It shouldn’t have come as a surprising and definitely not a shocking revelation to me , that my blood sugar levels were way above the normal values , considering the kind of sedentary lifestyle I was leading and also the strong family history of diabetes that I inherited , but still I continued to stare at that green and white formatted piece of paper carrying those dreaded numbers as if the sheer power of disbelief would bring them down . This of course was not to happen as the facts of reality were more solidly grounded than my hopeful anticipation and I was declared diabetic after the abnormally high glycoselated hemoglobin .
The next couple of days were depressing , my life has just been robbed of its sweetness . I couldn’t eat any of the sweets I was so fond of , was advised not to sweetened milk and tea , and as if this was not enough even rice my staplediet was removed from the menu . As a practitioner of medicine , I have seen diabetics suffer . Daily dependence on pills to keep the blood sugars down , innumerable number of pricks to check the sugar levels , increased chances of infection , I knew it all. Few years from now the kidneys and the eyes will start showing permanent changes , nerves will follow the suit leading to to sensory loss and trophic ulcers , future course of disease was clearly visible . This saddening thought engulfed my senses for few days and the constant reminders from the family and friends advising the “do’s and don’t s” was not helping me either.
Thankfully this stage of spinal shock , as I prefer to call it , was soon over and I gathered myself and started looking for answers. I went back to my books , talked to people ,searched the web and even started considering the alternative medicine option in a bid to control my blood sugar and slow the dreaded progression of the disease .
Some very interesting theories came to light as I started on with my endeavour to find the answers , one such theory , surely the most distinctive is the one suggested by Suzanna Stinnett a californian blogger and writer of the book “sugar divorce”. She says and I quote “we are a nation addicted to sugar , and addiction is our brain twisting the truth.” she suggests that ” eating less sugar will help us loose weight , feel stronger , live longer and think more clearly” . According to a an article published in The Times of India in January this year, the idea of sugar divorce is fast gainingcurrency . Some others feel sugar is the most dangerous drug of all time and can still be easily acquired any where.
So what do I do , give up sugar altogether , is it possible ?, and more importantly , is it practical ? sugar is practically in everything we eat , so give up every thing and won’t my taste buds decay ?. Are we missing something ? Yes we are , we are missing the fine art of balance , the wisdom to choose right from wrong . The addiction to artificially processed sugars has shifted the balance between the intake of good sugars (complex carbohydrate) and bad sugars ( direct sugar )drastically in favour of latter. Not all sugars are bad in fact a necessity ,as it gives us the energy for survival , our brain cannot sustain the glucose shortage for more than a few minutes . The aim therefore should be to avoid the sugar peaks which the body is unable to handle effectively .
That brings us to the next question , why is our body unable to handle these sugar peaks ? the answer lies in understanding our lifestyle , the so called present day modernization has , as a side effect ushered in an era of stress and inactivity which in turn has forced our pancreas to go into a stage of dormancy , thus unable to secrete sufficient quantities of insulin to control these sugar peaks.
This is important , as my grandfather says , we all are talking about controlling blood sugar level but people hardly ever talk about pancreas , the root cause . Pancreas is a small organ situated slightly deeper near the stomach and small intestine , duodenum to be precise , whose beta cells produce insulin required control the sugar levels . As is true for any other body part , exercise is important for strength and vitality of its structure . unfortunately we hardly do anything that can stimulate our pancreas . there are ways to strengthen this little organs by way of yoga and I am actively pursuing the idea at present .
The million dollar question however is that whether this understanding has helped me recover from the depressive darkness I was getting into , I tell you it has , right now almost a year after the initial diagnosis I am again looking at the blood reports -bang normal and that too without any medication…. Amazing
Guys I will take a break ,the sugar effect will continue in my next post .
My fitness regime………..Sugar effect (contd.)
shishirJune 30, 2014health, sugar
Its five thirty in the morning and standing in the balcony of my top floor apartment , I am sipping a cup of hot green tea , even in this hot summer morning , I can still feel the subtle coolness of the breeze caressing my cheeks , the day has began . After I drown myself in the captivating aroma of Tulsi tea , I will put on my jogging suit , plug in the earphone with the cell phone to enjoy the morning songs being played on the FM , ok not the earphone , not today , today I have got to do some talking and I don’t want to keep you guys waiting , so lets unleash the power of acquaintance with one’s own self
Enjoy your fitness regime , do not slog
Yeh ! That’s my mantra number one , relish the moments he has served you in your platter . This is important because I know fitness for most of us is either punishment or obsession and definitely not enjoyment , let’s change this .
I have de boarded the elevator and exiting the gate of the tower ,reached the jogging track , mood is fresh , the flavour of Tulsi has re-energized the senses , I prefer jogging in the open track over treadmill for a number of reasons , the fresh oxygen rich morning breeze enters the skin pores and revitalises the cells , the relatively softer muddy path ensures lesser jerks to knees and most importantly keeps my mind engaged with the greenery as against the monotony of confined work out area . Over the last year I have developed liking for walking as a form physical engagement , it suits my body , you may consider your choices . Walking through the twist and turns of the walking path and negotiating the passages in between the residential tower to avoid the glare of rising sun I have reached the yoga centre , to find a group of enthusiasts engage in yogic exercises , what a way to start the morning , greeting them I move ahead on my route , I will cover full five kilometres , before heading back to my building , when the cloths would get drenched with sweat , back of hair line dripping the tiny droplets , stance straighter , and feet stronger . How satisfying !!
Be Regular
This fact has been emphasized again and again and I am not going to miss out on that either , the mantra here is moderate but regular exercise . Do not slog as that won’t get you far . Being regular is not difficult especially if you are doing with this spirit of enjoyment . Its almost seven thirty I have reached back and after a good shower bath I will relax in my study with newspaper before finally jumping to breakfast counter , Tomato mushroom omelette with apple and cherries and a glass of milk ,
Aah! Bliss .
