Mr Gowardhan Doddi discusses how his diagnosis of prediabetes proved to be a timely wakeup callName: Gowardhan DoddiAge: 35 yearsProfession: Quality assurance consultant and blogger on – www.healthydietfordiabetics.com.The journey so farI was born and bought up in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh. I like creating websites for businesses and blogging is my hobby. I was a workaholic and would blog and browse the internet in any spare time that I had. I would skip meals and instead eat a lot of sweets and biscuits. I used to sleep late around midnight.Dealing with the diagnosisI was diagnosed with prediabetes in March 2013 at 32 years of age during an annual medical health check-up at my work place. My fasting blood sugar reading was 120 mg/dL, triglycerides were 220 mg/dL and HDL was 25 mg/dL. The doctor informed me that my sugar levels were border line and advised me to modify my diet by avoiding intake of sweets, rice and potatoes.I was a bit worried and I did not share this diagnosis immediately with my family which included my wife, my parents and my brothers. I was worried they would curtail my diet and stop me from eating sweets. I did not take the diagnosis of prediabetes seriously at that point in time. I ate what I wanted and tried to balance that with brisk walking and playing badminton occasionally. After eight months of indulgence, I started feeling hungrier, the frequency of urination increased and I used to have mild headaches and felt lethargic.I had always been passionate about writing and thought to start a blog on health eating. While researching for the blog I realised the importance of maintaining a healthy diet. I started blogging about managing Diabetes through healthy eating. This became a turning point for me as my extensive research about Diabetes helped me understand that Diabetes can be successfully managed by diet and exercise and an onset of Diabetes can be avoided for a person who has been diagnosed with prediabetes.The changePrediabetes helped me change my lifestyle and one remarkable effect prediabetes had on my life is forcing me to sleep every day before 10 pm and wake up by 5 am. I have reduced intake of sweets and biscuits from my diet and it has helped reduce my waist size from reduced 34 to 31.5 inches. My weight decreased from 68 to 63 kg. My fasting blood sugar level is below 100 mg/dL, my post prandial blood sugar level is around 160 mg/dL and HbA1c is 5.6 per cent and triglycerides are 130 mg/dL.I eat small food portions and have stopped eating snacks served in office like cakes, biscuits and bhujia, etc. I carry my own snacks like green gram sprouts or chana, soaked almonds, carrot or cucumber slices and butter milk. This helps me avoid the processed and packaged foods full of preservatives and sugars.My family is extremely supportive. Since I have confided in them, my wife helps me a lot. She is very health conscious and she is supportive and encourages me to follow a healthy diet.My dietUpon waking up – Apple cider vinegar/psyllium husk/fenugreek (methi) seeds soaked in waterWake up snack – Soaked almonds/walnuts/an apple/dates/seasonal fruit (not fully ripe)Breakfast – Dosa with coconut chutney/Ragi idli/Green gram sprouts/Oats upma/omeletteMorning snack – Chana/chiwda/an apple/ glass of butter milk/dates/ a cup of green tea/walnutsLunch – Rice which is partially brown, normal curries (avoid fried curries), chicken once in a week, sambar or rasam, chana dal, spinach and seasonal vegetablesEvening snack – Chana/chiwda/an apple/milk tea/dates/walnutsDinner – Roti (made from multi grain atta or locally available fresh atta) and any curry (as mentioned for lunch. I ensure that I eat before 8 pm.My adviceMy inspiration is to inspire others through my example of healthy living and through my blog. Since starting my blog two years ago, I have received emails of appreciation. People are happy as they follow my blog to better manage their eating habits which helps them control their sugar levels.In many, the diagnosis of Diabetes is due to faulty lifestyle. If we start eating healthy and give our body what it requires in the form of nutrition, rest and activity it will function normally.Understanding Diabetes is important as understanding it helps defeat it. It is important to pay attention to our health in the real world rather than the world of social media and instant. Eat healthy home cooked meals. Enjoy the taste and don't see food in terms of blood sugar. Food is medicine if you eat it the right way and in the right form.
Mr Gowardhan Doddi discusses how his diagnosis of prediabetes proved to be a timely wakeup callName: Gowardhan DoddiAge: 35 yearsProfession: Quality assurance consultant and blogger on – www.healthydietfordiabetics.com.The journey so farI was born and bought up in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh. I like creating websites for businesses and blogging is my hobby. I was a workaholic and would blog and browse the internet in any spare time that I had. I would skip meals and instead eat a lot of sweets and biscuits. I used to sleep late around midnight.Dealing with the diagnosisI was diagnosed with prediabetes in March 2013 at 32 years of age during an annual medical health check-up at my work place. My fasting blood sugar reading was 120 mg/dL, triglycerides were 220 mg/dL and HDL was 25 mg/dL. The doctor informed me that my sugar levels were border line and advised me to modify my diet by avoiding intake of sweets, rice and potatoes.I was a bit worried and I did not share this diagnosis immediately with my family which included my wife, my parents and my brothers. I was worried they would curtail my diet and stop me from eating sweets. I did not take the diagnosis of prediabetes seriously at that point in time. I ate what I wanted and tried to balance that with brisk walking and playing badminton occasionally. After eight months of indulgence, I started feeling hungrier, the frequency of urination increased and I used to have mild headaches and felt lethargic.I had always been passionate about writing and thought to start a blog on health eating. While researching for the blog I realised the importance of maintaining a healthy diet. I started blogging about managing Diabetes through healthy eating. This became a turning point for me as my extensive research about Diabetes helped me understand that Diabetes can be successfully managed by diet and exercise and an onset of Diabetes can be avoided for a person who has been diagnosed with prediabetes.The changePrediabetes helped me change my lifestyle and one remarkable effect prediabetes had on my life is forcing me to sleep every day before 10 pm and wake up by 5 am. I have reduced intake of sweets and biscuits from my diet and it has helped reduce my waist size from reduced 34 to 31.5 inches. My weight decreased from 68 to 63 kg. My fasting blood sugar level is below 100 mg/dL, my post prandial blood sugar level is around 160 mg/dL and HbA1c is 5.6 per cent and triglycerides are 130 mg/dL.I eat small food portions and have stopped eating snacks served in office like cakes, biscuits and bhujia, etc. I carry my own snacks like green gram sprouts or chana, soaked almonds, carrot or cucumber slices and butter milk. This helps me avoid the processed and packaged foods full of preservatives and sugars.My family is extremely supportive. Since I have confided in them, my wife helps me a lot. She is very health conscious and she is supportive and encourages me to follow a healthy diet.My dietUpon waking up – Apple cider vinegar/psyllium husk/fenugreek (methi) seeds soaked in waterWake up snack – Soaked almonds/walnuts/an apple/dates/seasonal fruit (not fully ripe)Breakfast – Dosa with coconut chutney/Ragi idli/Green gram sprouts/Oats upma/omeletteMorning snack – Chana/chiwda/an apple/ glass of butter milk/dates/ a cup of green tea/walnutsLunch – Rice which is partially brown, normal curries (avoid fried curries), chicken once in a week, sambar or rasam, chana dal, spinach and seasonal vegetablesEvening snack – Chana/chiwda/an apple/milk tea/dates/walnutsDinner – Roti (made from multi grain atta or locally available fresh atta) and any curry (as mentioned for lunch. I ensure that I eat before 8 pm.My adviceMy inspiration is to inspire others through my example of healthy living and through my blog. Since starting my blog two years ago, I have received emails of appreciation. People are happy as they follow my blog to better manage their eating habits which helps them control their sugar levels.In many, the diagnosis of Diabetes is due to faulty lifestyle. If we start eating healthy and give our body what it requires in the form of nutrition, rest and activity it will function normally.Understanding Diabetes is important as understanding it helps defeat it. It is important to pay attention to our health in the real world rather than the world of social media and instant. Eat healthy home cooked meals. Enjoy the taste and don't see food in terms of blood sugar. Food is medicine if you eat it the right way and in the right form.
