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Earlier this month, Dr Pramod Tripathi, founder of the Freedom from Diabetes organization (FFD) and Ms. Mandira Bedi, celebrity presenter, serial exercises and fitness enthusiast, took to YouTube to bust some long standing diabetes myths that have proven deadly for everyone, not just diabetics. The three-part series, Diabetes Myths Busted looked at overarching mis-beliefs, in the first one, such as: Diabetes is not reversible; the second delved in food related myths, and the third, explored and exposed fitness related myths. 

Food is not just necessary for life; it is the universal expression of just about any emotion. When we’re happy, we eat. When we’re sad, we eat. Depressed? Binge time! But like so many good things, too much of the wrong thing is no good at all. And what you eat can lead straight to lifestyle disorders; diabetes being the foremost, and most insidious. As you may have guessed all foods are not equal. What is surprising is that some of the foods considered staples are in fact harmful—even more than sugar, believe it or not.

Here are the top five myths about foods. 

• Myth 1

Milk is healthy for diabetics

As a matter of fact, milk is not good for anyone, and nutritionists have been saying so, for a long. But, and this is especially true in India, milk, in some form or the other, is the main ingredient in many, many dishes. Paneer, Dahi (yogurt), cheese, kheer its even in our meat dishes—malai kebabs, anyone?

Well, it’s all bad, especially for diabetics. Milk contains something known as Insulin-like Growth Factor (IGF) This compound blocks insulin receptors, preventing blood sugar from entering cells. Even your daily cup of chai contains a sufficient amount of milk to send your blood sugar into the stratosphere. Many of Dr.Tripathi’s patients have seen amazing results just by dropping milk and milk products from their diet. Also, it has super high-fat content. This in itself is a risk factor for heart health, BP, PCOD/S, and a host of other diseases.

• Myth 2

Poha, upma, dosa are good and healthy breakfast options

Nope, sorry. All these are carb-loaded refined foods. I.e. without skin (chilka). This means they are quickly absorbed into the bloodstream as glucose. A much better option is besan/pulses-based chilla (you can get the recipe on FFD’s website). Try it and you’ll find yourself feeling full much longer, and more energized too.

Leafy greens like spinach, amaranth, and lettuce are also great for blood sugar control. Be sure to incorporate these into your diet.

• Myth 3

Diabetics must never fast

Eating small meals every two hours has been a recommended eating strategy for diabetics for a long. Unfortunately, it causes repeated spikes in insulin, which leads to fat creation. (Yes, high insulin triggers fat creation.)

In reality, and this is something that has been proven time and again by FFD’s program participants: fasting is done in the recommended scientific manner (e.g. intermittent fasting, juice feasting) can bring down blood sugar counts dramatically by reducing toxic glucose overload and it eliminates the need to burn off excess glucose.

• Myth 4

Bananas & mango are poison for diabetics 

FFD program participants regularly eat bananas and mangoes without a problem. These fruits have a medium glycemic index (GI index), which simply means they are absorbed into the bloodstream at a medium rate. Apples and pears are even lower. But not all fruits are safe. Fruits to watch out for are watermelon and pineapples.

•  Myth 5

Sugar-free sweets are fine for diabetics

Not true, if the sweet contains milk. And milk, as we have seen above, contains IGF that blocks the effect of insulin, preventing blood sugar from entering cells. Furthermore, sugar-free chemicals like sucralose, aspartame can severely damage intestinal bacteria that help in producing vital enzymes and vitamins needed for energy production. Not to mention the harmful effect these chemicals in causing autoimmune diseases and cancer 

There you have it: the top five food-related myths that can cause or keep you diabetic. For more, watch the video here. If you’re diabetic or caring for someone who is suffering from diabetes, don’t miss the Diabetes Myth Busted series.  

And subscribe to FFD’s Facebook and YouTube channels, Dr. Tripathi regularly shares information, insights, and tips that can benefit all.  visit www.freedomfromdiabetes.org