My dietI have never followed any diet. I believe that with Type 1 Diabetes, it is all about moderation. One should have a balanced diet and count carbohydrates in every meal so that he or she can adjust the insulin dose accordingly. I eat in moderation; I eat when I am hungry and I count my carbohydrate intake. I prefer eating high protein, high fibre foods and ensure to inject insulin correctly according to my meals. And I am a big believer in the "YOU DO YOU" philosophy. I never recommend any particular diet to anyone, as everyone is different. What works for me, may not work for someone else. Type 1 is a personal journey, and you discover a lot about your body and yourself going through it.My fitness regimeAs I am a dancer, I have my weekly dance sessions. I also do cardio and weight training every day. Recently, I have started doing Yoga.My insulin regimeI was started with basal-bolus insulin when I was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes. After I switched to the insulin pump and the closed-loop system, the technology takes care of the insulin based on my blood sugar levels.About Diabesties FoundationDuring the first 3-4 years of my diagnosis, I was very shy to talk about my condition with my friends. Now, I am very comfortable discussing with people who are close to me about my Diabetes. Earlier, I would not talk to anyone and would keep it to myself. I didn't want to inject myself in public. It took me 3-4 years to completely accept my condition. But now after seeing the concerns, questions and thoughts people with Diabetes have, I have become extremely vocal. I also love to interact with people about Type 1 Diabetes on social media. This is why I started the Diabetes foundation two years ago called The Diabesties Foundation.The Diabesties Foundation is a global movement with the mission to make every person with Type 1 Diabetes feel heard, supported, loved, understood and celebrated. I did not know a single person with Type 1 Diabetes, until I started the foundation. I would seek the help of the internet where I would find a lot of material and videos that were complex and difficult to understand. As a teenager, it was difficult for me to learn about my condition with so much medical jargon. I felt the need for light-mannered, fun content, especially for children with Type 1 Diabetes which could interest and educate them at the same time.Our mission is advocacy, awareness and access. Our team comprises of people both, with and without Type 1 Diabetes as we believe that awareness should go beyond the boundaries of people with Diabetes. We have many projects being run by the foundation. Our organisation arranges regular meets called DiaMEETs where people with Type 1 Diabetes come together to share their stories and have fun with dancing and games. We are also associated with many schools to raise awareness among the school personnel and peers. We are also associated with various charitable groups and hospitals to create different content that suits different people.We have come up with Diabetes merchandise such as pocketbooks, comics, videos, posters and also manuals and presentations for Diabetes trainers. I am also a certified Diabetes educator, so I counsel people with Diabetes and work with them in understanding their condition and knowing how to manage it better. We are also involved with Language Matters – a mission to talk about the language used while addressing Type1 Diabetes in collaboration with the NHS in UK. I had studied at the same school run by my mother. I remember after my diagnosis; my mother conducted a workshop for students and teachers on Type 1 Diabetes. That workshop gave a chance to my friends and classmates to understand Type 1Diabetes and what needs to be done in case of an emergency. I have met many children with Type 1 Diabetes who do not tell their teachers about their condition and have fainted in the playground during the sports session and nobody knew what to do. So, I believe that it is very important to educate people on these chronic conditions especially those that can be seen in children. It also instils empathy and sensitivity among peers.My messageI was always passionate about dance, performance and presentation. I found my purpose after my diagnosis of Diabetes. So, my passion met my purpose when I founded the Diabesties Foundation. I think empathy is the biggest change agent in my journey. I often receive messages from across the world appreciating our work which makes us believe that our work is changing many lives. I had the constant support of my family and friends but never had a person with Diabetes who could hold my hand in my journey. Through the Diabesties Foundation, we are trying to reach people with different economic backgrounds and help them find solutions to manage their condition successfully.Education about yourself brings personal empowerment. The more you would know about your condition, the more confident you become. Every person with Type 1 Diabetes is different. So, try out for yourself, learn what works for you and what suits you the best. As a community, we should emphasise a lot on education of every individual with Diabetes and also caregivers of people with Diabetes. My mantra is simple – Live Happily and Bolus regularly – and of course you are Type 1 of a kind!
My dietI have never followed any diet. I believe that with Type 1 Diabetes, it is all about moderation. One should have a balanced diet and count carbohydrates in every meal so that he or she can adjust the insulin dose accordingly. I eat in moderation; I eat when I am hungry and I count my carbohydrate intake. I prefer eating high protein, high fibre foods and ensure to inject insulin correctly according to my meals. And I am a big believer in the "YOU DO YOU" philosophy. I never recommend any particular diet to anyone, as everyone is different. What works for me, may not work for someone else. Type 1 is a personal journey, and you discover a lot about your body and yourself going through it.My fitness regimeAs I am a dancer, I have my weekly dance sessions. I also do cardio and weight training every day. Recently, I have started doing Yoga.My insulin regimeI was started with basal-bolus insulin when I was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes. After I switched to the insulin pump and the closed-loop system, the technology takes care of the insulin based on my blood sugar levels.About Diabesties FoundationDuring the first 3-4 years of my diagnosis, I was very shy to talk about my condition with my friends. Now, I am very comfortable discussing with people who are close to me about my Diabetes. Earlier, I would not talk to anyone and would keep it to myself. I didn't want to inject myself in public. It took me 3-4 years to completely accept my condition. But now after seeing the concerns, questions and thoughts people with Diabetes have, I have become extremely vocal. I also love to interact with people about Type 1 Diabetes on social media. This is why I started the Diabetes foundation two years ago called The Diabesties Foundation.The Diabesties Foundation is a global movement with the mission to make every person with Type 1 Diabetes feel heard, supported, loved, understood and celebrated. I did not know a single person with Type 1 Diabetes, until I started the foundation. I would seek the help of the internet where I would find a lot of material and videos that were complex and difficult to understand. As a teenager, it was difficult for me to learn about my condition with so much medical jargon. I felt the need for light-mannered, fun content, especially for children with Type 1 Diabetes which could interest and educate them at the same time.Our mission is advocacy, awareness and access. Our team comprises of people both, with and without Type 1 Diabetes as we believe that awareness should go beyond the boundaries of people with Diabetes. We have many projects being run by the foundation. Our organisation arranges regular meets called DiaMEETs where people with Type 1 Diabetes come together to share their stories and have fun with dancing and games. We are also associated with many schools to raise awareness among the school personnel and peers. We are also associated with various charitable groups and hospitals to create different content that suits different people.We have come up with Diabetes merchandise such as pocketbooks, comics, videos, posters and also manuals and presentations for Diabetes trainers. I am also a certified Diabetes educator, so I counsel people with Diabetes and work with them in understanding their condition and knowing how to manage it better. We are also involved with Language Matters – a mission to talk about the language used while addressing Type1 Diabetes in collaboration with the NHS in UK. I had studied at the same school run by my mother. I remember after my diagnosis; my mother conducted a workshop for students and teachers on Type 1 Diabetes. That workshop gave a chance to my friends and classmates to understand Type 1Diabetes and what needs to be done in case of an emergency. I have met many children with Type 1 Diabetes who do not tell their teachers about their condition and have fainted in the playground during the sports session and nobody knew what to do. So, I believe that it is very important to educate people on these chronic conditions especially those that can be seen in children. It also instils empathy and sensitivity among peers.My messageI was always passionate about dance, performance and presentation. I found my purpose after my diagnosis of Diabetes. So, my passion met my purpose when I founded the Diabesties Foundation. I think empathy is the biggest change agent in my journey. I often receive messages from across the world appreciating our work which makes us believe that our work is changing many lives. I had the constant support of my family and friends but never had a person with Diabetes who could hold my hand in my journey. Through the Diabesties Foundation, we are trying to reach people with different economic backgrounds and help them find solutions to manage their condition successfully.Education about yourself brings personal empowerment. The more you would know about your condition, the more confident you become. Every person with Type 1 Diabetes is different. So, try out for yourself, learn what works for you and what suits you the best. As a community, we should emphasise a lot on education of every individual with Diabetes and also caregivers of people with Diabetes. My mantra is simple – Live Happily and Bolus regularly – and of course you are Type 1 of a kind!
