List of Navratri Foods for Diabetic Patients

You can include these foods in the Navratri diet of diabetic patients.

Today is the second day of Navratri and a few people might have broken the fast after their first day while a few will continue to keep the fast for nine days and break the fast on 5 September, the last day of Navratri which is also celebrated as Dussehra in India.

People have different health conditions and we have to be careful to observe fasts, keeping in mind our dietary restrictions, during Navratri without compromising our health. Today, we are here with a list of foods that can be eaten by diabetic patients. These foods help manage blood sugar levels even when people are on a fast.

Milk and Dairy Products 

Diabetics can have milk and dairy products like yogurt and paneer while fasting to fulfill the required protein intake for the body. People are not allowed to consume certain pulses during the Navratri fast hence milk and dairy products will help maintain the protein intake. You can use yogurt and milk to prepare various smoothies and shakes with jaggery, dates, stevia, and organic honey as a sweetener.

You can also include curd, yogurt, chaach (buttermilk), or raita in your meals as they are excellent probiotics. They will prevent any digestive issues and help maintain high energy levels. Paneer is the highest source of protein so you can eat it to keep your hunger pangs at bay.

Buckwheat and Singhara ka Atta

Wheat flour or refined wheat flour is not allowed during Navratri but other flours like Singhare ka Atta and buckwheat flour can be eaten during the fast. Moreover, these types of flour are healthy options for diabetics over normal wheat flour and refined wheat flour.

Buckwheat flour and Singhare ka atta take time to get digested, thus releasing the sugar slowly in the body preventing excessively high sugar levels. Diabetic patients can eat normally during the fast. These two flours are quite healthy and must be chosen over others because of their low to moderate glycemic index.

Green Vegetables 

Navratri diet should be well-planned in advance to prevent any chaos last minute. People who observe fast can eat vegetables but it is cooked in a certain way like it is cooked without onion and garlic, different communities have different fasting rules.

Green vegetables like broccoli and spinach are rich in iron, vitamin C, fibre, protein, calcium, selenium, and magnesium which help prevent damage caused by the blood vessels due to the compound called ‘sulforaphane’ in green vegetables, especially broccoli.

According to the Science Translational Medicine, sulforaphane produces enzymes that help protect blood vessels and reduce the number of molecules that can damage cells. You can eat these vegetables in roasted form or in soups.

Fruits 

All fruits can be eaten by diabetics in general and the list gets shorter when it comes to fasting. People suffering from diabetes can eat fruits rich in Vitamin C and fibre like strawberries, oranges, kiwis, cherries, and jamun. These fruits have several other benefits for the body besides keeping blood sugar levels in control.

These fruits have a low Glycemic Index and are loaded with fibre, potassium, Vitamin C, polyphenols, and serotonin. These nutrients together help keep the blood sugar levels stable and prevent insulin fluctuations in the body. These properties are also due to high antioxidants.

High Fluid Intake 

Fluids play an important role in maintaining blood sugar levels for diabetics during the fasting period. You must include low-calorie beverages like green tea, lemon water, lassi, buttermilk, mattha, pudina water, etc.