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Ayesha, 54, Diabetic, Seeks Advice on Managing Fasting Sugar Level of 150 Despite Active Lifestyle

Niharikka Budhwani |13 Answers |Ask -Follow

Dietician, Lifestyle, Nutrition Expert - Answered on Dec 03, 2024

Niharikka Budhwani is a registered dietician and the co-founder of Health Hatch, a wellness company.
She specialises in lifestyle management and has been guiding individuals of all ages about lifestyle-related health disorders including diabetes and obesity.
She is the author of Defeat Diabetes, a guide for diabetics in India, and Winning Over PCOS.
Niharikka has also contributed to publications like the Indian Breakfast Guide and SugarPedia and has shared case studies in the Indian Diabetes Educator Journal.
During the pandemic, she collaborated with the government of Odisha to design COVID-19 nutrition plans.
She has also volunteered as a dietician at the Standard Chartered Mumbai Marathon and supported the Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai’s (MCGM) HALT Diabetes initiative. She has also created healthy, easy-to-make recipes that have been featured in the MCGM’s Your Family Guide To Healthy Eating And Living.
Niharrika holds a bachelor's degree in food nutrition and dietetics, a post-graduate degree in clinical nutrition with a specialisation in diabetes and cardiac care from SVT College, Mumbai, and an MD in alternative medicine and medical systems from the Indian Board of Alternative Medicine.... more

Question by Ayesha on Aug 07, 2024Hindi

My name is Ayesha. 54 yrs. Wt is 70 kg. Having diabetes since 10 yrs. Im pure veg. I do Yoga, walking, swim once a week. Very active. In spite of all, my fasting sugar level is 150.I lost my wt from 76 to 70.Simetimes I really get demotivated.

Ans: Hi Ayesha,

Managing blood sugar levels depends on what you are eating along with exercise. Weight loss can also be because of uncontrolled blood sugar levels. Also, check if your hormones are fluctuating, sugars can go hay-wire because of hormonal shift too. However you need to focus on:

1. Lowering glycemic load: Work on balancing meals like one serving of complex crabs (whole grain roti) + 1 serving pulse + 2 servings fibre (salads/cooked vegetables) This will take care of your post meal blood sugar levels
2. Go for 10 min quick walk post meals, to help sensitise insulin for better blood sugar levels
3. Avoid going for exercise in evening. This can create a dip in blood sugar levels at 3am and a spike in morning
4. Make sure your dinner is balanced for sustained release of blood sugar.
5. You can include a bed time snack (carb + fat + protein combination) to avoid a dip at 3am and which should take care of your fasting sugars. Some examples are a cup of milk with handful nuts/seeds or roasted channa or date roll (with nuts and seeds)
6. Clock in 150 min of exercise in a week with focus on weight training exercises at least 3 times a week. This is proven to show better blood sugar control throughout the day.

I totally understand that working so much and not seeing results can be demotivating but don't feel. Remember, every step you're taking is moving you closer to better health, even if it doesn’t feel that way right now. Please reassess basis the pointers mentioned above and see how you can work on your plan to achieve your goals. You've got this :)

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