What can a diabetic patient eat in Nigeria?
Diabetes is a disease that it’s management relies so much on what you eat. Here are a lists of indigenous FOODs available in Nigeria that a diabetic patient can choose from.
FOODS TO BE TAKEN LIBERALLY
1. Beverages: Lipton tea, coffee (avoid if hypertensive), soy bean milk, soda water, club soda, soymilk (no sugar added), water
2. Green vegetables : Pumpkin (ugu), bitter leaf (onugbu), green (inine), okro, anyu, achara, waterleaf, okazi, ugboguru, garden eggs (anara), ahihara, ora, utazi, ulurukpa etc.
3. Salad vegetables: Cabbage, lettuce, cucumber, tomatoes
4. Proteins Lean meat, fish, snails, chicken, eggs, milk (1/3 tin daily or 2 -3 tablespoon of powdered milk (skimmed milk)
STAPLE FOODS
1. Choose more from here – low glycaemic index
Agidi, unripe plantain, beans, Moi-moi, Bean balls (Akara), Okpa, Bread fruit (ukwa), Water yam, cocoyam, fio-fio, Akidi, Irish potatoes, whole bread (without sugar), garri, whole corn meal, Gruel (oat meal), Abacha (African salad), Ugba, Crackers biscuits, Pasta (macaroni, spaghetti).
2. Choose less from here – high glycaemic index
Rice, Bread, Yam, Cassava, Corn, Ona, Wheat, Ripe plantain, Sweet potatoes.
FRUITS
1. Take more of these (low glycaemic index)
Orange, Grape, Cashew, Guava, Carrot, Apple, Plum, Udara (Apple), Avocado Pear, Paw-Paw (Unripe), Bush Mango.
2. Take less of these (high glycaemic index)
Banana, Paw-Paw (ripe), Water Melon, Pineapple, Mango.
FOODS TO BE TAKEN SPARINGLY
Egusi, groundnut, cashew nuts, roasted ukwa, palm kernel, Offals (organ meats, intestines), skins (kanda / kpomo).
FOODS NOT ALLOWED
1. Beverages: Ovaltine ™, Bournvita™, Milo™, Nescao™, Horlicks™
2. Empty calories : Sugar, Sugar cane, Glucose, sweets, Lucozade™, Honey, Jam, Ice cream, sweet biscuits, marmalade
3. Drinks: Regular soft drinks, alcoholic drinks (beer, wine, spirits)
4. Confectionaries: Cakes, Pies, Sausages, Pancake, Chin-chin, Buns, Sweet biscuits.
5. Others: Coconut, Baked beans, Salad creams, Chestnut etc
Conclusion
Understand that treatment of diabetes is for life and become emotionally prepared. Get your prescription from a medical doctor.
Adhere to your prescription (do not borrow or copy another person’s prescription).In the event of so many drugs, split them into groups to be taken regularly at specific and different times of the day.Do not abandon your drugs.
Keep to your clinic appointments (your prescription is tied to the duration of your appointment).
Credit : Rev. Prof. C. I. Okafor (Consultant Endocrinologist/Diabetologist, University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital, Enugu, Nigeria)