Do’s & Don’ts for Lockdown Diabetics:

Author : Dr. Pramod Tripathi, Founder of Freedom From Diabetes

India

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New Delhi, June 09, 2020 ;

Since, many diabetics are used to daily physical activity to maintain their blood sugar levels, this period can definitely create worry, tension and depression. But where there is a will, there is a way!

Do’s for Lockdown Diabetics:

• Follow your so far learned diet wisely and maintain a balanced diet plan.
• Eat calculated amount of calories to maintain the requirement of the body. This will help to lose or gain weight as per the requirement and to maintain body weight close to the ideal/ desirable body weight.
• As far as possible try to eat high fibre foods (whole grains, pulses, and all green vegetables) as well as greens and vegetables. Eat fruits.
• Eat diet low in glycemic index which helps keep the blood sugars in normal range.
• Mustard oil, corn oil, sunflower oil, groundnut oil, rice bran oil and gingelly oil can be preferred. Olive oil is best used for salads.
• Keep track of all the food you eat in a day.
• Ensure eating food at the appropriate time, in appropriate amounts and in proper frequency.
• Drink sufficient amount of water.
• Sleep on time, maintain a proper sleeping time and time period.

Don’ts  for Lockdown Diabetics:

• Patients who are on insulin or oral hypoglycemic agents should not fast, because it may result in hypoglycemia (low blood sugar levels).
• They should not skip a meal assuming that it can be made up by consuming extra food at the next meal. This may result in low blood sugar and also blood glucose fluctuations which leads to microvascular complications.
• Do not eat white bread, chips, and pastries, which quickly increase blood sugar.
• Avoid processed foods as they will be rich in salt and oil.
• Restrict fried and fatty foods.
• Restrict refined and starchy food items such as maida, rava, white bread, potatoes, other tubers, processed foods and meats.
• In shortage of stevia, do not use artificial sweeteners beyond the recommended quantity. If possible drink tea/coffee without sugar gradually.
• In shortage of fruits, do not consume sweet tasting fruits like Sitaphal (custard apple), chickoo, sweet bananas, grapes, mangoes etc…
• Do not exercise on empty or full stomach.
• Do not watch too much of TV especially while eating food.
• Avoid Table salt.
• Do not miss your medication. Consult your family doctor on call if needed.

People who want to lose weight :

• Use dal-based roti instead of grain.
• Due to lockdown, if salad is not available, take double serving of cooked vegetables (subji) or dal.
• Use cooked vegetables instead of raw salad.
• Start meal with clear soup or methi soup.
• Restrict the quantity of grain in each meal, or can take dal based meal.
• Skipping meals can be helpful , so defiantly can do intermittent fasting.

People who want to gain weight :

• Follow a grain based breakfast.
• Take one grain based roti and one dal based roti in a meal.
• Replace the item in same portion with available item. For e.g. salad not available, take double serving of vegetable or dal.
• Use cooked vegetables as salad.
• Start meal with clear soup or methi soup.
• Take calculated amount of grain in each meal. e. 20 gm per meal only. YOU WANT TO GAIN WEIGHT, NOT OVERWEIGHT.
• Keep a tab on your diet and exercise.

Exercise is equally important:

• Try to concentrate more on exercise than diet in this lockdown phase.
• Being homebound means less activity, less mobility, less exercise thus increases the risk to other health problems because of lack of movement.
• Thus one should include certain homebound easy exercise to be physically active, like;
• Deep breathing exercise ( pranayamas )
• Range of motion (ROM) – Neck exercises, Head tilts, forward and back AND side to side AND Head turns, arms and elbow exercise, hip and waist twisting, leg movements
• Chair bound yoga (chair suryanamskar)
• Chair base-exercise (sitting and stretching)
• Since there is no walking movement outside house one can do extra set of stairs climbing.
• 10-30 minutes of work out should be included in daily routine.
• Mercola with 1 litre bottle
• Skipping ropes

General instructions:

• Take vitamin tablets especially vitamin B
• Take chewable Vitamin C tablet supplements available in the medical shop
• Drink plenty of water daily.
• Increase intake of vitamin C items as amala and lemon in your diet.
• Drink 2 cups herbal tea or herbal infusion/ kadha.
• Include Anti-viral foods and herbs to build immunity like ginger, garlic, Star anise, Oregano, Tulsi (Basil leaves), Dried thyme, Turmeric.
• Drink sabja or tulsi seeds water throughout the day

Hygiene practices at home

Do’s :

• Regular hand washing with soap and water.
• While sneezing and cough cover your mouth with elbow or hand.
• After cough, clean your hands with soap and water.
• Thoroughly cook the food.
• Stay in a particular single room of your house, if you’re sick – immediately consult your family medical doctor.

Don’ts :

• Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands.
• Avoid consumption of raw foods including raw meat, raw egg, raw vegetables.
• Avoid close contact with anyone showing symptoms of respiratory illness such as coughing and sneezing.
• Avoid unwanted casual contact.

Don’t neglect the mind :

The toughest and most important thing in such a situation is to keep your mind stable and sorted. For that, meditation can play a very important role.

To release the stored stress and continual stress on a day-to-basis, we suggest whole brain posture meditation.  In this, one is made to sit in a particular way, concentrate on bad memories, feel them in the body, make strong intention to get relief from them.  This way they start getting released.

Besides whole brain posture meditation, there is breathwork meditation and soul-mind-body healing which are also very useful tools for dealing with stress and negativity.

All the above will help you in releasing the negativity and building positivity which is utmost important at this stage.

One must understand that the situation is tough and inevitable.  So facing it tactfully and courageously is the only way.

Stay Healthy, Stay active, THINK POSITIVE and STAY SAFE !

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