Diabetes

Meenu Agarwal, a clinical dietician and nutritionist based in Singapore shares the common mistakes people make while managing diabetes Diet and lifestyle plays a very important role in Diabetes management and need proper care and attention. The importance of diet cannot be overemphasised. In this article I will try to cover some of the most common mistakes that we make on a daily basis. 1. Having long gaps between meals: Large gaps between meals lead to high levels of sugar fluctuation. When…

Bina Patel, 59 has Type 2 Diabetes and lives in Vadodara, Gujarat. She talks of her challenges in managing her condition and hopes her learnings and tips will help the community. Also, which home remedies work? Bina, when were you diagnosed? I was diagnosed with Type II Diabetes at the age of 47 (about 12 years ago). One day, I just couldn’t get out of bed and so I met my GP about it. He suggested I get a blood test done. The blood test showed my blood sugar to be 300 mg/dl. At the time my GP…

Nutritionist Kohila Govindaraju talks about the risks of Gestational Diabetes and how it should be avoided or controlled for the sake of the health of the mother and the child to be born. Gestational Diabetes, or GD, is high blood sugar that develops during pregnancy and usually disappears once the baby is delivered. Usually GD develops during the second half of the pregnancy and in most women the symptoms of diabetes are not noticeable. The risk of developing GD increases if: Mother has pre-…

Jayesh Shah and his wife enthusiastically turned vegan with the hope of bringing down their cholesterol and diabetes levels. So why did they need to stop the diet?  Read their experience. In the month of October 2016, my wife and I attended a Wellness programme conducted by a “Health and Wellness Coach”. Both of us are 50+ and are suffering from High Cholesterol levels and Diabetes respectively. The promise of the programme was that these would be brought to normal levels without…

Moong dal is a great source of protein, vitamins and dietary fiber. Moong Dal Dosa or Pesarattu is also low in sodium, saturated fat and cholesterol making a very healthy snack option for people with diabetes, high cholesterol and high blood pressure. Perfect for an after school snack for young children too. Ingredients: 1 cup whole green moong dal 1 tbsp urad dal 2 tbsp yoghurt 3-4 tbsp water Salt to taste (add minimal or no salt to the recipe) 2 green chilies (optional) हिंदी में पढ़ें…

Meenu Agarwal, a clinical dietitian and nutritionist based in Singapore, advises on controlling consumption of junk food to stay fit and free from ailments like diabetes, cholesterol, acidity, hypertension and other complications and offers healthier options. Junk food is defined as “any food, which is low in essential nutrients and high in everything else - calories and sodium". Junk foods contain little or no proteins, vitamins or minerals but are rich in salt, sugar, fats and are high in…

12% of people with diabetes have major depression, and about 10 to 20% have minor depression. In a new analysis, German researchers have found that reducing depressive symptoms does indeed help control blood glucose better and even increasing the probability of bringing HbA1C under to under 7.5. According to study investigator Andreas Schmitt, PhD, a postdoctoral researcher at the Research Institute of the Diabetes Academy Mergentheim in Germany, it could be that the less depressed people are,…

Diabetic diarrhoea commonly occurs in people with poorly controlled insulin-dependent diabetes and can pose several challenges related to bowel movement, including constipation and fecal incontinence. Dr Shital Raval gives an overview. Diarrhea is a common and bothersome complication of diabetes. It is commonly seen in diabetic patients who have poorly controlled insulin-dependent diabetes and also a history of peripheral and autonomic neuropathy. The diarrhea comes and goes with periods of…

Do you sometimes get sudden cramps in your calf or toe muscles? Dr. Shital Raval explains the causes and tips to get rid of leg cramps and to prevent them  Leg cramps or Charley horse (term used mainly in Canada and the US) is a common but harmless condition experienced by most individuals. These are sudden painful contractions of the leg muscles often in the calf area. They can last for seconds to a few minutes and rarely last more than 10 minutes. हिंदी में पढ़ें: पैर में ऐंठन -…

Usha Jesudasan, who is affected by polio, diabetes and breast cancer, is a prolific writer of inspirational books and articles. Here, she advises on a holistic approach to cope with the diagnosis of chronic illness and move forward without letting life crumble. Sitting across from the doctor’s table, I hear him say something. “It is what we call a chronic disease.” 1. Your Attitude Matters Chronic disease? The doctor explained: “A chronic disease is one which continues for a long time. There is…