Why a blog on GD?

I thought of writing something on diet for Gestational Diabetes (GD) when my daughter-in-law had GD last year. Being a vegetarian, she had very little choice when it came to American hospital diet. She was admitted in the hospital on the 26th week of gestation with high GD and for about 3 weeks, I had to manage her diet with proper calculation of carbohydrate, protein and fibre.With proper guidance and wonderful cooperation from her dietitian, we could keep her glucose level under control. She delivered a girl baby on her 29th week, and both mother and daughter are doing great today.

Friday, July 1, 2011

BROKEN WHEAT

Broken wheat
Broken wheat is a form of wheat that has been made by milling the wheat coarsely after cleaning and husking it. It is then processed to the size that is required. This is a nutritious form of eating wheat as it is not refined and does not loose out on any of the nutrients that are present in whole wheat. It is a good source of the daily requirement of fiber and manganese in your food. Broken wheat is also called bulgar wheat.
Benefits of including broken wheat or bulgar in your diet

There are many benefits of including this nutritious cereal in your daily diet. It is especially good for those who are suffering from diabetes as it is a complex carbohydrate. The essential nutrient which bulgar provides you with are many. It is a source of complex carbohydrates which provide energy to the human body. The fiber content in it is helpful to the digestive system and helps to clean it out.
Broken wheat like all wheat products has amino acids which provide protein, but are not a complete protein, so combining this with other sources of proteins like legumes and meats will give you all the proteins that your body requires. However, broken wheat has more protein content in it than corn or rice.
Bulgar wheat contains several vitamins and minerals which are essential for the body too. Wheat is a good source of thiamine which is one of the vitamins Bs and is essential for digestion and for healthy nerves. Vitamin B content in wheat is Niacin, which helps in assimilating the protein in the body. Iron, zinc and riboflavin are also found in wheat which are good for the hemoglobin content in the blood, have healing properties and are good for the eyesight. Apart from all this there are traces of minerals like magnesium and selenium which are beneficial to the heart.
Include bulgar wheat in your normal diet

To maintain your daily requirement of fiber intake and complex carbohydrates, bulgar wheat is a good source which will also satisfy your taste buds. You can make a lot of dishes with bulgar wheat like soups, salads, porridge and other eastern kind of cuisines which are sometimes rich with dried fruits and butter. However, for healthy diets it is better to maintain the simpler forms of cooking this delicious cereal and keep the rich recipes for special occasions only. A handful of broken wheat could be added to any other cereal to make it more nutritious.
Broken wheat should be stored in air tight containers in dark and dry places so that it does not get affected by sunlight or moisture.
Broken Wheat Idli

Like Sooji (white Rawa) broken wheat can also be made into delicious idlis.
Broken Wheat                                     ---2 cups
Green chillis (cut into small pieces)        --- 2
Oil                                                       --- 2 tsp
Thick buttermilk(a little sour)                --- 1 cup
Mustard, split urad dhal                        ---  1 tsp each
Pepper jeera granules                          ---  2 tsp
Shredded Curry & coriander leaves
Salt to taste

 In a tawa, heat oil and season mustard, urad dhal and chilli pieces, add pepper jeera granules and fry a little.Then add the cracked wheat and fry till good smell comes.Close the fire and allow the wheat to cool. Mix the wheat,buttermilk and coconut with salt well. Pour the mixture in the idli plates and cook for at least 15 minutes as the cracked wheat will take some more time than ordinary idli to get cooked. This is the most nutritious tiffin for GD patients.
 Note: Sometimes the consistency of the mixture will be very thick, use your discretion and add some water to make the flour to regular idli consistency and make idlis.

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