

Onions (peeled and sliced) <17,1m,0m><18> - 2 (medium)

Lemon juice

Turmeric powder - 1 pinch

Salt to taste

Oil - 2 tablespoon

Method

Scrape off the skin of the bitter gourd and any hard edges there are and trim the ends. Finely slice the bitter gourd (in circles). Heat oil in a pan. Fry the bitter gourd slightly in it. Add a pinch of turmeric powder and salt to taste. Mix well. Remove from heat. Once it has cooled, arrange the bitter gourd on a plate with the sliced tomatoes and onions. Add lemon juice on top. Serve immediately.

Snake gourd curds chutney

Ingredients

Snake gourd - 2

Onion - 1

Green chillies - 1

Curds - 2 cups

Salt - to taste

Method

Cut the snake gourd into round slices and cook them in a cooker (you can cook it along with rice). Allow them to cool for a while. Take a bowl, add curds, the cooked vegetable, sliced green chillies and salt to taste. Mix them well. Then prepare seasoning, and fry onions till they are half-cooked. Add this to the curd. Finally decorate with coriander leaves. This curds chutney goes well with rice.

You can also add tomatoes; for that, you have to cook them along with the onions.

Picture by K. Murali Kumar

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