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The body goes without food during sleep, putting diabetics at risk of low blood sugar levels. Breakfast will help them restore their blood sugar. GERALDINE LING reports
 Breakfast is the most important meal of the day for diabetics who have high blood glucose levels.
At night, the body typically goes without food – a source of glucose – for up to 12 hours. It is during this prolonged period of fasting that the body mobilises its glucose stores in the form of glycogen.
This gradual breakdown of glycogen maintains blood glucose levels during the night, said Dr Soon Puay Cheow, a senior consultant endocrinologist at Soon Diabetes Thyroid And Endocrinology Clinic.
However, glycogen stores may be depleted by the next morning, he added. This may spell trouble for diabetics who have taken blood glucose-lowering drugs the night before.
As these drugs may still be active the next morning, blood glucose levels may drop further, increasing the risk of hypoglycaemia or low blood sugar, said Dr Soon. Symptoms include giddiness and irritability. If severe, one may even fall into a coma.
This is why diabetics should start the day with a new supply of glucose – by eating breakfast, he said.
Nutritionist Kalpana Bhaskaran, an applied food science & nutrition lecturer at Temasek Polytechnic, said a good breakfast will also prevent people with diabetes from overeating during lunch – which might increase their blood sugar levels.
They should eat a well-planned breakfast that is nutritionally balanced and provides adequate energy. However, they should not avoid carbohydrates, she said.
Some diabetics may avoid carbohydrates because the body converts them into blood glucose. However, they are the main source of energy for the body and the only source of energy for the brain.
According to the International Diabetes Institute (IDI) in Australia, it is best to choose slow-release carbohydrates like kidney beans, chickpeas and wholegrain bread.
Such foods help to prevent spikes in blood glucose as they are digested slowly.
Diabetics should also take care to include other food groups, like low-fat protein, fruit and vegetables and a small amount of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, commonly dubbed the good fats, said
Ms Bhaskaran. These are her breakfast tips:
■ Breakfast shakes: Make shakes with low-fat milk, yogurt or soya bean milk, which provide good quality protein and calcium for healthy bones. Add high-fibre wholegrain cereals (oats or muesli) and blend with fruit and flax seeds.
■ Sandwiches: Make sandwiches with wholegrain bread and fill them with low-fat cheese or lean ham, sliced tomatoes, cucumber and celery. In a sandwich with two slices of wholegrain bread, you may get up to 5g of dietary fibre or about 20 per cent of your daily requirement.
■ Fried bee hoon (rice vermicelli): Use brown rice vermicelli which is higher in fibre and use less oil for frying. You may add vegetables and some tau kwa (firm soya bean cake) for more nutrients, fibre and protein.
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