A cousin is in ICU with severe diabetes. Her son died of diabetes. Her brother had his toes amputated and then died. One family divided by diabetes. It is truly a silent killer.
Diabetes causes so many complications. It affects almost every part of the body and destroys almost every part -- kidneys, eyes, heart, blood vessels, nerves. Many have gone blind or are near blind with diabetes. If you are having "poison" in your blood and it circulates all around -- imagine the damage it can do! But it is sweet poison!
I read a book Pure, White and Deadly: How Sugar is Killing us by John Yudkin about 3 decades ago. I should have stopped sugar then and there. I did not! Kept poisoning myself!
One of the best things you can do for yourself and your family is give up sugar. Stop having sugar.
The next best thing is to stop having Sugary Drinks -- those which BRAIN-DEAD, IDIOTIC, superstars promote.
Aamir Khan does NOT promote such drinks. He mentioned it in an interview 2 decades ago. I stopped drinking Colas and sugary drinks. Idiot that I am, I continued drinking juices. Most of the juices are nothing but sugar. Avoid juices, specially the packed ones!
I always feel I am within kissing distance of diabetes. 2020 was a rare year. I probably visited Suburban Diagnostics only once. Else, most of the ladies there know me!
Yesterday, SD sent me an SMS, your cholesterol is 230 and you have not visited us! Wish they had sent me my HbA1c figures!
I have been scared of visiting the lab, luckily my brother gifted me a glucometer. Checked my fasting blood sugar, was OK according to me (in the pre-diabetic range that it has been for 1-2 decades!)
I think all of us fear diabetes, but do nothing about it. In case, we do something...it is not really a very wise decision. I have drunk tons of jamun juice (some with sugar!), tried a few litres of Karela juice, bought and thrown karela powder, neem powder and what have you! Papers are filled with OTC medicines for "sugar". I have tried a few of those -- imagine mixing all those kadva kadva bitter bitter juices into a concoction to get rid of diabetes. Yes....the taste is so YUCK....diabetes would run away. Maybe that is the idea...but it does not work.
I am making some notes here on Diabetes. Hope it is useful.
Diabetes Tests - Tests for Sugar
Fasting and Post-prandial are the most popular ones. However, the numbers that you get are today's numbers. How much blood glucose is there in your blood today. How much 2 hours after
eating.
A more useful and perhaps more reliable test would be Glycated Haemoglobin or HbA1C. This blood test tells you your blood sugar over the last 90 days. If you do this test after
marriage/festival season, probably the number will be high. If you do it after rigorous gymming and intermittent fasting for 90 days...probably there will be 5 Stars pinned to your lab
report (joking!) saying what a wonderful LOW blood sugar numbers you have!
Updated
Dr Vinod Abhichandani @DrVinodEndo tweeted about the latest prediabetes/diabetes numbers (2021) released by the American Diabetes Association.
HbA1C (glycated haemoglobin) is an excellent diagnostic measure of how your body is able to handle glucose. It tells you how your body has controlled glucose for the last 2-3 months (60-90 days). Highly recommend everyone does this every time they go for a blood test or at least 1-2 a year.
Diabetes Prevention Program
Specially in cities, there are a large number of companies offering Diabetes Prevention solution. Many of them mix Allopathy (blood sugar testing), Ayurved (herbs to control blood sugar,
etc) and Yoga/Exercise program. You will always see testimonials on Facebook and also in advertisements.
What surprises me is that despite all these programs, we have become the diabetes capital of the world.
Many of us take all kinds of home remedies (karela, neem, jamun as juices, powders, etc) to prevent diabetes. Some of us even walk for 30-60 minutes -- which I think can make a big difference in your efforts to prevent diabetes.
Diabetes Symptoms
The saddest part is that many people have diabetes but have no symptoms. No wonder it is called a silent killer.
Symptoms as per the CDC.gov site :
- Urinate (pee) a lot, often at night
- Are very thirsty
- Lose weight without trying
- Are very hungry
- Have blurry vision
- Have numb or tingling hands or feet
- Feel very tired
- Have very dry skin
- Have sores that heal slowly
- Have more infections than usual
Tips to prevent Diabetes
1. Consult a doctor. Do the necessary tests. Do this once or twice a year or as required.
2. Stop sugar now. REDUCE your carbohydrates.
(Do not be dumb. Sugar is sugar is sugar. It is deadly. A terrorist is a terrorist is a terrorist. Jaggery is no better than sugar. Honey too. Carbs are the innocent creatures which give you energy. When they are radicalized and you have too much of them, they create a jihad/yudh in your body.)
3. How to get rid of the EXCESS sugar in your blood? Simple. Exercise. Walk for at least 30-60 minutes a day. Exercise (weights, body exercise, yoga, etc) for at least 150 minutes a week.
4. Avoid ultra-processed foods. Eat vegetables. Eat what you ate as a child. (as per blogger Roshni Kanchan). Eat what your grandmother ate (as per food Guru Michael Pollan).
5. Cook at home. Eat at home.
Not sure what I say now will make you happy. I do NOT follow these tips! But I am doing my best to follow it as much as possible. I feel I am successful about 80% of the time. Need to make it at least 90% or more!
Thank you dear friend for reading this blog. Hope it protects you from diabetes.
Doctors on Diabetes
Planning to quote doctors from Twitter. So if you are an endocrinologist or any other specialist or doctor, please feel free to tweet to me or email me. Will be happy to quote you here. Ayurvedic, Homeopathic, Naturopathic doctors are also welcome.
Dr Rahul Baxi
Thread on Twitter
Me: Since how many years u have Diabetes?
Patient: Sir, I had ‘borderline diabetes’ since 5 years. Not on medicines, only diet. First time now, I have checked in yrs, sugars 220 (Fasting) 310 (after food)
What’s ‘borderline diabetes’ Thread. #PreDiabetes #Medtwitter
What is #Prediabetes
When glucose levels don’t meet criteria for Diabetes but r still high to be considered normal. Includes
1. IFG - Impaired Fasting glucose - FPG 100-125 mg%
2. IGT (75 gm OGTT)- Impaired Glucose Tolerance - 2 hr PG 140-199 mg%
3. HbA1C - 5.7-6.4% (2/n)
#Prediabetes increases future risk of Diabetes and cardiovascular disease (CVD).
It may be accompanied with Obesity, Dyslipidemia (deranged cholesterol levels) and Hypertension (high blood pressure) .
Once diagnosed with #Prediabetes you should check glucose levels at least once a year.
Women with #GDM (Gestational DM) should test lifelong at least every 3 years
For other patients testing should begin at age 45 years (5/n)
Diagnosed with #Prediabetes. What next?
#Lifestyle changes
Weight loss of 7-10% of initial body weight appropriate dietary changes and increase moderate intensity physical activity (at least 150 mins per week) Calorie restriction/ low carb diets plays an important role.
So, if you get your Fasting glucose tested:
Normal is up to 99 mg% or below.
Impaired FG (Fasting Glucose) 100-125 mg%
Diabetes 126 mg% and above.
Similar numbers for Plasma Glucose Testing
2 hour PG (Plasma Glucose) (75 gm glucose)
Normal - upto 139 mg% normal
IGT (Impaired Glucose Tolerance) - 140-199 mg% I
Diabetes - 200 mg% and above.
Further reading....links
Mayo Clinic
Dr Mohan's Diabetes Specialties Centre