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Tag: Genetics & Diabetes

Preventing and Dealing with Prediabetes by Famhealth

Preventing and Dealing with Prediabetes

Functional medicine is a system approach which addresses the underlying cause of the disease. A functional medicine expert is a super generalist who aims to treat the body as a whole to suppress a disease condition. For an instance- A functional medicine expert will consider brain and gut connected and deals with body as a whole. Hence, functional medicine is also regarded as precision medicine.

According to Mona Johar a trained functional medicine expert-“Eating local, organic, and fresh food not only supplements good nutrition but also acts as a medicine to fight against many diseases”.

Prediabetes is a condition in which blood sugar levels are high but are not enough to be regarded as diabetes. However, if remain unchecked and uncontrolled prediabetes usually converts to diabetes.

According to Mona – prediabetes results due to the combination of genetic, environmental and unhealthy lifestyle factors.

There are no obvious signs and symptoms which can result in prediabetes, however a periodic blood test is the only method which can detect the spikes in the blood sugar levels.

It is myth that fat people are prone to diabetes. Mona says that it thin individuals are at an equal risk. She terms thin people as walking time bombs or TOFI (Thin from outside and fat from inside). Fats is not visible in such individuals, however it gets accumulated on the internal organs which leads to serious complications.

Causes of prediabetes

Prediabetes primarily results from factors such as:

  • Poor diet
  • Toxins in the environment
  • Genetics

Mona addresses most of the concerns w.r.t food to curb prediabetes In spite of having a genetic predisposition towards the disease, genetic suppression for diabetes can be achieved by:

  • Eating healthy
  • Avoiding eating foods in plastics(minimize the use of plastics)
  • Avoiding sugary foods and drinks-which shoots the blood sugar levels
  • Including whole fruits and vegetables
  • Eating foods which are low in glycemic index such as high fiber foods(green leafy vegetables, cauliflower and fruits )
  • Refraining from foods high in glycemic index (e.g potatoes)

Mona says- Rule of the thumb is that high fiber foods are low in glycemic index e.g fruits and vegetables. She emphasizes on below mentioned points to prevent or deal with prediabetes:

Eating healthy

Art of stacking-Pairing the food appropriately-Just for an instance you are eating rice and dal, club it with foods rich in fibers such as vegetables and salads. Include proteins such as tofu. Non- vegetarians can add chicken, meat or fish.

  • Consuming sweets in moderation-Try consuming sweets in moderation. Gradually reduce your sweet intake. Mona says- According to research it takes about 14 days to fully curb the craving of a particular food. So do not give your body a shock and try eating foods in moderation.
  • Avoid artificial sweetners– Mona says – Artificial sweeteners can be regarded as poison. They attack our gut microbiome and kill good bacteria, which are essential for maintaining good health.
  • Prediabetics can include dates, coconut to replace the sugar in their diet

Healthy lifestyle

According to Mona leading a active life and a 30 mins of daily physical activity can reduce the risk of prediabetes. So one must include a minimum of 30 mins work out schedule in daily regimen.

Stress

Keep stress at bay. Stress not only contributes to prediabetes condition but also contributes heavily to other lifestyle chronic conditions.

Foods recommended for prediabetics 

  • Lean proteins
  • Foods rich in chromium like brocilli
  • Foods rich in magnesium like almonds, spinach and pumpkin seeds

Karela juice is an age old Indian method which is scientifically proven to prevent diabetes and has exceptional benefits in lowering down the blood sugar levels.

Whenever you visit a restaurant it is a good idea to:

  • Take time in understanding the menu
  • Take time to order
  • Select intelligently
  • Ask questions to the server
  • Customize food
  • Avoid foods rich in sugars and carbs e.g bread basket
  • Swap few items e.g remove french fries, avoid salad dressings instead use olive oil
  • Avoid fried foods like chilli paneer
  • Avoid cheesy pizza. Customize pizza and add more vegetables
  • Share your food
  • Eat fruit bowel instead of conventional desserts

Power foods to prevent diabetes:

  • Green Tea
  • Cinnamon
  • Coriander
  • Ginger
  • Sprouted foods

To read more on Diabetes, click on the link below.

https://famhealth.in/infocus-detail/diabetes

I am pregnant with diabetes by Famhealth

I am pregnant with diabetes

pregnant with diabetes

If you are one of those mothers-to-be who has high levels of blood sugar, even if you did not have a history of Diabetes before pregnancy, you are likely to have Gestational Diabetes. This condition comes into being when your body is not able to produce and use all the insulin it needs during your pregnancy, resulting in raised glucose levels.

Gestational diabetes usually affects the mother-to-be later in the pregnancy, in the third trimester. At this stage in the pregnancy, the baby’s body is fully-formed, but is growing rapidly. This is also a reason why gestational diabetes does not cause birth defects, which are sometimes seen in babies whose mothers had diabetes before pregnancy.

Research shows that one in ten women gets Gestational Diabetes. Why this happens all of a sudden could be attributed to many causes such as over eating or eating foods with high glycaemic counts, excess abdominal fat, hormonal changes during pregnancy, bed rest (lack of activity), and genetic transfer (family history). Sometimes having a child at an older age could make the mother-to-be prone to Gestational Diabetes. You could also have a predisposition towards Diabetes, which mean you could be an individual with ‘prediabetes’ where pregnancy could aggravate your condition.

Please do not allow yourself to worry or stress about this condition, as, if it is handled right, it is completely manageable and will not hinder a healthy and happy pregnancy experience However, acknowledging the condition is important.

The routine blood and urine tests your Gynaecologist asks you to perform during your pregnancy will help you keep a check on your overall glucose levels. If your results are found to be higher than normal, it is a good idea to consult your doctor and chart out steps to get it under control.

Usually some standard tests such as simple blood sugar fasting, random sugar fasting, oral glucose intolerance and urine test are conducted to monitor glucose levels during pregnancy. Your gynaecologist may also refer another test called HbA1c that helps get an average reading of glucose levels across three months. However few doctors suggest daily monitoring of blood glucose levels as HbA1c sometimes does not give accurate results specifically in the case of gestational diabetes.

Most doctors advise you to keep a check on weight gain as this is a critical factor leading to Gestational Diabetes. Studies in USA have shown that obese women are more prone to gestational diabetes than women with normal BMI (Body Mass Index).

Remember, Gestational Diabetes is a common condition during pregnancy. Try to remain calm. Follow your doctor’s instructions and medications if prescribed (to manage high or erratic blood glucose levels) and enjoy a safe and happy pregnancy.

We wish you good luck! Gestational diabetes has known to have very few complications and usually fades away post-delivery.

What I can do as family/friend of a person living with Gestational Diabetes

Pregnancy, as it is, brings with it many mental and emotional stresses. If it is combined with Gestational Diabetes, the stress levels, not only for the mother-to-be, but also the father-to-be and the family, tend to go up significantly. As a spouse, you have a very important role to play in the wellbeing of your wife and unborn child.

Research indicates that onset of Gestational Diabetes is often a result of eating patterns of the mother “induced by the surrounding family members”. Hence, as a partner, one of the easiest things you can do to help your wife is introduce and maintain nutritious and healthy eating habits. It helps if you also adopt the same eating pattern / diet, in order to encourage your spouse to keep her glucose levels in control and continue with a healthy pregnancy

It is also a good idea for you to make time to go in for a pregnancy exercise regime together. Not only would you be able to support your spouse in her exercises, you would also get some good quality time together.

Finally, be prepared for pregnancy- and diabetes-induced “mood swings” and emotional turmoil. We understand that as a partner you are trying to do the best for your spouse and the unborn child. However, pregnancy will cause the hormones in the body to behave atypically, causing your spouse to be unpredictable emotionally. A calm demeanour and a sense of humour will go a long way in smoothing troubled waters.

To read more on Diabetes, click on the link below.

Diabetes