Moderation Manages Diabetes

Indian man smiling.
Indian man smiling.

Mr Rohit Choksi explains how he manages his Diabetes by avoiding overindulgence.

Name: Mr Rohit Choksi

Age: 31 years

Profession: Retail business owner

The journey so far…

I do not have a very hectic schedule. My family owns retail stores in Mumbai. My passion is swimming. I have participated in state level swimming competitions and would train for three hours every day.

Impact on your family

I was diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes a year ago. My grandparents, father and uncle have Diabetes. I did not display any particular symptoms but was diagnosed after a routine check-up. The report showed my fasting sugar was 150 mg/dL and my post prandial sugar was 200 mg/dL. My HbA1c level was 7.5 per cent. I knew that my risk of Diabetes was high given my family history but was shocked that the onset of Diabetes was in my early 30s. My family rallied together to ensure that I would be able to manage my sugar levels and avoid insulin injections. My wife and mother took over ensuring that I stuck to my diet regime. My wife accompanies me for daily walks.

My diet

My diet has changed substantially, with my meals being broken down into smaller portions. My meals contain at least one serving of fruit or green leafy vegetables every day. I also eat soaked almonds or walnuts between meals to avoid cravings. I drink awala juice at 11 am and jamun juice at 3 pm every day. I take supplementary medicines of vitamins B and C, omega-3 and include protein powder in my diet. I have also started carrying small pieces of chocolate with me to avoid hypoglycaemia.

  • At 7:30 am, I have a glass of protein shake.

  • I have my breakfast at 9:00 am which consists of poha/upma or fruit with green tea.

  • I have a glass of awala juice at 11 am with 5 pieces of walnuts.

  • I have lunch at 1 noon which consists of 1 chappati, 1 cup of vegetable, ½ cup dal and rice and 1 cup of salad.

  • At around 3 pm, I have a glass of jamun juice and 5 soaked almonds.

  • At 5.00 pm, I have a small portion of chiwda or namkeen to satisfy my taste buds with a glass of nimbu paani

  • At 7:00 pm I have some fruit. I avoid eating banana, chickoo and mango. Instead I eat muskmelon, apple, papaya and watermelon.

  • I have dinner at 9:00 pm which includes a cup of dal-khichdi or 1 bhakri and 1 cup sabji. I drink a glass of milk before retiring for the night.

My exercise routine

I walk non-stop for 90 minutes four times a week and have reduced my weight by 10 kg. I swim thrice a week for an hour in the morning.

Word of advice

Just because you have Diabetes does not imply that you cannot enjoy life. Modifying my diet helped me lose weight. It is important to balance your diet and exercise and make small changes in your day to day life. My HbA1c level is now down to 6.7 percent. Moderation is the key. Enjoy everything in moderation and you will see that your life is not much different than a normal individual's.

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