Diet

• Eat a healthy diet. A high fiber diet with lots of green vegetables, fruits, cereals and pulses.
• Have food items low in refined sugars, salt, saturated fat, Trans fat, and cholesterol.
• Replace red meat with beans, nuts, poultry, and fish.
• Fibre keeps blood glucose from going high after a meal because it slows down the speed at which the food is digested. This is the reason why brown rice is better than white rice or whole wheat flour is better than maida. Almost all fruits and vegetables are good for a person with diabetes if consumed in appropriate amounts as they are rich in fiber and other essential vitamins and minerals. It is essential to have at least 5 fruits and vegetables per day. To increase fibre intake, one needs to take non-starchy vegetables like greens, gourds, salads, whole fruits with skin and edible seeds, vegetables, legumes, oats, beans and whole grains.
• Limit intake of foods and drinks with a lot of added sugars (soda, desserts, candy, and sweets), bakery products, samosa, kachories, snack foods like chips, namkeen and fried foods.
• If you can, reduce portion sizes of your favorite food, avoid second helpings and substitute high-calorie foods with low calorie options like grilled cutlets with lots of vegetables instead of fried potato cutlets, you can not only loose weight but also prevent and control diabetes.

Some meal planning tools :

1) The plate method:

• 1/2 nonstarchy vegetables 
• 1/4 grain foods/starchy vegetables
• 1/4 lean protein 
• Fruit and/or dairy on the side
• Healthy fatsNote: There is no single diet or eating pattern that is ideal for everyone with diabetes.

2)  Carbohydrate Counting:

Carbohydrate counting, or "carb counting," is a meal planning technique that helps you to keep track of how much carbohydrate you are eating.

Which foods have carbohydrates:  

• Grains like rice, oatmeal, and barley
• Grain-based foods like bread, cereal, pasta, and crackers
• Starchy vegetables like potatoes, peas and corn
• Fruit and juice
• Milk and yogurt
• Dried beans like pinto beans and soy products like veggie burgers
• Sweets and snack foods like sodas, juice drinks, cake, cookies, candy, and chips
• Non-starchy vegetables like lettuce, cucumbers, broccoli, and cauliflower have a little bit of carbohydrate but in general are very low.

Starches
One starch exchange* contains approximate 15 grams of carbohydrate, 2-3gm protein , 0-1 gm. fat and 80 calories. Whole grains are always a better choice.

Bread 1 slice medium= 1 chapathi  around 6 inches= Idli 3 inch round= 1 plain dosa= rice 1/3RD cup = 1small potato=oats ½ cup= 4 marie biscuit= 3glucose biscuits= 2 rusk = 3cup popcorns without fat =1/2cup pasta or noodles = dhokla 1 square = 3 pani poori = ½ hot dog

http://www.diabetesindia.com/diabetes/fruitsexchange_list.htm accessed on 22nd April 2015

Fruits 

One exchange of fruit* contains approximate 15 grams of carbohydrate, no protein or fat, and 60 calories. Fruits should be taken along with edible skin and seeds.

 
Apple, small (2 inches)½=   Banana (9 inch long)=1 small cheekoo (saputa) = 15 grapes= 1 guava medium= ½ mango small or 1 slice large= ¼ medium musk melon or 3 slices = 3slices of papaya = 1orange = 1medium pear = ½ pomegranate= 2slices of pineapple= 1medium peach

http://www.diabetesindia.com/diabetes/fruitsexchange_list.htm accessed on 22nd April 2015

Carbohydrate content (CHO) of common food items

https://www.aace.com/sites/all/files/aapi_guide_to_nutrition_health_and_diabetes.pdf accessed on 10th July

3) Glycaemic Index: 

• Glycemic Index is a scale that ranks CHO foods based on the principle how much and how quickly raise blood glucose levels compared to bread and glucose.
• Low GI foods are considered better choices compared to high GI foods.
• A low GI food will release glucose slowly & steadily.

Low GI Foods (55 or less)

• 100% stone-ground whole wheat or pumper nickel bread
• Oatmeal (rolled or steel-cut), oat bran, muesli
• Pasta, converted rice, barley
• Sweet potato, corn, yam, lima/butter beans, peas, legumes and lentils
• Most fruits, non-starchy vegetables and carrots

Medium GI (56-69)

• Whole wheat, rye and pita bread
• Quick oats
• Brown, white or basmati rice, couscous

High GI (70 or more)

• White bread or bagel
• Corn flakes, puffed rice, bran flakes, instant oatmeal
• Shortgrain white rice, rice pasta, macaroni and cheese from mix
• Russet potato, pumpkin
• Pretzels, rice cakes, popcorn, saltine crackers
• Melons and pineapple

American Diabetes Association. Last edited July 1, 2015

Exercise

Each one kg of body weight loss is associated with 3% decrease in blood glucose levels. Exercise helps improve fitness, burn calories and thus reduce body fat and control weight.  Physical activity also moves sugar from your blood into your cells thus helping in lowering blood sugar levels. Anderson and Konz. Obes Res 2001;9(Suppl. 4):326S–334S;
Recommendations from American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists (AACE) 2015 for lifestyle changes

(AACE/ACE Diabetes Guidelines, Endocr Pract. 2015;21(Suppl 1):1-87)