Act on Diabetes Now; World Diabetes Day-November 14th.

Today is World Diabetes Day. During this day, campaigns are run worldwide to spread awareness of diabetes.

Diabetes is a disease that leads to high levels of blood sugar, estimated to impact 1 out of 3 people in their lifetime.

In 2013, International Diabetes Federation estimated 381 million people had diabetes, with 90% of the cases being Type 2 Diabetes also known as Diabetes Mellitus. Did you know, that by 2040, 640 million of us worldwide will be living with Diabetes .

India has more diabetics ( 62 million) than any other country in the world.This is followed by China and then the United States of America ( 30 million).

According to the Indian Heart Association, India is the diabetes capital of the world with more than 62 million Indians ( which is more than 7.1% of India's adult population), currently suffering from Diabetes. November 14th is celebrated as Children'sDay in India. But by 2035, these children may become one of the projected 109 million individuals with Diabetes in India. An estimate shows that nearly 1 million Indians die due to Diabetes every year. The average age upon onset is 42.5 years. The high incidence has been attributed to a combination of genetic susceptibility, adoption of high-calorie, low activity lifestyle by India's fast growing middle-class.

Uncontrolled, diabetes can lead to heart failure, kidney disease, vision impairment and possible amputation.

However, Diabetes Mellitus is a preventable disease, through diet and exercises.

To know if you or your loved ones are at risk, take this simple test:

http://www.diabetes.org/are-you-at-risk/diabetes-risk-test/.

You can also significantly reduce your chances of developing diabetes by:

*   Eating Healthy
*   Maintaining a Healthy Weight
*   Quitting Smoking
*   Increasing Physical Activity
*   Monitoring Blood Pressure and Glucose Levels

My contribution to increasing awareness regarding diabetes is via food. I truly believe that our body is reflects what we eat. Research has proved that diet ( food) and exercise are the cornerstones of both prevention and treatment of Diabetes Mellitus. Often, people are reluctant to exercise or find it hard to exercise for various reasons. But, deciding what we eat, making healthy food choices is something we control and easily attainable. You don't have to make huge changes in one day.

You make small changes in your food, little at a time so that you don't crave any specific food group.
Make healthy choices.
Swap unhealthy ingredients with healthy ones in your favorite food.
Eat small meals..
Eat everything in moderation.
Limit yourself to one serving per meal. Don't take second helpings.

Today, I have put together a collection of recipes that are healthy and appropriate for diabetics. You will be surprised that quite a few of our regular meals can be consumed if you are mindful of the portion size. Click on the title of the food item for the recipe in it's entirety.

Ragi Masala Dosa

Blackened Chicken

Methi Sprouts Salad

Instant appe with vegetables

Ragi Shevai

Moong Bean Sprout Salad

Missal

Quick Masala Eggplant

Ragi Phanna Polo

There are many more recipes all through the blog and for your weekly dose of diabetic-friendly recipes follow this space every Thursday for Diabetes-friendly Thursdays where 7 bloggers who are committed to creating diabetic-friendly recipes share them. To read more, click here.Even better follow this blog by signing up via email or following us on any social media.

I am linking this to Throwback Thursday, Angie's Fiesta Friday#94 & Saucy Saturday to spread the word. Judi @ cookingwithauntjuju and Stef @ The Kiwi Fruit are co-hosting the Fiesta Friday this week!

References:

http://www.diabetes.org/

http://www.idf.org/wdd-index/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Diabetes_Day

http://www.webmd.com/diabetes/

http://indianheartassociation.org/

http://www.indif.com/nri/festivals/children_day_india.asp

Disclaimer

I am not a nutritionist or dietician. My knowledge and information is based on my research and reading from different resources. Please consult your doctor or dietician before making any changes to your diet.

On this special occasion of World Diabetes Day, I have guest writer, Jonathan who is sharing with us Eating Tips for Diabetics.

Eating Tips for Diabetics

Imagine that you are newly diagnosed as a diabetic. Now you have to learn to deal with knowing what to eat and what to leave alone, not to mention finding the right diabetic test strips and everything else associated with managing your disease. When it comes to eating tips, here are 10 steps that you can follow to make it easier and a little less frustrating.

Find recipes that you will actually eat

If all you have access to is recipes that you have no intention of eating, you're not doing yourself any favors. Find new ways to season foods so that you can have a whole new list of favorites.

Change the way you eat

This step goes hand in hand with the first one. When you find the recipes that really appeal to your taste buds, it will be much easier to change the way that you eat on a routine basis and stick with it.

Get active

Granted, this may not exactly be a tip about eating but the truth is, if you are eating more calories than you are expending, you will start gaining a lot of weight and this can cause even more problems for you if you're a diabetic. Therefore, it is definitely worth mentioning.

Try the homeopathic route

Many people control their diabetes with diet alone and you may be one of those individuals. Give it a try and see if it works for you. If it does, it will make your life a little bit easier.

Find new favorites

If you love a particular dessert or other food item that is especially bad for you, try finding new favorites that you can use to replace the more unhealthy food items. It might take some time, but it is doable. It is also worth it.

Do not give up

When you are first changing your diet, it is easy to get sidetracked and fall into old habits. Do not give up on yourself if you do this. Simply remind yourself of the importance of eating healthy and do your best to get back on track as quickly as possible. This will become much easier over time and you will find that you fall back into old habits less and less.

Take things slowly

Learning how to eat like a diabetic is something that takes a certain amount of time and effort. One of the best things that you can do when it comes to eating healthier is to take things slowly. There are a lot of things you have to adjust to and while it is important that you do it as quickly as is realistically possible, it is not something that you can do overnight.

Involve the whole family

If you can get the whole family to eat healthier, it will be much easier for you to do it. There is nothing worse than trying to eat a salad while you're watching someone 2 feet away from you sink their teeth into a plate of enchiladas or some other favorite food of yours.

Eat small portions more often

Eat more than three times a day. Instead of three meals, you should be eating five or six times a day and you should be eating smaller portions. This helps keep your blood sugar levels in control as opposed to eating fewer times a day, which allows them to fluctuate wildly at times.

Staying on course

Without a doubt, no one ever said that learning how to eat as a diabetic would be easy. Some days will be easy and others will make you wonder if you will ever actually manage to do it successfully. If you end up eating something you shouldn't, check your blood sugar levels and then do your best to eat healthy for the rest of the day. If you do this every day it will eventually become easier and you will find yourself staying on course more and more frequently.

Eating right when you are a diabetic can be challenging and sometimes, it can be extremely frustrating. With that being said, it is also vitally important for your continued health. That is why you have to get up every day with the attitude that you can succeed, even when you are struggling.

Jonathan is the Editor of The British Gent and freelance writer who has worked with numerous national and international publications. You can follow him @TheBritishGent