Diabetes

Juliana Lim has had Type 2 diabetes for 27 years. Here she shares her tips to handle the CNY festive season  My way of eating applies consistently throughout irregardless of festive seasons. They are: Eat using the PLATE concept (50% green leafy vegetables, 25% protein, 25% unpolished rice)   Eat in moderation, stay put in the 3 meals, do not over indulge in more meals like snacks, snacks and snacks.   CNY /festive goodies, eat with care. Ensure you have enough fresh fibre…

Ling, a person with diabetes from Singapore and a DSS team lead talks of how she deals with Lunar New Year festivities  I have to admit I'm not a good example when it comes to Chinese New Year.... I will relax and feast, .... I'm the kind who will rather skip a main meal so that I can enjoy the festive goodies eg new year cake. The few CNY tips I would like to share are : Do active spring cleaning to burn more calories! Include cleaning of windows, doors, furniture as well as long as…

Enjoy the Lunar New Year festivities without compromising your health. By Nutritionist Kohila Govindaraju. It’s that time of the year again, the most significant few days in the Chinese calendar – the Lunar New Year. It’s a time to get together with friends and family and eat, drink and be merry... in a health-conscious way.  First up, the Reunion Dinner on New Year’s Eve, when families gather around a sumptuous meal. A part of the meal is Lo Hei, when everyone gathers…

Everything you eat is converted to sugar – yes, proteins and fats, too. A fast food meal spikes blood sugar by 30%. Nutritionist Kohila Govindaraju tells you how to break out of the vicious cycle of sugar rush, insulin spike, blood sugar drop, renewed hunger and weight gain.  Go for the slow burn  If you want your day to be more productive and rewarding, launch it with a nourishing meal. You will be more productive all day long if you invest just a few minutes in…

However bad you thought smoking was, its much worse. A new study adds 5 more diseases to the existing 21 diseases and 60,000 more deaths to the existing toll of half million deaths attributed to tobacco in United States alone. Death rates of smokers are 2-3 times higher than those who have never smoked and they die a decade earlier than smokers. Stopping smoking helps reduce risk over time. In addition to existing hazards of lung cancer, artery disease, heart attacks, chronic lung disease…

Think you know all the reasons? Prepare to be surprised. By family practitioner and marathoner Dr Gita Mathai. Plus, how much to exercise to get its real benefits. We all want to look good, be slim and healthy. There’s one magic pill for this and it’s called exercise. Even if you’re ‘too tired’ or ‘too busy’, you need to get off that couch now.  Benefits of regular exercise Exercise helps to achieve ideal body weight if also combined with calorie restriction.…

It is important that the physician is kept updated about the natural remedies a diabetic is trying out. When managing blood sugar levels becomes a daily battle that tests one’s will and wits, a little help on the side certainly helps. Herbs, spices, botanicals, Chinese herbs, fish oil therapy, chromium picolinate — the list can be endless, not to mention the innumerable diabetes “supplements” available over the counter. Complementary and alternative medicines for diabetes are immensely…

While this is a news item about Jakarta, it could well be about the youth of Mumbai, Delhi, Singapore.. Nurul Ratna Manikam, a Clinical nutritionist at Cipto Mangunkusumo General Hospital in Central Jakarta, said that most of her young patients worked an 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. shift and spent their mornings and nights commuting to and from their offices. They also spend most of their time sitting on a chair behind their desks or standing inside a bus or train and did not have time to…

For some people, the smell of good food can trigger a feeding frenzy. But others find it much easier to resist such temptations. What’s the explanation? Is it willpower ? A recent study in the journal Molecular Psychiatry suggests the answer to what fuels susceptibility to food cues may be far more complex, related to subtle differences in brain chemistry. The PET scans showed that, compared to their leaner counterparts, obese individuals had more dopamine-triggered signaling activity in…

Based on a discussion with Dr. Venkat Rao, Diabetologist 1. My mother has diabetes. Should I get my blood sugar checked? I am now 30 years old.  Everybody should get their blood sugar tested once a year after the age of 30, irrespective of whether or not there is a family history of diabetes. This is especially true for Indians as India has a high incidence of diabetes.  If you have a family history of diabetes with a tendency of early occurrence; if you are obese…