Did you know over 11% Indians are diabetic and India is the diabetes capital of the world? The increasing percentage of prediabetes in Indians is also concerning. Raising awareness about this lifestyle disease is the first step towards its reversal. Reading inspirational stories about people who successfully reversed their type-2 diabetes boosts morale and helps others take the step forward to make India diabetes-free.
We spoke to Muthukumar Vemban, a 53 year-old working male whose work requires him to travel frequently, making a consistent commitment to diet and exercise extremely difficult. With a suboptimal HbA1c of 7.8 and a weight of 78 kg, he knew he had to shake things up if he wanted to live a better life. He successfully reversed his type-2 diabetes simply by making some strict dietary and lifestyle modification. Let’s hear from this Practo Transform Patient how he made it possible.
What are some of the challenges you faced during your journey towards diabetes remission and how did you overcome them?
Mr Muthukumar answers, “Probably the first 7-10 days were the most challenging. That is when the craving in between meals is high, you are tempted to cheat and rationalise saying it won't happen next time. And if you travel it becomes all the way more difficult. You need some ready-to-go solutions to curb your cravings while keeping it healthy, at the same time. For me it was paneer tikka salad.”
Also Read: Reverse Type 2 Diabetes With This Effective Diet Plan By Diabetes Educator
When asked about his strategies to achieve diabetes remission, Mr Muthukumar shares, “Develop a large support ecosystem. People will try to discourage you but you must learn to stay motivated. Seek support from your well wishers to guide you and help you stay consistent in making healthier choices to reverse diabetes and lose weight healthily.”
“Advertise your small wins as widely as possible and feel good in your new wardrobe”- Mr Muthukumar Vemban
Highlighting the most rewarding aspects of your journey since achieving diabetes remission, he adds, “I benefitted from my hypertension issue taking a back seat and blood pressure getting to normal. The acidity and the bloating vanishes within the first few days of the program. And if you lose 15 kgs like I did, you look very slim and fit, the weight loss is an easy conversation starter and the admiration is a well-earned reward.”
Tips By Doctor
We reached out to Dr Hema Venkataraman, Medical Advisor, Practo Transform & Consultant Endocrinologist, NHS UK for her expert advice to people who are struggling to find a way to manage their diabetes.
She responded by saying, “Type 2 Diabetes and linked chronic diseases creates huge demands on our lifestyle, especially on our eating and fitness patterns, which have far reaching impacts on our personal and social life. Hence, behaviour change is a battle for even the best of us.”
Also Read: Growing Scare Of Prediabetes In Young Population, Doctor Shares Risks and Prevention Tips
Watch this video for healthy breakfast recommendations for diabetics:
Here are Dr Venkataraman’s two rules of thumb to successfully change health behaviours:
1. Choosing a sustainable strategy: Choose a plan that you can do day after day, in most places and most circumstances. For eg a keto diet may work brilliantly for weight loss in a short time but you have to question if this can be done day after day, for the rest of your life, and how this will impair your quality of life.
2. Design your own supportive environment: It is impossible to stick to positive health behaviours consistently in an adverse environment, for example: Trying to quit smoking in a household of smokers is an uphill task often set up to fail.
Starting with your family and friends, create a health conscious community around you, people that value and work hard to sustain positive health behaviours. The cycling culture of Denmark for example, is an effortless way to keep active, as it's far easier to bike to work when the entire city around you bikes to work.
On the contrary, in a food centric culture like India, your health journey can often feel like a lonely uphill battle unless you create your own community. India too now has many health communities that encourage positive health behaviour changes. Find one, join one or create your own!