Heng! Ong! Huat! Is your sugar ready for it?

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Heng! Ong! Huat! Is your sugar ready for it?

By Alpro Pharmacy

January 24, 2023

Chinese New Year is not just about gathering with friends, family members and relatives, it is also about more snacks and foods! Everyone wishes to celebrate it without worries including our diabetic friends who want to make sure their blood sugar is always within the perfect range!

But How?

1. Is achieving fruits and vegetables possible during Chinese New Year?

Vegetables & fruits are rich in vitamins, minerals & fibers that are healthy to the body. You can always prioritize them first before starting on the snacks. It gives you satiety all day so that you will not binge on festives goodies.

A 3 servings of vegetables and 2 servings of fruits are the recommended servings in a day. Examples:

1 serving of vegetables equals to 2 handful size of green leafy vegetables

1 serving of fruits equals to 1 fist size.

2. Start reducing sugar by making a wiser drink choice

During Chinese New Year, guests will always be offered with sweetened drinks. Always request for plain water/chinese tea/ Reduced sugar beverages. Plain water is calorie-free and will keep you fully hydrated for the whole day! 8 glasses of water are recommended per day. Sugary drink packet/can is not recommended because it has no nutrients but sugar that consists of an estimation of 3 teaspoons!

3. Is Wholegrain snacks a better choice?

Wholegrain snacks (Cornflakes cookies, nut cookies, almond snacks, dried fruit oatmeal biscuit etc) contain high fibers and are more nutritious than most other chinese new year snacks. You can control blood sugar from it because they are low in glycemic index and they do not affect blood sugar level quickly. Since they are in the group of carbohydrates and contain calories, you still have to be mindful of your portion size because taking more of these cookies will cause you to gain weight and affect blood sugar level.

4. ZhuJiao (Chinese Braised Pig’s feet), DongPoRou (Braised Pork Belly), Peking Duck, are these your frequent dishes during Chinese New Year? Any other better choices?

Lean meat is always a wise choice because it is low in fat and cholesterol. Choosing fish/chicken meat over red meat products like pork, beef, lamb and duck meat is highly advisable. This is because extra fats & skin contribute to extra calories that will lead you to be overweight.

5. Ong for healthier cooking style

Boiling, grilling, steaming or stir frying are good examples to reduce oil consumption & avoid unnecessary weight gained. Dishes with sauces are best to avoid due to hidden sugar, salt and fats in them. Unnecessary sauces not only make you gain weight but also might affect your blood sugar level.

6. Aim for better blood sugar control other than diet during this festive season?

Best is through exercise! During the exercise, your muscles will take up the sugar and use it for energy and at the same time shed off extra calories off your body. Can always spare your 30 minutes time to do the workout like walking, jogging, aerobics etc. Remember to always keep track of your blood sugar reading before and after workout.

7. Does your number look good?

It’s always advisable to check your blood sugar reading at all times for better control during this festive season!

If you have any further enquiry about blood sugar level or your sugar-control journey, you can always contact SugO365 – Sugar Control for Diabetes

Reference:

Malaysian Dietary Guidelines 2020 [Internet]. Bahagian Pemakanan | Kementerian Kesihatan Malaysia; 2021 [cited 18th Jan 2023]. Available from: https://hq.moh.gov.my/nutrition/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Web%20MDG.pdf
Muiz M. Pemakanan Sihat semasa Tahun Baru cina [Internet]. PORTAL MyHEALTH. 2017 [cited 18th Jan 2023]. Available from: http://www.myhealth.gov.my/pemakanan-sihat-tahun-baru-cina/