My mom is a bit worried about me. She is suspecting that … I have diabetes! She noticed that I have the symptoms of the lifestyle threatening disease – always feeling thirsty, always urinating, always feeling hungry with bruises that are slow to heal and blurry vision. 

I told her I am just that person who loves water and food, and I am clumsy like that so I get bruises anywhere. 

The only symptom of diabetes that I do not have is the sudden loss on weight (the sad part, I am continuously gaining weight!).

My mom has diabetes and she always tells me to be mindful of what I eat. I think it is really impossible to remove certain food in your diet. The secret is making the right choices and consuming everything in moderation. 

One of the super food for diabetics is US Pulses. You might have read a lot about US Pulses in this blog. A pulse is an edible seed that grows in a pod. Pulses are chickpeas, lentils, dry peas, and beans.  They are usually available in the local supermarket or grocery. 

To help promote diabetes care, prevention and a cure worldwide, I am dedicating this blog to talk about the benefits of eating US Pulses to help prevent diabetes. 

Benefits of Eating Pulses

1. US Pulses are low in glycaemic index (GI)

Although pulses contain carbohydrates, they don’t give sharp rises to blood glucose levels compared to other carbohydrate-containing foods. Pulses has a fibre content and high in protein which slows down breakdown of the carbohydrates in the blood. However, it is still important to check with your diabetes team for specific advice on how to count the carbs in pulses as there is no one-size-fits-all approach to this.

2/ Three tablespoons of pulses (about 80g) count as one serving of fruit and vegetables. 

My mom cannot eat a lot fruits because of the sugar content. Pulses is a good alternative to get that fiber content equivalent to that of fruits and vegetables! Fiber is good for the digestive system. There are two types of fibre – soluble and insoluble. Pulses are a good source of soluble fibre, which may help to lower your cholesterol levels – good news for your heart health, as high cholesterol levels are a risk factor for heart disease. Research also shows that people who have a good fibre intake have lower rates of conditions such as bowel cancer.

3. Pulses are good source of protein. 

I wrote on the previous blog that I try to get my protein from pulses through Flexitarian Diet. Pulses are a good source of protein, essential for building and replacing muscle. Vegetarian or not, pulses are a good source of protein. 

4. Pulses are low in fat!

Most pulses are low in fat, which is great news for your heart and your weight as fat contains more energy gram for gram compared to carbohydrate, protein and alcohol. 

5. Pulses are more affordable.

Pulses are good not just in your basket, but also in your pocket! If you have a big space, it might also help to grow some pulses at your own backyard. 

Pulses Recipes for Diabetics

Feeling hungry? Here are some of the recipes that I have came across online while reading about Diabetes. These recipes use pulses like beans and they are easy to prepare and looks yummy!

The classic pork and beans made a little more tastier. 

I can forget the cup of rice and enjoy this dish. 

Aubergines baked with herby tomatoes, beans and vegetables, 

topped with tofu to make a satisfying main meal. I love that this dish has so much color too!

As usual, I hope you find this post helpful. It is really important to take care of our body and make the right choices for our health and lifestyle. 

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