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Dietician, Diabetes Expert - Answered on Apr 02, 2022

Komal Jethmalani is a practising dietician and nutritionist with over 26 years of experience.
She specialises in weight loss and diabetes management.
Jethmalani has completed her MSc in food and nutrition from SNDT University and trained at Jaslok Hospital.
She is a NDEP-certified diabetes educator.... more

Question by Ujwala on Apr 02, 2022Hindi

Dear Komalji,
I am 45 years old, already menopaused for seven years.
I have diabetes.
My diet:
Morning: Warm water on empty stomach
Breakfast: Sandwich/Idli/Dosa/Thepla/Poha/Upma and tea
Mid-morning: Five soaked badams, 1 soaked walnut. A little later, buttermilk
Lunch: Rice/chapati/millet/gravy/dal/sabzi
Evening: Tea and sandwich/idli/dosa/thepla/poha/upma/kurmura/chana
Sometimes, I have packaged snacks.
Night: Fruit or same as lunch, depending on how hungry I feel.
No exercise, just walking around the house (2 BHK) as housework requires.
Water: 1-2 litres
Is this okay or should I make changes?
Thanks,

Ans:

Your diet lacks protein.

Include protein-rich foods like low fat dairy products, pulses, beans, soya, seeds, nuts, eggs or lean meat (if permitted).

Have three main balanced meals, focusing on protein rich food and complex carbs.

Include fruits, vegetables and salads to increase fibre intake. This will help reduce your glycemic index.

Avoid packaged or processed foods as they contain simple carbohydrates and more sodium, which will increase water retention.

A workout schedule is very essential in maintaining fitness.

Exercise will increase your metabolism and lead to good burning of extra calories. It will increase flexibility and endurance and keep your blood sugars under control.

Drink at least 10-12 glasses of water to flush out toxins, remain well hydrated and for good gut health.

DISCLAIMER: The answer provided by rediffGURUS is for informational and general awareness purposes only. It is not a substitute for professional medical diagnosis or treatment.

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Question by Saraf - Oct 19, 2020Hindi

I am a 62-year-old man, weight 83 kgs, mostly sitting work, living in Noida.I am diabetic for over 25 years. I wake up in the morning between 5.30 am to 6 am and take warm water with lemon/alovera/giloy.I then walk for about 45 minutes.I take tea with two Marie biscuits and about 30-40 gms of namkeen.For breakfast, I have two chapattis/poha/sandwich/any item.Lunch is three chapattis of wheat/ragi+besan.Evening, I have small quantity of fruit -- apple or any seasonal fruit, but not banana.Dinner is at about 8 pm; I have two chapattis.I go to sleep between 10 pm and 10.30 pm.I take medicine with insulin but my sugar level fasting does remains 180-200.-- Saraf

Ans:

Your situation may seem difficult to you, but it isn't reversible.

Diabetes with excess weight is a condition which can be overcome with healthy habits.

Lack of endurance and insulin resistance is a sign of uncontrolled sugar levels.

To bring a change, you must include aerobic and strengthening exercises which will increase your lean mass and metabolism.

Include healthy foods in your diet like oats, dalia, fruits, vegetables, whole grains and beans, which contain lots of fibre. This will help increase your metabolism and thereby reduce your blood sugar levels.

Protein-rich foods are necessary for sustenance, so include foods like dairy products, eggs (if permissible), lentils, nuts, soya, etc.

Reduce too much namkeen, which is not healthy and has lots of trans fats, salt and additional calories, which will spike the blood sugar levels.

A balanced diet that contains essential nutrients, and a modification of your habits, will result in a healthy lifestyle geared towards fitness.

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