21/01/2023
Mummy- Bunty meri sugar dekhio kitni hai
Bunty- Kitni badhi hui hai! Pakka meetha khaya hoga, dates khaye the na?
Mummy- Watermelon khaya jo tu laya tha.
Bunty- Sachme?
Chaunk gaye? Sharmaji suggested you refrain from datess in diabetes. Nahi sunna hai unko. Let's understand the concept of Glycemic Index.
WHAT IS GLYCEMIC INDEX?
It's a scale that evaluates no. of carbs in foods on a range of 0 -100, indicating how quickly it raises blood sugar after consumption. GI=khane me present carbohydrates ki quality.
On that basis, foods are categorised as Low GI [1-55], Medium GI [56-69], and High GI foods [70-100].
WHY IS GI IMPORTANT?
High GI value means risk of Diabetes, obesity, hypertension etc.
So, even if an individual is unaffected by diabetes, he must combine low GI foods with medium/high GI foods.
Sugar in dates is more (63g) than a banana(12g) or watermelon(6g), BUT its effect on spiking blood sugar is the least. Same with watermelon jiska sugar content sabse kam hai, but GI is the highest i.e. 76.
PACKAGED FOODS AND GI
Processed foods have more GI than natural. Kese? Because they have glucose, jiska GI hai 100! Speechless.
SO DATES KHAU GUILT-FREE?
There are certain combinations jinpe aapki diet customized hoti hai. We dietitians know what suits you best, depending on your metabolism, physical activity, and medical condition.
CAN WE HAVE WATERMELON / DATES IN DIABETES?
We agree watermelon's GI is high but nothing to worry because the Glycemic Load (measures how fast carbs in a serving of a food raise blood sugar) is 4 [1-10 are low GL foods] which is low as the carbohydrate content of watermelon is small. So, while your blood sugar levels shoot up, they won't remain elevated for long.
So, it is safe to eat in moderation by individuals with diabetes. Watermelon and other high-GI fruits, on the other hand, should be eaten with foods that are high in healthy fats and protein.
Aur agar dates ki baat karen to, unka Glycemic Index bhi kam hai aur Glycemic Load bhi! That is because jitna unme sugar hai utna hi fiber bhi hai usko balance karne ke liye, this is why it is used as a natural form of sweetener safely.
