Nutrition and Dietetics expert, Parvathy Radhakrishnan answers readers’ questions on nutrition. Get your doubts cleared and see them featured on our FAQ page every Wednesday.

This week’s answers:

Please give me the details of preferable GI foods in my regular schedule to reduce fat.
Sunil28

Your query is not clear. I assume you mean body fat reduction when you mention fat. GI is an index of how much blood glucose increases on consuming carbohydrate foods. It is believed that when you eat foods with low GI, sugar is released slowly into the body making you less hungry between meals, and therefore reduce your weight. But this works only in a calorie restricted diet too. Not possible to list all foods here.

Some foods with low/medium GI are whole grain cereals, barley, pasta, (no rice) cornmeal, branflakes, soya bread, all legumes, sweet potato, fruits like apple, grapefruit, peach, plum, pears, oranges, cherries, kiwi fruit, pineapple, skim milk, fat free yogurt

Hi. What are the food items a diabetes can eat?
Rajesh kumar

Please read all the articles on diabetes published in the site. It will help explain in detail about dietary management of diabetes. Basically eat more high fiber foods like whole grains, fruits, vegetables, pulses and reduce fatty foods, sweets, bakery items, and avoid red meats and full fat dairy products. Space your meals and do not over eat in a meal.

Dear Maam, I’m in my second trimester. Can you please suggest natural foods for folic acid?
Prema

I hope you have already been taking foods containing folic acid even before becoming pregnant as it is of importance from the time of conception. All green leafy vegetables, oranges, banana, dry beans, lentils, cowpeas, broccoli, asparagus, wheat germ, cabbage, lettuce, almonds, peanuts, citrus juices.

Am suffering from acute IBS. Any suggested diet?
Anhita_Kumar

IBS can be managed by avoiding foods like chocolates, eggs, wheat products and dairy products. You may have intolerance to milk and its products. Also avoid vegetables like cabbage, cucumber, cauliflower if it causes bloating or gas. You need high fiber diet.  Commercial fiber supplements will help. Consult your physician.

What is the difference in health benefits between potato and sweet potato?
Parthsarathy

Both are more or less equal in their nutritive content except that sweet potato is lower in calories and higher in fiber and vitamins
than the regular potato. Sweet potato has lower GI making it acceptable for diabetics.

I have a slightly high LDL. Is it ok to drink milk daily?
T_Ganesh

Yes it is provided the milk is fat free.

Parvathy is a trained Nutrition & Dietetics expert and a member the Research Society for the Study of Diabetes in India.

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Tags: Diabetes, nutrition, Parvathy Radhakrishnan, Sify Health, Sweet potato

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