Written By: Upneet Pansare | Updated : September 7, 2018 4:21 PM IST
Sleep apnea linked with blindness in diabetic patients. © Shutterstock
Indians need to be concerned about diabetes because of the scary statistics: there are 62 million diabetics in India which accounts for 15 per cent of the population. 1 in 12 Indians is diabetic. But what s even more concerning is that we believe in a number of myths with regards to diabetes and pre-diabetes diet. Celebrity nutritionist Rujuta Diwekar, whose clients include Kareena Kapoor Khan, Alia Bhatt, Varun Dhawan and other Bollywood celebs, helps bust a few myths:
MYTH: Weight loss will automatically help you reverse diabetes
FACT: We are all leading a sedentary lifestyle with so much stress and no exercise and sleep. We re not ready to work on our body. People want quick weight loss because they think that that s the ultimate solution to diabetes. The truth is that you need to actually increase your weight your bone mineral and muscle density should increase. In their quest to lose weight, people are losing much more lean body weight than what they should be losing. This starves our cells which leads to high blood sugar and diabetes-related problems like skin pigmentation, glaucoma, leg pain, sleep problems and kidney and heart diseases. We must stop focusing on weight and concentrate on getting fitter.
MYTH: Oats and other exotic food grains are the best for beating diabetes
FACT: A lot of people love loading themselves with oats when in fact they can get their fibre from usual Indian snacks like poha, idli, paratha, chila and daliya. Eating too much fibre can cause gastric disturbances, high acidity, IBS and constipation. Don t start your day with anything that comes in a packet like muesli or cereal or biscuits. Just eat your local breakfast and snack items.
MYTH: You must never put sugar in your tea or coffee
FACT: There are far worse culprits than that sugar in your cup of tea. There is no harm in drinking about 2-3 cups of tea or coffee with sugar. Just make sure you don t start your day with tea or coffee and don t have it after 4 pm or else it can hamper your sleep.
MYTH: You must never eat mangoes, chikus or other sweet fruits
FACT: You can eat all the fruits as long as they are seasonal and local. Fruits are healthy and provide you with all the necessary nutrition you require to beat diabetes. Enjoy them.
