36 Tips to Manage Diabetes

1. Shift to nutrient dense grains like millets, where the carbs are low.

2. Yoga Asanas that focus on central obesity & help reduce visceral fat are advised.

3. De-stress using Ayurveda therapies like Shirodhara.

4. Detox for an improved metabolism using Panchakarma.

5. Udwartana an Ayurveda dry powder massage which has fat burning properties helps reduce insulin resistance.

6. Eat traditional foods that have 6 tastes instead of processed foods like bread, oats, muesli etc.,

7. Stress invariably increases your blood glucose, so Meditate regularly.

8. Chew your food 32 times, carbohydrate metabolism happens at the buccal cavity.

9. Increase Fiber in your diet it slows digestion of carbs & absorption of sugar.

10. Barley is the staple grain for diabetes as mentioned in classics, use it in any form.

11. Get 8-9 hours of sleep @ night. Bad sleep patterns can typically worsen glucose control. Avoid day sleep.

12. Focus on achieving the right BMI, ie the optimal weight for your height; weight loss helps better glucose control.

13. Replace half of your existing grain intake with raw foods.

14. Turmeric & Amla known as Nisha Amalaki, is the single formula for any diabetic.

16. Lower your grains/ carbohydrates & increase protein in your diet.

17. Make any form of exercise a habit, it will induce muscle memory into working towards utilising the available glucose for energy.

18. Drink a minimum of 2-4 litres of Hot Water a day, it helps your kidneys flush out the excess glucose through urine.

19. Keep a food journal and asses your intake periodically in reference to your glucose control so that you can judge which meal plan suits you best for good blood glucose control.

20. Eat small portions through out the day, instead of 3 meal times this prevents spike in blood glucose with a large meal.

21. Consciously judge what you eat at restaurants or celebrations so that your portions of raw vegetables & fruits are larger than your main course.
22. 1/2 tsp Fenugreek powder with butter milk, coriander leaves, ginger & rock salt is a good pre meal drink, it may taste bitter but the fiber in fenugreek delays the absorption of carbohydrates.

23. Stop smoking it increases the risks of complications from diabetes.

24. Stop alcohol, when you drink your liver will be focused to remove the alcohol from your blood instead of regulating your blood sugar. Alcohol also adds to the glucose.

25. Keep your other comorbidities like hyperlipidemia, hypertension, obesity etc under control.

26. Avoid diet & lifestyle that aggravate Kapha.

27. Old Shastika Sali rice ( rice harvested in 60 days) mixed with soup of green gram & preparations made of bitter vegetables is advised.

( Mudgadi Yushai Ratha Tikta Shakai)

28. In Kaphaja type of diabetes one of the recipe prescribed is the decoction of raw drugs of Curcuma Longa, Berberis Aristata, Valeriana Jatamamsi & Embelia Ribes is taken with honey.

29. In Pittaja type of diabetes one of the recipe prescribed is the decoction of raw drugs of

Vetiver Zezanoides, Cyprus Rotundus, Phyllanthus Embellica & Terminalia Chebula is taken with honey

30. In Vataja type of diabetes the herbs of kaphaja type are used for making decoction & medicated ghee is prepared with this decoction.

31. Madhudaka- Water mixed with honey, triphala juice is a prescribed drink in diabetes. (Charaka Prameha Chikitsa Sthana shloka No 46)

32. Sarodaka – Water boiled with the heart wood of Acacia Catechu (Khadira) is another drink recipee by Charaka. (Charaka Prameha Chikitsa Sthana shloka No 46)

33. Kushodaka- water boiled in Desmostachya bipinnata (Kusha) is a prescribed drink recipee. (Charaka Prameha Chikitsa Sthana shloka No 46)

34. Barley soaked in the decoction of Triphala & kept overnight mixed with honey is a good drink.

35. Avoid sedentary habits, day sleep, curds, domestic & aquatic animal meat, milk & milk products, freshly prepared alcohols, freshly harvested grains, jaggery as all thee foods increase Kapha.

36. Join a group of diabetics in your work or home space to motivate each other to follow these rules.

Listening to a strangers’ testament of their struggle actually has a humungous positive effect on one’s mental health and their perspective and outlook on life.