Onam is a big celebration time for kerala people (malayalis). And payyassam is a favorite dessert after onam sadhya. There are many ways of preparing it with broken wheat and rice. But for diabetic patients it is better to use dal (parippu) instead of rice and wheat. Also use ghee and coconut milk. Dal has low glycemic index(GI). And use of good ghee , jaggery and coconut flakes make payyassam with low GI.
Also use alternative ingredients for rice and broken wheat. Millets can be a great substitute for the usual carbohydrates in Payyassam. GI of millets is medium, but have a favorable carbohydrate to fibre ratio. American Heart Association recommends 1 gram of fibre for every 10 gram of carbohydrates. Millets have 60 to 70 % of carbohydrates and 15 to 20% of dietary fibre.
Hence they lower the GI of the dessert or sweet you may want to eat, also you can top it with dry fruits, which will enhance satiety. Usually we take dessert at the end of the meal, then first you have to cut down other food items, from your platter, so that you can keep fit to the calorie allowance for the day.
Have your ONAM SADHYA in a certain order. Begin with vegetables (basically load up on fibre), then move to protein like dals, grain and then dessert. This sequence will automatically restrict your craving for dessert and help you exercise portion control.
Front loading your diet with fibres and proteins in your diet , keeps you feeling full longer, delays digestion and avoids blood sugar spikes. it is better to skip payyassam while having sadhya or the full meal spread . Still if you do, reduce the amount of rice and compensate it with an activity, that reduces the effect.
Always never overshoot your total calorie allowance for the day. One has to be mindfull of blood glucose levels regardless of whether one is fasting or feasting ( which might result in blood sugar clips). If HbA1c is more than 8, feasting should be avoided.
Certain steps to cut down calories during feasting.
Burn your calories away. May have to indulge in physical activity and exercise more.
Sleep well. Sleepless nights increase your hunger hormone ghrelin surge and you may develop a craving for high fat, high sugar food.
Have fruits in between meals at 11 am ,then at 4 pm and that for not the oversize ones.
keep yourself hydrated.
Have home cooked sadhya than the one served at restaurants, as you can have much better control, over the amount of sugar, carbohydrates and calories.
Have your medicines at the usual time and keep a testing kit @ hand, if there is a sugar swing to detect.