NOVEMBER 9, 2014

2 SUNDAY

world diabetes day

Live healthy
with diabetes
D

ont let diabetes stop you from leading

MAKE THESE
LIFESTYLE CHANGES
the life you want. Though it ranks as one
Research has shown that the symptoms of
of the top lifestyle diseases in the world,
diabetes can be managed or even minimised
its not the end of the road for those suffering from
by correcting certain lifestyle habits. D.
Ramen Goel, senior metabolic surgeon,
it. Nowadays, it can be managed with advanced
Hinduja Healthcare and nutritionist Neeraj
treatment options, eating a healthy diet, exercising
Mehta suggest the following:
regularly and undergoing simple changes in your
day-to-day life. Take a cue from celebs like
Eat a complex carbohydrate,
Halle Berry, Tom Hanks, Kamal Haasan,
low-fat, high-fibre diet, including plenty
of raw fruits and vegetables, as well as fresh
Wasim Akram and Gaurav Kapur , all of
vegetable juices. This reduces the need for
whom are living regular lives despite
insulin and also lowers the level of fats in the
having diabetes.
blood. Fibre helps reduce blood
sugar surges.
Dr Atul N C Peters, director, metabolic sur-

Yoga helps
me maintain
my work-life
balance

Wearing safe and comfortable

footwear is absolutely essential. Keep your
feet clean, dry and warm; lack of oxygen because
poor circulation can lead to nerve damage and
perhaps even diabetic foot ulcers.

ATUL SAINI
CEO, Fiorano Software

Avoid tobacco in any form; it

constricts the blood vessels and inhibits
circulation. Consume alcohol in moderation
(Not more than 90 ml per week).

MANAGING WORK-LIFE
BALANCE
When one runs ones own business, the balance becomes a lot
easier to achieve, since hours are
flexible. Living close to work is a
key factor in saving time something that we force even our employees to comply with. But the
most important factor is yoga,
which balances everything out by
making one a saakshi an observer of ones actions. Yoga helps
me maintain my work-life balance. Once this is achieved, one
is freed of dualities and one remains unaffected by the ups and
downs that seem to be so difficult
for people to handle. The more
you get rid of the conditioning
that society has given you, the

Avoid
health supplements
containing cysteine,
vitamin B1, C and fish oil
capsules.

gery, Fortis Hospital, believes its not just better

treatment options that have enabled diaAvoid saturated fats and simple
betics to lead a normal life today. It is
sugar (except when necessary to balance
the change in attitude, People sufan insulin reaction). Eat more carbohydrates
fering from it dont dread the dis- or reduce your insulin dosage before exercise.
Exercise produces an insulin-like effect
ease anymore. Awareness about diain the body.
betes and how it can adversely affect ones
life has made people more responsible about their
health. Also, there are newer modalities of
Get your protein intake from
treatment making it convenient for pavegetable sources such as legumes and grains.
Fish and low-fat dairy products are also
tients to monitor and administer inacceptable sources of protein.
sulin, like continuous infusion pumps.
(Consult an expert if
diagnosed with diabetes)

work-life balance

Modern pre-packaged/processed
food gets rapidly absorbed in the first part of
the intestine and there is no food left for the last
part, where a few hormones, which help in
controlling diabetes, are released. Hence it is
advisable to avoid processed foods.

Sleep for preferably 7

or more hours for the nerves
and all other systems to settle
down and rest. This will lower
your diabetes problems, i.e.:
blood sugar levels and
improve your blood.

purvaja.sawant@
timesgroup.com
THINKSTOCK

more relaxed, real and blissful

you will be. Start now!

BEING A FIT MAN

Yoga automatically regulates your
diet (if you wish to do it properly), especially kriya yoga. The extremes are avoided and fitness follows. I follow a paleo diet, as it
helps me detox, especially after
long overseas business trips.

ENERGY HIGH AND

HAPPINESS
Happiness and misery are two
sides of the same coin and one
gets to a state of peace shanti,
which is followed by continuous
bliss, as long as one remains unattached to ones actions. This is
not as difficult as it sounds it follows with proper yoga. Its a surprisingly easy journey and transformation.

RISK-TAKER OR A
MICRO-PLANNER?

Initially, dealing with

diabetes was very
difficult. I used to get
frustrated because I
couldnt eat sweets.
But I changed my
lifestyle, which
included not just
incorporating a
healthy diet and
exercise routine but
also taking care of
my mental health. I
keep myself happy
and have a positive
outlook towards life
now. I even indulge
in eating my
favourite chocolates
once a month. I lead
as regular a life as
any other youngster
my age, but with a
little caution.
Anushka, 20,
architecture student

I take risks and I also believe in micro-planning.

Both happen and both are
necessary, so it depends on
situations.
The song I like to hum:
Some old Hindi songs
every now and then.
A book that means a
lot to me: I read books by
Osho. But the book that
changed my life was Yoga
And Kriya by Swami
Satyananda Saraswati.

SPIRITUAL DIET
Osho, yoga and kriya are
enough to keep one going
for a lifetime and beyond.

HANDLING
FAILURE/SUCCESS
For me, failure and success
dont really matter and the
less they matter, the more
blissful one becomes!

CRISIS MANAGEMENT
Once one has achieved a
balance and is not upset
with the ups and downs
of life, crisis is handled
matter of factly. Once
theyre gone, you realise
they were never really a
crisis in the first place for
the most part.

IF YOU
WORK OUT
REGULARLY
Carry a home glucose
monitor and use it before
and after each session.
Record blood sugar values. Carry a rwadilyavailable short-acting
glucose solution and
know when to use it
(apples, orange juice
boxes, hard candy are
excellent examples).

nona.walia@
timesgroup.com

o-zone

STEP IN RHYTHM TO YOUR INNER BEAT

It is important to be able to tune in to our inner rhythm and apply it
in our relationships and everyday life

tepping into the gurudwara, it took me a moment to realize that the normal sense of
peace and wellbeing that envelops me there
was missing. I searched desperately for that elusive
element, but couldn't connect. The mental clutter
and chaos of the world outside had accompanied
me, and I was unable to connect to my own inner
rhythm of tranquillity. Sometimes a place of worship helps you do that instantly, but not always.
At times it takes longer than usual to unplug from
the world wide web of information and interaction
we dwell in, and to plug into the socket of peace and
energy that revitalizes us from within. However, it
is important to find your rhythms and step in time
with them every once in a while. And when you
wish, to be able to connect to or walk in sync with
the individual rhythms of others around you.
And it is vital to stay connected also to the
rhythm the Universe responds to -- followed
by Nature, animals and our own bodies.
Think about it. Almost everything responds
to a pace - at times fast, other times slow.
We go through phases that are good
and bad, fast and slow, friendly and
unfriendly. It is the choreographed
dance of opposites that sets a pattern of rhythm - the strong moments alternated with the weak,
the dark patterns with the light,
good times with bad times,
high notes with low, approach with withdrawal,
closeness with distancing

vinitadawra.nangia@timesgroup.com
Every relationship follows its
rhythmic cycles. There is a time to
advance, a time to retreat. A time to
forge closer ties, another to allow
each other space
And so it is that a regulated pattern of opposites
creates the perfect rhythmic balance for our lives,
our health, and relationships, and for further
movement of life.
Remember trying to jump onto a moving merry-go-round as a kid? You would run alongside
in circles, looking for that right moment when
your pace exactly matched it, before jumping on
in one smooth move! I like to think life is also
a bit like that. You study it, try to match your
rhythm with it, and then make that jump at
the appropriate moment to ride astride it!
Miss the right rhythm and moment, and
what would have been a smooth ride lands
you hard on your backside!
Our bodies follow Circadian
rhythms of 24-hour cycles, which respond to light and darkness in the
environment. This then accordingly influences our physical,
mental and behavioral changes,
setting our sleep-wake cycles,
body temperature, digestive
patterns, hormone release,
etc. If we push our bodies
unnaturally counter to this
THINKSTOCK

rhythm, we pay with ill health, disturbed sleep,

obesity, diabetes, etc - a fact that most physicians
adhere to in their diagnoses.
Every relationship follows its rhythmic cycle.
There is a time to advance, a time to retreat. A
time to forge closer ties and live as one, another
to retreat and allow each other space. So long as
we match our rhythms perfectly to those of a
loved one, each relationship would be perfectly
matched and understood.
When we manage to tune in to our own inner
rhythm and seek to apply it to our outer selves, we
realize the full potential of life. Sleeping when you
are tired, eating when hungry and working when
alert help us harness our strengths and creativities
to the utmost. We remain happier, become more patient and start eating and living and living out our
relationships better.
Sometimes a moment that is a life-changer
throbs with its own rhythm. If you are able to
recognize it and match your rhythm to the moment, you have seized it! If not, it quietly passes
by - an opportunity lost!
Rhythm of course is inexplicably linked to time
and movement by its very definition. For rhythm
is the regulated successive flow of sometimes
strong, sometimes weak elements. Music is governed by rhythms, as is dance and poetry - all
marked by a basic unit of time, or beat. Art also follows a rhythmic flow, patterns that are regulated
for a balanced end result.
The tempo of the movement may be slow or fast,
or it may vary at times. The trick is in always staying
connected with your own rhythm before seeking to
sync it with other beats!
The opinions expressed in this column are the personal views of the writer

Its Your Life Best of O-zone

by Vinita Dawra Nangia
Available at leading bookstores and
shopping.indiatimes.com. Or call
8010058888/8010558888 for doorstep delivery

eat or delete
CONTROL YOUR SUGAR CRAVINGS
the diet. But limit bread to one or two small slices
in a day. As for rice, make sure you throw the exConsulting Nutritionist &
cess water out and do not have more than a small
Clinical Dietician
bowl in a day. Other refined foods like noodles,
pasta etc. can also be a part of the diet as long as
y 2030, India will have the largest num- you limit the portion size to a small bowl, not
ber of diabetics in the world! Diabetes more than once or twice a week.
accelerates the advent of several other
Please note that the total number of these foods
metabolic complications, including cardiovas- in a day will vary depending on the age, body
cular diseases, hypertension, retinopathy along weight, gender and other health conditions of the
with reducing life expectancy by 30 per cent as person. Your diet must be discussed with your nucompared to non-diabetics.
tritionist for individualised guidance.
Exercise for 30 to 60 minutes daily l This
could be a simple walk in your building or in
Eat small, frequent meals l Long gaps followed the park or even at home. If you enjoy a sport
by large meals creates low blood sugar (hylike tennis or golf, indulge in it as many
poglycemia) and raises (hyperglycemia),
times a week as your schedule permits.
WORLD
both of which are detrimental to diabetes
DIABETES On other days, walk or stroll. Regular
management. Eating small snacks every
cardio activity directly helps insulin utilDAY
two hours will distribute the carbohydrate
isation and helps stablise sugar levels.
load and thus the insulin need. It becomes un- Learn to read food labels l Although food labelavoidable to eat large quantities of food if the ing is quite nascent in India, it is now catching up.
time gap between meals is more than six hours Sugar can be disguised into many pre-packaged
apart. This large quantity of food creates an in- foods under different names: fructose corn
sulin demand that the body is unable to han- syrup, maltase, agave beet sugar, molasses,
dle, especially in diabetics, thus leading to el- brown sugar, cane juice, caster sugar, corn
evated blood sugar levels. Eating every two sweetener, date sugar... the list goes on.
hours doesnt have to be tedious or a hindrance Limit fat intake l This is a crucial step as excess
to routine life, even small meals like a sand- fat in the body increases insulin resistance thus
wich or fruit can do the trick.
making it difficult to manage blood sugar levels
Dont fear foods l Most diabetics almost instantly optimally. Watch the overall oil/ghee/butter used
develop a fear of certain foods like rice, bread, po- in daily cooking at home and when you eat out.
tatoes, grapes and other sweet fruits. Several studOf course, you have to cut out sugary foods like
ies have clearly ruled out these deceptive fears. Di- cakes, mithai and the like but you can manage
abetics can have all of the above high carb, high your carbs just like you would manage your blood
sugar foods, provided they keep the portion sizes sugar. You already have a long list of dos and
small. These foods shouldnt be eliminated from donts as a diabetic. Dont add fear to the list.

by Pooja Makhija

THE MUST DOs