Things that Diabetic & Heart Patients should keep in mind during Dashain & Tihar

Where there is a festival, there is food. As Dashain and Tihar approach, it gives people a break from their day-to-day hassles and enables them to have a week or more of celebration and refreshment.

Dashain and Tihar in Nepal are one of the biggest festivals of the year and are celebrated by people around the country. Nepalese have a culture of cooking varieties of foods, eating sweets, playing cards, and traveling to places throughout this festival. However, there are various things diabetic patients and heart patients should consider during the festival.

Limit Sugar Intake

Even during the holiday season, people with diabetes should monitor their diet and minimize their sugar intake. Throughout Dashain and Tihar, we have a ritual of eating sweets. So, you should limit your intake of sweets and sugary meals to no more than 6 teaspoons per day (25 gm).

Reduce Salt Intake

People with heart problems should limit salt intake to less than 5 gm daily. Excess intake of salty foods increases the risk of heart attack and other heart disease. It is further associated with stroke as well.

Balance your Diet

People with diabetes and heart problems should eat a balanced diet even during the festive season. You can always consult a dietician before the festive season to plan your foods and diet accordingly.

For people with diabetes, it is crucial to reduce carbohydrates and sugary foods from their diet, while hypertensive patients will have to reduce salt and saturated fats.

Limit Alcohol

If you are a diabetes and heart patient, you should limit your intake of alcoholic beverages because some of them contain high sugar and some contain no calories at all. Frequent consumption of alcohol increases the chances of heart disease.

Avoid Foods Having High Cholesterol and Fat

Foods with high cholesterol and fats should be avoided by people with diabetes and heart disease. Full-fat dairy products contain saturated fat, i.e. bad fat, which increases the risk of obesity and other heart diseases. You should instead choose low-fat dairy products with low calories and unsaturated fats.

Avoid Processed Meat

People who have diabetes should avoid processed meat such as bacon, sausage, salami, etc., as it contains harmful chemicals and won’t be as fresh as fresh meat. You should always prefer fresh chicken meat and other leaner meat over processed meat.

Replace Dried Fruits with Fresh Fruits

During Tihar, we exchange gifts with our siblings on the day of bhai-tika, including some packets of dried fruits and snacks. However, these dried fruits are packed with more sugar than needed. Hence, you should always prefer eating fresh fruits instead of dried fruits during Dashain and Tihar.

Conclusion

Diabetes and Heart diseases are the most common forms of chronic diseases that can be well managed when sufficient attention is given to your eating patterns, practices, and choices.

Out of many other things people with diabetes and heart disease should be aware of, food is one of them. The right amount of everything helps you make your life easier and maintain your health.

Reference: 

Sugars and type 2 diabetes - Action on Sugar [Internet]. [cited 2023 Oct 15]. Available from: https://www.actiononsugar.org/sugar-and-health/sugars-and-type-2-diabetes/

Food to avoid with high blood pressure | Hey Pharmacist [Internet]. [cited 2023 Oct 15]. Available from: https://heypharmacist.co.uk/health-advice/food-avoid-high-blood-pressure

Care D. 10 Foods To Avoid If You Have Diabetes [Internet]. Diabetes Care Community. 2023 [cited 2023 Oct 15]. Available from: https://www.diabetescarecommunity.ca/diet-and-fitness-articles/diabetes-diet-articles/10-foods-to-avoid-if-you-have-diabetes/