Enjoying Festivities With Diabetes in Mind

Diwali is being celebrated in many communities across the UK this week. The festival of lights represents new beginnings, but it also comes loaded with temptation to indulge in rich foods and sweets.

Nutritionists and registered dietitians know just how challenging this time can be for some, especially those with diabetes.

“Throughout Diwali, each day is a celebration because it’s our New Year, so it’s common to have large feasts of savoury food, including delicious snacks and sweet desserts,” Sheena Bhageerutty, a registered nutritionist and fellow of the South Asian Health Foundation, told Medscape News UK. “You often have a family gathering at home whilst having prayers, decorating homes, and sharing meals, or attending a Diwali party with dancing, fireworks, and having dinner.”

The sharing of gifts is an important part of the celebrations. This includes offering the popular, small, Indian sweetmeat known as mithai. 

“These sweets are often offered in generous amounts and the festivities during Diwali can last for several days, making it more difficult for people to manage their diabetes,” Stephanie Kudzin, a nutritionist at Diabetes UK, told Medscape News UK.

High sugar content is not the only concern for celebrants. “Apart from sweets, foods like pakoras, samosas, and other fried foods are often high in salt, saturated fat, and calories,” Kudzin said. “Eating these foods too frequently can increase the risk of high blood pressure and blood cholesterol levels, and when you have diabetes, you are more at risk of heart disease.”

Moderation and Healthy Swaps

There are ways to celebrate, eat good food, and still keep healthy.

Diabetes UK and other health charities, such as Heart Research UK and Action on Sugar, feature tips on their websites that include focusing on portion control, being active, and cutting down on sugar, salt, and fat.

“I think those messages that we get from some of the big organisations are really helpful, and they do offer some really useful tips,” registered dietitian Aisling Pigott told Medscape News UK. “But I know from people that I work with that that’s not always possible, especially if you’re attending events in a neighbour’s or friend’s house.”

For Pigott, moderation is a key message. “We do obviously want to not go mad on the sugar and the fat, but sometimes, particularly around celebrations, we miss that message, and we add a layer of guilt into something that is, culturally, a really important part of their life.”

Kudzin recommends eating healthy foods throughout the day. “These types of foods can help keep your blood sugar levels more stable during the celebrations,” she said. She also recommends making healthier mithai using unsweetened milk, natural sweeteners like dried fruit and dates, and olive oil or vegetable oil-based spreads in place of ghee. Using spices and herbs as an alternative to salt, and replacing sugar with low or no calorie sweeteners can also help make them a healthier option.

“Eating small amounts of these sweet treats on an occasion is fine. However, try to find other ways to bring sweetness into Diwali celebrations,” she suggested. “Try making other healthy dishes to bring to celebrations, such as a tandoori platter of roasted corn on the cob, peppers, tomatoes, roasted paneer, grilled fish, and chargrilled tandoori chicken.”

“The Indian diet can be healthy, and I think a lot of people forget about that,” Bhageerutty added. “There is a range of vegetables, dhals, fibrous foods, and rich spices which are all delicious.”

“In this day and age, you have so many different cooking method alternatives, whether that’s baking, grilling, or even air frying.” She suggested making swaps or simple additions, such as adding cucumber and pomegranate to raita (yogurt), adding more vegetables such as bhindi (lady fingers) and aubergine in potato curry. Also, opt for more wholegrains by using wholemeal flour to make chapatti or thepla. This will “help you preserve the traditions of one’s culture while making healthier changes”, she said. 

Staying Active and Monitoring Blood Sugar

Alongside dietary adjustments, staying physically active is also flagged as important for managing blood sugar levels at a time when feasting and relaxing with family and friends is uppermost in people’s minds. “If people monitor their sugar levels, they should test more during the festivities to make sure they don’t get too high,” Kudzin said. “One or two high glucose readings should not affect long-term diabetes management, but people should aim to avoid persistently high readings.”

Frequent high or low blood sugar readings should be a cue for speaking to your diabetes management team, she added.

Pigott emphasises that it’s important not to lose sight of this being a time to celebrate. “Those foods are amazing, and they are there to be enjoyed. But it’s thinking about the context and the amount, as opposed to, ‘oh, let’s just have a big blow up because it’s Diwali’,” she said.

Peter Russell has been a journalist for 40 years covering international news, health, medicine, and national politics on radio, TV, and online. He is based in the UK.