Don’t let high blood-glucose levels dampen your Ganesh Chaturthi

Ganesh Chaturthi has always been one of India’s most celebrated festivals with nearly ten days of ceremonies, dancing and of course – the endless sweets, that welcome you at every house and pandal you visit. However, festivals can also be a daunting time, especially if you have diabetes. You suddenly realise your blood glucose levels have been off the charts, and your doctor has recommended you stay away from sweets.

Aishwarya Iyer | Published: September 14, 2018 2:12 pm

While you have been able to follow the doctor’s orders until now, resisting those mouth- watering modaks can test the toughest veterans. As most people with diabetes, you think you have two options – either let loose and enjoy the festivities (and regret it later) or be very disciplined and miss out on the sweets. Before you take such extreme
measures, hear us out – there is a third option that allows you to have the best of both worlds.

We spoke to the health coaches at Wellthy Therapeutics, a digital therapeutics platform specializing in Type II diabetes management, who helped us come up with the perfect solutions. They have modified five of the most loved Ganesh Chaturthi delicacies sweet dishes and gave us healthier alternatives – so you can enjoy them without worrying about your blood sugar levels (too much).

So here are 5 healthy Ganesh Chaturthi sweet treats that are not just yummy but diabetes-friendly too:

1. Modaks: Lord Ganesha’s favourite sweet, no celebration is complete without these hot, sweet dumplings. But frying is what makes it unhealthy, so Nandita Murthy, Wellthy’s health coach suggests steaming them and making them with with rava instead.
2. Coconut laddus: If you plan on making these at home – add elaichi (cardamon) and dalchini (cinnamon) to it. This not only adds to the flavour but also reduces the glycemic index (GI) – which means it will not increase your blood
sugar levels as fast as the regular version would. Also, dalchini (cinnamon) bark and extract – particularly the Ceylon kind – are known to reduce fasting blood sugar levels in people with type 2 diabetes.
3. Puran Poli: To give this Maharashtrian delicacy a diabetes-friendly twist, add oats and flaxseeds to the poli (stuffing). Both ingredients will help in improving digestion and in turn reduce your blood sugar levels, says Vrutuja Mone.
4. Karanji: These pockets of sweetness are another favorite during this season. Nandita suggests making the shell of the karanji with whole – wheat flour instead of maida and baking it instead of frying it to make them healthy.
5. Besan laddu: A hot favourite throughout the year, store-bought besan laddus are usually too sweet for people with diabetes. Sana recommends making them at home and using sucralose instead of jaggery to keep the sweetness under control and still enjoy a few of these! Follow the recommendations from these health coaches to control your diabetes, don’t let it control you!

After all, what’s a festival anyway, without sweets?

Published: September 14, 2018 2:12 pm

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