Being overweight is bad for Diabetes

The American Diabetes Association website (www.diabetes.org) gives so much importance on eating the right kind of food and exercising regularly. In fact, it is a very colourful website guiding the reader through recipes, exercise patterns and so on. In sharp contrast, there are several websites of various diabetes organisations in India and each one is more depressing than the other. There seems to be a total disinterest in information dissemination to the people of India who are afflicted by Diabetes and would like to have comprehensive information. It almost seems as if they, inadvertently or otherwise, want to drug us and make that the most effective mode of treatment. Nevertheless, we are thankfully living in the age of Technology where you can access information from anywhere at the click of the mouse. So, do regularly visit the American Diabetes Association website.

Regarding being overweight, the American Diabetes Association clearly mentions: ``When you have diabetes, being overweight or obese increases your risk for complications. Losing just a few pounds through exercise and eating well can help with your diabetes control and can reduce your risk for other health problems. You will also have more energy and feel better in general!'' (See more at: http://www.diabetes.org/food-and-fitness/weight-loss/?loc=ff-slabnav#sthash.JMxO9QhC.dpuf)

So, do you have to run a mile or go through an hour or so of Gym to achieve weight loss? Over the last two decades, I have tried so many varieties of weight loss, but I am happy to inform you, through my experience, that, indeed just switching over to a wheat-free, dairy-free and sugar-free diet is 90% enough to make you lose weight. Our chairman of our housing society visited our home the other day for a Diwali brunch that we had invited him for her. About a fortnight back when he had come over, I had spoken of the wheat-free, dairy-free and sugar-free diet. He has Diabetes for two decades and was fascinated when I told him that he could opt for tea with coconut milk. So, when he came for the Diwali brunch he told me that he completely switched over to coconut milk and weaned away from all milk products (which anyway he hardly consumed) and lo and behold, he lost 4 kgs, within 10 days' time. He said, ``I just stopped milk by having my tea with coconut milk and I've lost 4 kgs.'' 

Switch over to wheat-free, dairy free diet
Believe me, if you wean off wheat and wheat products and milk and milk products, you start shedding your extra flab. I have lost over 10 kgs in the last 1.5 years or so. As per my experience, most of what looks flab is actually inflammation from inside due to flatulence and continuous indigestion caused by milk and milk products because of possible lactose intolerance and wheat and wheat products because of the hybrid wheat which we use, which contains high gluten. Once you stay away from these, your body automatically starts becoming trimmer - you lose your inches first. And I am very happy to note that most of the Dietitians recommend a wheat-free meals these days, at least those in Pune, And of course, in any case, whether you are a Diabetic or not, pastries and biscuits are anyway considered as weight-gainers. Also, as I have experiences, the best part about this diet is that, you maintain your weight with not too much accent or a tough exercise regimen. 
So no.1 requirement for losing weight - no wheat and wheat products, no milk and milk products and of course no sugar

You have to shed off that ugly belly!
It is difficult to lose on your stomach - and that goes last! Don't fret, you will be so encouraged when you start losing weight with this diet and brief exercises (which I have mentioned in my earlier post) that you will get motivated to have a trimmer waist and a flat stomach (flat stomach is the hardest and I too have achieved only 70% of it). Some of my sarees which I had not worn since years are out of the cupboard now, as the blouses have started fitting me. I feel good that my stomach does not pout out when I wear my salwar kameezes. But this is just the cosmetic part of it - the real thing is that, with this weight loss and weight maintenance, you can keep your blood sugar levels under control. Why does this happen? From my experience, your metabolism improves as digestion improves (you are not having junk) in the form of any wheat products (wada pav, burgers, pizzas and so on or pastries, ice-creams, Indian sweets which have high amount of milk, khoya and sugar). All these junk foods interfere with your digestion.

At the lecture in Boat Club which I had attended and which was my inspiration to drive away diabetes with food and exercise, Dr Pramod Tripathi had mentioned that you must have a really trim waist to ward off Diabetes. If not as trim as a coca-cola figure, you can surely attempt to have a slim waist and a flat stomach - the first sign that you have achieved the first step of a flat tummy is when you press on it and find it is soft (not hardened by flatulence and fat deposits).Thereafter, you will be motivated to do exercises that tone up the muscles there. 

For those of you who are heavily overweight, please do not be happy that Plus Stores have sprouted here and there, catering to your obesity. Please make it a mission that you will not have to visit those stores ever in your life. Like Adnan Sami achieved it so remarkably and is slim now since several years. Read about how he did it by google searching.

So, here is my quick suggestion to begin your weight loss programme
* No carbohydrates till lunch time; only protein and raw vegetables in the form of chutney, salads, smoothie etc
* Raw food till lunch time
* Green tea or coconut milk tea (recipe given in my earlier post) only
* Munch on Rajgira flakes (Amaranth) or at best almonds, roasted peanuts or chanas in between meals if you feel hungry. I have about 150 to 200 gms of Rajgira flakes during the day (pop some in the mouth to ease my hunger pangs)
* Eat when really hungry
*Drink water when really thirsty
*Chew your food thoroughly, thoroughly, thoroughly
* Do not starve - eat well withing the prescribed diet
* Definitely include til oil or Flax Seed oil in your salads and soups
* Exercise for about 10 to 15 mins
* Be active throughout the day. 

Tomorrow: The one day Diet Plan 

10 safe drinks you can have for diabetes

Film or modelling celebrities across the world, even those in our very own Bollywood world , adhere to a strict diet to keep themselves fit, in-form and beautiful. In fact, I see a great social change around me, as so many of our politicians too on TV screens have started looking slimmer than every before and so do so many of my friends around me. The wheat-free, dairy-free and sugar-free diet is gaining immense popularity in India, particularly in our cities. Such a diet can be a great preventive instead of opting for it only if you are afflicted with  a lifestyle disease.

From my experience, there is no way that you can be loose and casual about your diet and exercise and then expect that you will feel good or look good. At some point of time, these bad habits in eating and lifestyle come to haunt you and then they threaten to stay with you forever. For, the nightmare does not end with a mere innocent putting on weight kind of thing but results in the birth of lifestyle diseases like Diabetes and a host of other problems in your Thyroid and cholesterol  levels, joint pains and even heart ailments and allegedly cancer too. So, why not reform yourself as early as you can, before the devil of bad health gets at you and you invariably get into the `pop the pill' culture. Pills and doctor's bills are an integral part of our modern life but over-dependence on them can be reduced drastically with the help of a correct diet and exercise, as has been experienced by me and as is being recommended by so many medical experts.

Along the line, the lifestyle of mocktails,cocktails, hard drinks wine and soft drinks at parties are the biggest sources of making your sugar levels go haywire. I have completely abstained from them (I never had hard drinks but wine sometimes) since the last two years and switched over to Fresh Lime Soda (salted), if at all. Here are a list of 10 drinks which you can savour to help keep your blood sugar levels under control. Of course, do not over-indulge in anything however good it might be for Diabetes - tht is the main key to reversal of Diabetes. Remember, you should not even have a drink when you are not thirsty or hungry. It overloads your stomach and any overloading of stomach is not good for your Diabetes (as has been experienced by me).


1. Coconut Water
Absolute heaven! It is low-calorie and is punched with antioxidants, amino acids, enzymes, B-complex vitamins, vitamin C and minerals like iron, calcium, potassium, magnesium, manganese and zinc.  

2. Fresh Lime Soda/water (salted)
Fresh Lime as well all know is the richest source of Vitamin C and is an antioxidant. It builds up your immunity, 

3. Solkadhi (drink made of cocum and coconut milk).
This is made of Cocum extract and coconut milk extract. To this is added green clillies and garlic paste. Seasoned with corriander leaves. 


4. Orange or Sweet Lime juice (diluted)
For diabetics, it would be too much to have this in concentrated form (even if it is in natural form) or canned form. Only have fresh juice but dilute it with water (proportions 1/4th juice and 3/4th water/soda)

5. Pomegranate Juice
You would have to strain it of course as the seeds are not tasty. You could also add pieces of apple and water to it and blend it through the juicer

6. Jamun (black plum) Juice. This is available in concentrated form (without sugar) in the market. Add four tspns of Jamun to one glass of water. You can keep it in the fridge and have small portions of it during the day


7. Apple Juice (freshly made): To one apple, add one cup water, a dash of lemon and two teaspoons of Flax seed oil. Strain.

8. Jal Jeera with water/soda: Made of cumin powder, suanf (fennel) powder, amchur (mango) powder, mint powder and pepper powder - it is easily available in the market. Add one tspn of it to a glass of water/soda. 

9. Tomato-Cucumber juice: Mix both together, blend it in a juicer.Strain.  Add coconut milk, and mix well. Add a dash of salt and pepper.

10. Mint-Guava juice: Grate the Guava in a round manner so that the seeds at the centre are not grated through the grater. Add a few mint leaves, half a glass of water and preferably white rock salt. Run it through the blender. 

Having natural foods is the best bet to overcome any lifestyle diseases. Processed foods should be kept out of your shelves and your mind for they cause immense harm, in the long run. For a few moments of pleasure do not sacrifice a lifetime of happiness. Cheers!

Delicious and easy- to- make Brown Rice recipes

Pak Choy Brown Rice, Chinese style

Instead of eating with guilt each time that you have a spoonful of rice, it is very important to have your thoughts clear on this. That, to keep your blood sugar levels under control, you will not touch white, polished rice, come what may. And that, you will still enjoy eating rice by opting for unpolished rice or brown rice. Once you commit yourself to this, you will develop taste for this rice. In fact, brown rice is so superior to taste that you easily wean off white rice. One of the common complaints against brown rice is that it takes longer to cook. Circumvent that by soaking the rice for an hour or two, In fact, the Ambemohar variety of brown rice that I use, does not need soaking at all. Secondly, make a larger quantity or brown rice than required and store it in the fridge. This way, you need not go through the hassle of making it everyday. And instead of having it plain, you can make nice recipes out of it. Remember, do not stuff yourself too much with  rice. Add in lot of vegetables so that the percentage of rice consumed is less, overpowered with vegetables.
So, here are some recipes, that makes your rice that much more nutritious and delicious.

Pak Choy Brown Rice

Ingredients
Brown Rice - two cups (cooked)
Pak Choy - one bunch 
Soya Sauce (as per your taste) 
Green chilli sauce (as per your taste)
Pepper powder
Til (Sesame) oil or any other oil you use for cooking
Salt to taste

Method
Chop Pak Choy into strips including the stems. Heal oil in a pan. Add Pak Choy. Stir for a minute or two. Add Brown Rice and all the other ingredients. Mix thoroughly and cover for a couple of minutes. Your delicious Pak Choy Brown Rice is ready to eat. Pak Choy is also called Bak Choy - it is a kind of a Chinese cabbage. It has very little calories it it and has the goodness of protein, fibre and other nutrients. Great for weight loss too. (In case Pak Choy is not available you can alternate with Leeks or Spring Oninons).


Soya Curd Rice

Ingredients
Brown Rice - Cooked - 2 cups
Soya Curd - 2- 3 to tablespoons
Coconut milk -  1/2 Cup
Salt to taste

Method
Take the cooked Brown Rice in a dish. Add Soya Curd and mix well. Add coconut milk to it and again mix well. Add salt as per taste. And there you are - your Curd Rice is ready! You can easily replace the traditional Curd Rice which you make our of milk curd. 

Split Green Moong Dal-Brown Rice Khichadi

Ingredients
Brown Rice - 1 cup uncooked
Split Green Moong Dal - 1/2 cup uncooked.
Green Peas - 100 gms
Tomatoes - 2
Garlic-Ginger paste - 1 tspn
Corriander Powder - 1 tspn
Fresh Corriander leaves - a fistful
Curry leaves - 10-15 leaves
Fresh coconut grated - 2 tbspns
Mustard seeds, cumin seeds (jira seeds), asafoeida (hing) powder, turmeric (haldi) powder, Red chilli powder
Salt to taste

Method
Wash the Brown Rice and Split Green Moong Dal (Chilkewali Moong Dal) and soak for a couple of hours. Cook directly in the pressure cooker. Heat oil in the pressure cooker. Add mustard seeds. When they splutter, add jeera, hing (asafoetida),haldi (turmeric powder), curry leaves and the garlic ginger paste. Stir for just a minute. Drain water from soaked Rice and Dal and add. Stir continuously for three to four minutes. Add tomatoes, coriander powder, red chilli powder and again stir for 2 to 3 minutes. Add green peas and stir for a minute or two. Add four and a half cups of  boiling water (you may add 5 or 6 cups if you want your Khichadi to be semi-solid) and put on the pressure cooker lid. Two whistles on high flame and six to seven whistles on low flame should be enough for your Khichadi to cook. Before serving, garnish with chopped coriander leaves and freshly grated coconut.

Palak (Spinach) - Brown Rice

Ingredients
Palak (Spinach) chopped - 2 cups
Brown Rice - 1 cup cooked
Tomato - 1 big size
Onion - 1 small size
Garlic-Ginger paste (as per your taste)
Green chillies - 1 or 2 pieces

Method
Pressure cook chopped Spinach, chopped Tomato, chopped Onion and chopped Green Chillies together. Just one whistle on high will do, Pour it out in a dish. Let itcool. Run it through the grinder so that it becomes a paste (need not run it through the strainer). Keep aside.. Heat a pan and add brown rice. Add garlic-ginger paste and stir. Add the Spinach paste. Add salt to taste. Stir nicely. Cover it for 3-4 minutes. The green  coloured Pala-Brown Rice is ready to eat.


Note: You can innovate on these recipes by adding different kinds of vegetables. 

Is stress, one of the causes of Diabetes?

Chanting of `Aum' is a great way to start your day

Happy Diwali readers. 
I know it is the time for temptation; the hardest time to stay away from Diwali goodies. However, you will be surprised to know that if you continuously have your Green Smoothie, Nitric Oxide salad and are completely off wheat and wheat products and milk and milk products, your mind starts to become strong enough to look at ladoos and karanjis indifferently. However, a bite or two of these goodies is fine. Preferably eat a bit of them when you are hungry. That's the trick that I have discovered - when you are very hungry and you chew your food and eat, digestion is at its best efficient level. It is very important in Diabetes not to load your stomach when not hungry. Otherwise, I experienced that the correct kind of food too becomes a burden to the body.

Yesterday my friend called me up to say that ever since his breakfast of Nitric Oxide salad, his fasting sugar levels have been around 97. However, he is on medication. So, he had his Nitric Oxide breakfast and had lunch after a long gap (more than 5 to 6 hours) and he almost had a blackout. His sugar levels really dipped. It is very important here to mention that if you are on medication and pursue this diet, you need to continuously watchful of yourself or be in dialogue with your doctor.  More importantly, carry a small snack along with you always. I carry Rajgira (Amarnath) flakes with me in a small bottle and keep having it whenever I'm slightly hungry (and it'snot meal time) or feel low in sugar. You can carry chanas and peanuts too. Or my friend said you could carry glucose tablets. I even have a banana or guava in case I feel I need something more filling - however, you may take a call on that.

So, does stress cause Diabetes? Doctors tell us that stress is one of the causes of any lifestyle disease. It is true that some people have temporary Diabetes when they are stressed or their blood pressure rises temporarily, so perhaps it is one of the causes. However, I believe that when you take such a vague thing seriously, you get more stressed. And you start feeling negative. You start cursing your spouse who you attribute to your stress, or your work or your children and I know of women who are also stressed because of cooking! I feel that what is life without stress? Even waking up and making your Smoothie is a stress, for you have to ensure that your ingredients are in place. Getting ready for a party is also a stress for you have to take efforts to look good and wear good clothes, For me, journalistic writing is a stress each time I have to meet a deadline. I feel, for the sake of justice you MUST argue with your spouse. For bringing up children well you MUST take pains to tell them what is right or wrong. And yes, if you lead a passive life, even then you are stressed. So, I believe that stress is a beautiful thing - it inspires you to be positively active. It is only when you take stress negatively that you are stressed in the wrong away. 

Therefore, I believe, the thought that your sugar levels are not normal is the biggest stress to your mind. Sugar levels going haywire can grip you with unknown fear and nervousness. That's because doctors put before you the serious repercussions of Diabetes - you are liable for blindness, kidney failure, gangrene, heart attack, strokes and what not! ERADICATE all these thoughts. Is our body was damn weak that it will succumb so easily? No definitely, not. Dr Pramod Tripathi and Dr Biswaroop Chowdhury have shown that they have controlled/cured chronic Diabetes in people who follow their programmes, so scientifically designed. Dr Tripathi is celebrating `Muktotsav' (liberation from Diabetes) event on the 20th of November to felicitate patients who have passed the GTT test (Glucose Tolerant Test) and have driven away Diabetes from their lives. So, please do not fear Diabetes. You need to have a strong mind meaning do not get stressed with Diabetes.

So, what are the ways you can make your mind strong in order that you do not get nervous about Diabetes. Here are a few stress-buster tips:

* Take the formula from Aamir Khan's Bollywood movie, Three Idiots and keep chanting, ``All is Well.'' I add to it, ``All will be well''. It will bring positivism in your mind.
* Please do not get obsessed with checking your blood sugar more often than what the doctor has instructed you. In fact, I go a step beyond - I only, only check it once a week. However, I',m not a medical expert to advice anyone but I would appeal to you not to revolve your life around the sugar level numbers. Whatever they may be, continue your good diet and exercise.
* Chanting God's name with Rosary beads builds up stability of mind.
* Meditation for a few minutes in the morning is useful. Frankly, I find it hard to meditate by being silent and by being in a state of thoughtlessness. I think of all the worldly things particularly my writing deadlines and some event that may have taken place the day before. I mean thoughts keep coming to me, so instead of pretending to meditate, I say `Aum' 21 times in the morning. An Ayurvedic doctor, Dr Limaye recommended this and it truly works wonders. Do try it. It energises and rejuvenates you. 
* Do not have extreme expectations of yourself or of others. That's the biggest stress. Recognise that each one is differently made. I am very inspired by Swami Parthasarthy who mentioned in his lecture that we can differentiate animals as they are physically made differently. Thus, we know that a tiger roars so we do not expect it to bleat. A lamb is so petite so we do not expect it behave wildly. However, human beings all look the same but carry different traits within them (hence those Zodiac signs and Chinese year dedicated to different animals, I guess). So, let each one be what he or she is and let us see their good points and enjoy a socially integrated life.
* Breathe in oxygen every morning through Pranayam, walk or any other light exercise. That is the best way to drive away your fear and to bring in a positive outlook to life.
I may add that all that I say here, is based on my learning experience of life. It is no preaching. I have tried all that I write here.
So let us enjoy the Diabetes Challenge. It is a great opportunity to tone up your physical and mental health.

Tomorrow: Delicious Brown Rice recipes

Constipated? It's never good, more so if you have Diabetes

Remember, having medicines for Diabetes is a narrow way of counteracting it. The idea of this blog is to spread the word about the wholistic approach to control sugar levels and in a natural way. I reiterate that if you bring your sugar levels down by laying emphasis on-eating natural foods and ones that are sugar-free, dairy-free and wheat-free, you can help your doctor with prescribing lesser and lesser doses of medicines for you. Your aim should be to get off those medicines and it is possible! I am not a medical expert or a professional researcher but I write this blog as a patient of Diabetes who has experimented 100% on diet alone to keep the sugar levels normal and for most part of the time, it works. So, I want to share my experience so that you can get tips on how you can go about it.

I don't get rattled if once in a while my fasting sugar which is generally between 94 and 110, very, very occasionally becomes 130. All I do is try and remember what I had eaten and whether my activity was sluggish. I work a bit harder to getting back the numbers that have been dictated by the medical fraternity as  `normal.' Similarly, most of the time my PP is between 97 and 130. Sometimes it is 94 also. I have experienced that Nitric Oxide salad breakfast, recommended by Dr Biswaroop Chowdhury (I have given the recipe in my earlier post) and the Rainbow Salad lunch (recipe given) is really effective to keep your blood sugar levels normal. I don't get rattled if my sugar is low; the body tells you it wants something more. Immediately have an apple or a light, protein-based food. The main reason is the scare of numbers - whether your numbers are high or low, you are told to get them back to that perfect level and that is the biggest stress for you. And to know that you have indeed got back to the perfect level, you are told to prick your finger and test it, sometimes twice or thrice a day. I just cool it, I work on those numbers through the right diet and then check my numbers after a week. I believe in not getting paranoid about this. 

Besides the food that you eat, getting properly digested, the elimination process of our body is of utmost importance. This reminds me of the Bollywood movie`Piku' which shows Amitabh Bachchan as a senior citizen, who is traumatised with his constipation, much to the consternation of his daughter. It reminded me of my dad who was such a fanatic about his toilet regimen that when he became old, he would irritate my mom because of his chronic constipation. Definitely, your elimination system should be in good order and that is very important for countering Diabetes. That's because, if toxins are not flushed out, they sit inside your system and bother your sugar levels. Is there a scientific evidence to this logic? I don't know, perhaps there is none, but I have experienced the importance of not having constipation, to keep the sugar levels in control.

Oil is a necessary component: However, do not panic, like Amitabh Bachchan in `Piku.' I have realised that a diet which is oil-less or without oil does not make your bowels move fast. Thus, you suffer from constipation. Which does not mean that your diet should be heavily laden with oil and fried stuff. Moderate amount of oil is necessary in your meals. I go by Dr Nikhil Mehta's prescription which has really suited me. He says oil must be included in your diet to drive away flatulence and to lubricate the system inside. This helps in the smooth flush-out of your bowels. So, I add Til (sesame) oil or Flax seed oil to my salad and soup. Besides, of course having it in the daily course of cooking in vegetables and dals, as tadkas form an integral part of Indian cooking. Sometimes, I indulge in fried Moong Dal or Besan pakodas too.

Exercise is necessary: Sedentary lifestyle also brings in constipation and you cannot afford that if you have Diabetes. You got to make your body active and moving from the time you wake up. As mentioned in my earlier posts, it is very important to exercise the abdomen region. This can be done through Yoga, Pranayam (breathing exercises with particular emphasis on Kapalbhati Pranaayam recommended by Swami Ramdev), walking up and down the stairs, cycling and so on - basically any exercise which exercises your abdomen.

Importance of water: You can suffer from constipation if you do not have sufficient water. This does not mean you go on a water drinking spree but you must have enough water that your body asks for.

Have a fibrous diet: I quote from an article in Huffington Post, wherein a nutritionist and lifestyle consultant states this about fibrous diet, ``"The standard western diet is one that is high in animal products, such as meat, cheese, and milk, and refined grain products," said Selene Vakharia, a holistic nutritionist and lifestyle consultant. "These foods are not adequate sources of fibre." When we've filled ourselves up on these low-fibre foods, we haven't left ourselves much room in our stomachs — or on our plates — for high-fibre options, explained Vakharia...So why is it that fibre so important to include in our diets? Fibre is key to the processes we use to eliminate waste and toxins, Vakharia said. "It helps to sweep the colon, feed our healthy intestinal bacteria, and slow the digestion of food so that we stay full longer and our blood sugar remains at a healthy balance. Low fibre diets are associated with constipation, hemorrhoids, diverticular disease, heart problems, and weight gain.'' 
I get the fibre from Jowar and Bajri rotis, brown rice, apples, Flax Seeds. You can look up for foods with fibre from Google.

Remember, do not panic about constipation. Work towards eliminating it in a calm and composed manner. I have found the oil therapy of adding 2 teaspoons of Til oil or Flax seed oil in your salad and soups very, very effective. Once your bowels are regulated, they will help in your sugar levels being in control.

Cheers.

What to eat in a restaurant or at a party? That is the question

Come on, just because you have Diabetes, it is indeed boring to think that you have to lead a hermit's life - stay away from the dazzling restaurants and social gatherings with friends, so that you do not indulge in eating the wrong food. Most of us love to party, go to restaurants. Of course, there is no harm in eating out. Only, if you have Diabetes, you have to be very alert about what you eat when you go for such social dos or visit restaurants with your family and friends. I, for one, has developed certain strategies which I am sharing with your here. They are suggestions which many of you maybe adopting if you are on a diet to lose weight too. Remember, eating out has the highest possibility of giving you indigestion or acidity and therefore it is detrimental to your Diabetes. 

* Fellowships: Sometimes I am invited by social organisations like Rotary or attend seminars. Invariably, you have tea/coffee and biscuits before the start of  such events. Ensure you avoid eating these. I look out for Black Coffee/Green Tea/Black Tea. Not available? I just skip it and sip into a glass of water

* Welcome Drinks: Particularly, at weddings, engagements and Birthdays or in high profile hotels when you holiday, you are served welcome drinks that invariably have very high content of sugar. Avoid them at any cost. 

* Drinks: Partying often means social, if not habitual drinking. Stick to  salted fresh lime soda/water. Nothing else will do. No wine, no hard liquor can be called safe - they are bound to affect your sugar levels. It is an effort in futility if you otherwise stick to your diet but indulge in hard drinks/wine even if it is once in a while. Believe me, once you have mind control, you will realise you are pretty fine with that Vitamin C laden lime drink. 

* Soups: It is a good idea to start with a soup but the only problem is that most of the bases of soups are made of cornflour which is again not good for controlling your sugar levels. These are specially prevalent in Chinese soups where even noodles are sometimes  included (made of maida, and therefore a no, no). Creamy soups contain milk/ milk cream. Tough na? Go in for clear soups. 

* Starters: This is the most tempting part of a party and comes at a time when you are generally hungry. Sometimes, people get irritated that starters are not flowing in, in abundance. I take it as a blessing in disguise as it gives you an opportunity to eat lesser. Jokes apart, most of these starters are wheat-based or potato-based. I settle for a chicken or a fish tikka - mostly fish tikka as I have realised fish is more digestible at night than chicken. For vegetarians, pakodas (as they are made out of besan) is the best option, if available. Otherwise, salads, sprouts, peanuts, maybe at best cashewnuts. Mushroom based starters are very popular. However, it is very difficult to chew on mushroom pieces. You just tend to gulp them down - so these days I avoid, beside the fact that they are coated with cornflour. All starters must be had in very modest quantity and to be thoroughly chewed. Don't gulp your starters just because you are in amidst of a heated or interesting conversation. Don't over-indulge in your tikkas - having a large quantity of starters too is not good if you have Diabetes. Also, make your starters, the main meal.

* Main Course: This is where you can go totally awry with your choice so do intelligently choose what you eat. If your stomach is full because of starters, better to avoid the main meal completely. Otherwise, have it in very small quantities. Totally avoid rotis of all hues and rice of all hues. Avoid paneer and any milk-based dishes. I avoid salads too most of the time, as you know not the hands hat have gone into cutting it and hygienic conditions before they finally come to your table. You can have just a tablespoon or two of an array of dishes like  Lasuni Palak, Bhindi, tawa vegetable, green peas based vegetable, fish curry, grilled or even fried fish. The problem is if you over stuff yourself, even if you have the right kind of food, your sugar levels will fluctuate. Most of the times party means eating beyond 9 p m and 10 p m and such late eating is not recommended for any person, whether a diabetic or not. The best is to eat at home and have a soup at parties. That's like really tough. I have yet to achieve that. But I know of one person and that is Seema Malhotra, who for fitness reasons, never indulges even an iota of party food since the last 25 years that I have known her. She will however attend social gatherings like weddings, birthdays and other functions and cheerfully mingle around but I have never ever seen her taking a plate. She is so joyous about herself and you can make out that it is her conscious decision to avoid this food and she is so confident and proud of it. I really, really admire her. In conclusion, eating at late hours is a very bad idea. So, the nation should switch over to early partying! 


* Restaurants: If you go to a Udipi restaurant, best is to stick to Medu wada (it is made of udid dal) - nothing else will do as all other dishes have rice in it be it idli, dosa or uttappa. I love medu wadas so I am fine with it. if you are going to a dinner place, the same applies as mentioned in the `main course.' For Buffets, choose carefully - no dairy based dishes, no wheat, no white rice and of course no sugar. I have learnt to enjoy my food with these limitations and most importantly limitations in quantity too. 


Eating only when hungry, chewing thoroughly while eating and eating without over-stuffing your stomach is the main key to deal with Diabetes.

Cheers!

Vegetable recipes so easy to make

I am so deeply touched by so many responses to my blog, through WhatsApp messages and phone calls too. Here are a couple of them, posted in `comments' in this blog.

Meenal writes: 
Superb ! I am in US presently & we have already decided to carry Nutribullet to India! The green juice tastes much better in it. As I said , a new chapter begins for us. Thanks
Prakash Savekari writes:
Your series on diabetes is really very good and informative. Perhaps after you cover all topics you could publish an ebook, which would be very beneficial to all. I am a diabetic for last 20 years. Now I am 64, but I always feel that I have lost the battle to control my diabetes. Your article has given me new hope.
Thanks for the wonderful write ups on diabetes. Looking forward to read more on diabetes.

Thank you, Meenal and Prakashji. It inspires me to share my experiences with you, more enthusiastically. Readers, this blog is not to give you any gyan but to narrate my journey of how Nature's Bounty is bountiful enough to drive Diabetes away - not only Diabetes - but even it is a great one for weight loss -I have lost 10 kgs ever since I have adopted this diet. These tips could help you too. 

When you have pills, you will not make effort to switch over to a new and wonderful lifestyle comprising the right kind of diet and exercise. You will become chronically dependent on pills and your doctor, for, even with pills and insulin, sugar levels fluctuate. The worst part is nervousness and a sense of helplessness with fluctuating blood sugar levels. There is no need to panic. Bring in the right diet, go tight on your diet and there you are - your blood sugar levels come back to normal. Now, I am no authority to recommend that you should give up pills. I say, if you have the right kind of food at the right time, chew and ensure your digestion and elimination is at its best, your sugar levels will fall and the doctor will be inspired to reduce your medicines. So, help your Doctor  And then, eliminate pills from your life. I have had pills only for 5 weeks after I was diagnosed for Diabetes in 2014 - thereafter, I have struggled (happily). Sometimes my numbers would go up - I never even considered having even half a pill. I worked towards bringing back to normal. It did. Once it took seven days - I didn't panic. Anyway, with medicines also, it is a trial and error method. So, why not with food? Be strong in your mind and heart. Jiyo toh shaan se...how dare these bitter pills make us weak in the knees? Damn them, Dare the Disease - take it on by its horns, never mentally succumb to it. Diabetes has been demonised by Modern Medicine. Hence, we get scared. To wean away from medicines and insulin, either you experiment on your own like I did or I highly recommend that you should join Dr Pramod Tripathi's programme. 

In these days of fast food and restaurant eating, we tend to have a leaning towards spicy, gravy-laden and exotic cuisine. We are tempted to try cuisine of not only regions of our country but cuisines across the world. There is no harm in that, except that exotic and complicated food in everyday life does not really help conquering obesity especially fat-belly and any lifestyle disease including Diabetes. The good news is that many cuisines in different parts of the country and the world have dishes that are simple, healthy and tasty. Pick those to add to your recipe collection. Eat simple food. You should not waste your time in the kitchen making complex dishes that serve no good purpose to the stomach (sorry, foodies). My mother-in-law used to say, ``there are so many other exciting things to do in life, pursue those,'' - both of us would enter the kitchen one hour before lunch and dinner, cook, serve and eat! She is the one who inspired me to pursue journalism. I have so much to thank her (and my husband) for their relentless support.

So, here are a few easy to make vegetable recipes just to remind you that there is fantastic nutrition laden in these colourful vegetables. I shall post photographs as and when I make them. I am unable to locate the pics that I had earlier clicked and kept in a folder.

Vegetables come in so many lovely colours, stuffed with nutrients - savour them in generous quantities

French Beans & Matki sprouts vegetable

Ingredients
French Beans - 250 gms
Matki sprouts - 50 gms
Green chillies - 1
Garlic cloves - 2 to 3
Crush garlic and green chillies together and keep aside
Corriander leaves and freshly grated coconut - for garnishing
for the tadka - mustard seeds, jeera, hing (asafoetida), haldi,
Salt to taste
Method
Cut french beans (not too finely).
Pressure cook (or steam in a pan) both, french beans and matki sprouts together. Just one whistle - it should not get overcooked.
Heat 1 or 2 teaspoons of oil (please use filtered (and not refined) groundnut, til or coconut oil), add mustard seeds. When they splutter, add jeera, hing powder and haldi. Add the crushed garlic and green chillies. Then immediately add the steamed french beans and matki sprouts. Add salt. Stir nicely. The vegetable is ready. Garnish with freshly grated coconut  and coriander leaves. 

Yellow Pumpkin & Capsicum vegetable

Ingredients
Yellow Pumpkin - 250 gms
Green Capsicum - one big sized or two small sized
Roasted groundnut powder or roasted til powder - 1 tspn
Kadipatta (curry leaves) - about 10
Tejpatta (indian bay leaves) - one small leaf
for tadka - mustard seeds, jeera, hing (asafoetida), haldi, methi seeds - half tspn
Corriander leaves and freshly grated coconut - for garnishing

Method
Heat oil in a pan. Add mustard seeds. When they splutter add jeera - let it brown, add hing, haldi, then curry leaves, tejpatta and then methi seeds (do not allow them to get black). Add capsicum pieces. Stir for a minute. Add pumpkin pieces. Add groundnut or til powder, salt, red chilli powder and stir. Add just one tablespoon of water. Cover it and let it cook. Garnish with freshly grated coconut and coriander leaves.

Tuvar (Ridge Gourd) & Chana Dal vegetable

Tuvar (Ridge Gourd) & Chana Dal vegetable

Ingredients
Tuvar (Ridge Gourd) 250 gms
Chana Dal - two tablespoons (steamed)
for tadka - mustard seeds, jeera, hing (asafoetida), haldi, 
Dhania powder - half tspn
Corriander leaves for garnishing

Method
Steam the chana dal. Keep aside. Heat oil in a pan. Add mustard seeds. When they splutter, add jeera, hing and haldi. Add the cut Tuvar (skin it a bit before cutting). Cover and let it cook. Remove cover. Add chana dal,red chilli powder, dhania powder and stir well. Garnish with corriander leaves.

Cauliflower & Moong Dal vegetable

Ingredients
Cauliflower - 250 gms (cut in very small pieces)
Moong Dal - 1 tablespoon (soaked for an hour)
Green chillies
Garlic and ginger paste.
For tadka - mustard seeds, jeera, haldi
Corriander leaves 

Method
Heat oil in a pan. Add mustard seeds. Let them splutter. Add jeera and haldi. Add the soaked moong dal and cover it for it for two to three minutes. Add the cauliflower pieces. Add the garlic and ginger paste, salt and corriander leaves, chopped. Stir for a while till the ginger-garlic paste properly mixes with the vegetable. Cover until it cooks. You should not overcook the cauliflower.

All these vegetable recipes are very quick to make, taste delicious and have loads of nutrition. Make them a part of your daily cooking. 
Please post similarly easily and nutritious recipes.
Cheers

Tomorrow: What can you eat when you go to a restaurant or when you go for a party so that your sugar levels do not go haywire