Here’s How Eating Prunes Can Help You if You Are Diabetic

Imagine a life where you forego your favorite sweet treats, have restricted eating habits, face the risk of medical complications and observe a life-time of caution. Scary, isn’t it? Sadly, this is the story of thousands of people across the globe who are battling with diabetes. This is a medical condition that affects how your body handles glucose. In the long run, it can cause problems in your heart, kidneys, nerves, and even during your pregnancy. Before you start getting paranoid, here’s one tasty solution to help prevent and deal with diabetes…

Yes, we are talking about prunes, or dried plums. These delicious foods that you may have consumed every now and then hold the key to controlling diabetes. Several studies have established that regular consumption of prunes reduces the likelihood of developing the disease as well as helps in controlling it. If you have a family history of diabetes or are worried for your children given the unhealthy modern lifestyle, there’s all the more reason to figure out why prunes could be your best friend.

This is how prunes help control diabetes:

1. They slow the rate of your body’s absorption of glucose

Prunes are naturally rich in fibre and have a low Glycaemic Index (GI). GI is nothing but a measure of how a certain food affects your blood sugar levels. The lower this number, the slower the digestion of that food. So prunes, considering their really low number of 29 on 100, release energy very slowly. When you consume them, they lower the rate at which your food leave your stomach. This means it takes more time for your blood to absorb the glucose from say, your lunch or dinner. End result– your blood’s sugar levels get normalised.

2. They help you feel fuller for longer

An unhealthy eating style and excessive weight put you at higher risk of developing or aggravating your diabetic condition. But consuming prunes gives you a sense of fullness, owing to its soluble fibre, and this means you end up eating less. This means you don’t resort to unhealthy snacks between meals. You can simply let prunes keep your energy levels topped up.

3. They control inadvertent weight gain

For diabetics, it is important to cut down on saturated fats. This is because saturated fats increase blood cholesterol and put you at risk for heart disease – something that is already more common in people with diabetes. Consuming prunes, which are very low in saturated fat, is a good step in this direction.

4. How to make prunes a part of your day

In light of how diabetes has become a very common lifestyle illness, we must take necessary steps to keep it away. Aside from regular exercise and sticking to healthy, low sugar meals, eating prunes is highly recommended to keep your blood sugar levels in check.

A good option is to keep a pack of Del Monte Prunes handy as your ready source of vitamins, minerals and fibre. These are high quality prunes that are prepared from juicy plums and have the same nutritional composition as the fresh fruits, with the added benefit of easy storage and year-round availability. You can use these prunes as an instant snack when you’re feeling drained out in the early evening hours, or even munch on them together with your kids when taking a walk in the park.
Del Monte prunes also gel well with kid-friendly foods such as custards, kheer and cakes. Another good option especially for diabetics is to start your day with a serving of these prunes and give your system an early fibre boost. You can check out more about these delicious prunes on the Del Monte India Facebook page.

To let your body derive the maximum benefit from these super foods, make sure you make them an integral part of your diet. Also remember to consume them in moderation as excessive consumption can have side effects such as diarrhoea and bloating. Moderation and balance is the key to good health!

As a mom, you have a lot of responsibilities on your shoulders. Making the right health and lifestyle choices is important to keep yourself and your family members safe and protected from disease. We recommend you include this delicious food in your daily meals to discover the sweet route to a diabetic-free future!