What can I eat before breakfast if I am diabetic? (Query)

Here's what you can have on an empty stomach to control diabetes.

By: Bhavyajyoti Chilukoti | | Updated: July 28, 2017 8:51 am

I am a 35-year-old woman weighing 65 kgs. I am a diabetic. My blood sugar is under control, and I have a strict diet. However, I feel very hungry in the morning. Can I have tea or coffee with biscuits in the morning? If not, please give me an early morning meal plan to keep my blood sugar in check. Also Read - 5 tips for a healthy diabetic diet

Also Read - Do you have diabetes? Know how to bring down your risk of heart disease

The query is answered by Avni Kaul, Clinical and Sports Nutritionist, Delhi. Also Read - Did you know? Moderate carbohydrate intake may result in good health

If you are a diabetic, the first thing to keep in mind is to eat a balanced and healthy diet. Secondly, never skip breakfast as it is the first meal of the day. However, for people with diabetes, the early morning meal is also recommended as it helps you to improve your blood sugar level post a 8 to 9 hours gap after your dinner last night. Hence, if you feel hungry the first thing in the morning, here’s is what you can have in your early morning meal:

1. Start your day with a glass of healthy juice or drink. You can have a glass of karela juice as it helps you to keep your diabetes under control and keep you active for the rest of the day. If you don’t like karela juice, then you can drink 200 ml of aloe vera juice to start your day. You can even soak a tablespoon of methi seeds in a glass of water overnight and drink it the first thing in the morning before your breakfast for added benefits. There’s one more morning thing that you can do to keep diabetes in check is to add a 1-inch stick of cinnamon in water, let it stay overnight and drink the water the next day. Here is a sample diet plan diabetics can use for better blood sugar control.

2. Once you gulp down any one of the drinks, wait for 15 minutes and then have a cup of tea or coffee without sugar. Make sure not to add more than 50 ml of milk to your tea/coffee.

3. After you have your tea or coffee, wait for 30 minutes before you have almonds or walnuts. You can have 3- 4 whole walnuts or eat 6-8 pieces of almonds, preferably soaked almonds. Also, make sure not to eat more than 10 – 20 gms per day.

Once you have your early morning meal, do not forget to exercise. Brisk walk for at least 30 minutes at least five days in a week. If you don’t have time in the morning, then do it in the evening or whenever you have time but complete your daily dose of exercise without fail. Here are few exercise tips for diabetics.

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Published : July 27, 2017 12:20 pm | Updated:July 28, 2017 8:51 am

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