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Can Okra Control Blood Sugar Naturally?

Can Okra Control Blood Sugar NaturallyLocally, Okra is known as Bhindi (Hindi) or Lady’s Finger. I am sure, besides all the delicious recipes, you might have also heard that Okra can control blood sugar naturally. So, is it scientifically true? Let us explore!

How Does Okra Control Blood Sugar?

To avoid the suspense, let us just say that the magic is in the seeds of Okra. In Turkey, roasted Okra seeds have been used as a traditional medicine. It’s these seeds that have shown results in lowering blood sugar levels in studies done. Also, it is shown to prevent diabetes associated complications as it lowers HbA1c levels.

Okra, or rather the seeds of Okra are alpha- glucosidase in nature and the gum contains insoluble fiber. They inhibit the carbohydrate metabolizing enzyme and hence, prevent the release of sugar in the blood stream.

What’s The Best Way To Consume Okra Seeds?

You need to split the Okra in two and soak it in water overnight. Next morning, squeeze the  gum (the mucilage in water) and seeds into water. Drink this water on an empty stomach early morning every day. You need to consume it this way because the researches done support intake in this form. It isn’t clear if the cooked form holds similar blood sugar control benefit.

One precaution you need to take here is that if you’re just going to have these Okra Seeds water without dietary control and lifestyle medications, it alone isn’t going to work miraculously in controlling blood sugar levels. It has to be coupled up with a complex carbohydrate rich diet with good fiber intake from salads and control on simple refined carbohydrate meals. And surely exercise as well!

Besides health benefits in lowering blood sugar, Okra is also rich in A and B Complex Vitamins, and helps in lowering lipid levels too.

We hope this article helps you! For more on managing Diabetes, check out Healthy Reads.

For further guidance and motivation by certified experts, join the GOQii Diabetes Care program. It’s India’s only diabetes program that is driven by Smart Science and Personal Coaching to improve Fasting Blood Sugar (FBS), Postprandial Blood Sugar (PP), reduce HbA1c levels and let you win gold! You can subscribe here: https://store.goqii.com/diabetescare.

Let’s #DefeatDiabetes and #BeTheForce

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Common Food Myths About Diabetes

myths about diabetesThe prevalence of diabetes is alarmingly spreading worldwide. Data from WHO shows that its global prevalence was about 8% in 2011 and is estimated to rise to 10% by 2030. Some of my patients are of the impression that they cannot lead a normal life once they’ve been diagnosed with Diabetes. I always tell them to treat diabetes normally. The main focus should be on food followed by activity and then medication. If instructions are followed well, your diabetes will be under control. However, my experience has been that when it comes to food, most have many misconceptions which are very important to clear. I would like to share few of these common myths about Diabetes with you as well.

Common Food Myths About Diabetes

1. Avoid Rice
This is the commonest myth which everyone has, including people planning to eat rice. White rice is not bad. It is a simple sugar which easily shoots the sugar. However, if you have a good source of proteins like sprouts/curd/buttermilk along with the meal, it helps in the slow release of sugar.
Healthy Alternative: You can opt for brown rice which is packed with antioxidants and fiber.

2. Avoid Potatoes
Many people avoid potato thinking it raises blood sugar. However, potatoes being starchy, need to be eaten in moderation. Though high on carbohydrates, it is also rich in Vitamin B6 which helps in nerve functioning at cellular level. Also, the cooking medium plays an important role. A boiled potato is far better than a deep fried potato.
Healthy Alternative: If the potato is clubbed with some other veggie, that’s absolutely alright as the portion of potato would be low. A boiled or barbequed or grilled potato is a good option as well.

3. Avoid Sugar
Everyone says, I avoid sugary stuff, still my sugars are not under control. However, if you see the other part of their diet, it’s loaded with fats meaning deep fried stuff, chips, wafers, etc. This is because of the insulin resistance which is predominantly seen in Type 2 Diabetic people. The fat gets deposited at the abdominal region which resists insulin from reaching the cells. This leads to high sugar levels in the blood. Hence, along with sugar, unhealthy fats need to be kept at bay as well. Remember, not all fats are bad.
Healthy Alternative: If you plan to make vada/samosa at home, you can even roast them which requires less oil that equals less harm. If it is eaten out, moderation needs to be followed.

4. Avoid All The Fruits (especially mangoes/banana/grapes/chikoo)
Many people say that fruits are sweet, hence need to be avoided. However, the truth is that fruits are natural sugars and provide instant energy. Moreover, they are packed with antioxidants, vitamins and trace minerals. The timing of when you eat the fruits is equally important. It is best to consume them on an empty stomach for better absorption of nutrients or else, they can also be eaten during mid-morning or mid evening before 6 pm. It is always better to opt for a whole fruit instead of fruit juice.
Healthy Alternative: Combine fruits with a handful of nuts for the dose of fiber which is present in nuts. You can also have chilled fruit yogurt (chopped fruits in yogurt).

These are a few common myths about diabetes! It is the lack of awareness that can mislead patients. Lastly, remember that sugar by itself is a sweet poison which has it’s own disadvantages. The healthy alternative to sugar is jaggery, honey and stevia (natural sweetener). As a message to all diabetics, I’d like to remind you that you can lead a normal life by following a healthy and balanced lifestyle.

We hope these common myths about Diabetes help you make better choices. Do let us know your thoughts below. For more on Diabetes, check out Healthy Reads.

For further guidance and motivation by certified experts, join the GOQii Diabetes Care program. It’s India’s only diabetes program that is driven by Smart Science and Personal Coaching to improve Fasting Blood Sugar (FBS), Postprandial Blood Sugar (PP), reduce HbA1c levels and let you win gold! You can subscribe here: https://store.goqii.com/diabetescare.

#BeTheForce

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Why You Should Exercise To Manage Diabetes

exercise to manage diabetesThe facts and myths about diabetes are plenty, especially on the kind of foods one should have or not have, whether one should exercise to manage diabetes, etc. But, it’s when I saw my dad exercising one day, a thought struck me – is it not important to test a diabetic before exercise? Is diet all that one needs to focus on?

What if he exercises vigorously and his sugar levels drop down? At what sugar levels should we allow or not allow a person to exercise? What should be the intensity and frequency of the exercise? What type of exercise should a diabetic do?

These questions obviously led me to explore and research more about diabetes and exercise. I would like to share some information about what Diabetes is, what are its types and how regular exercise can control your Diabetes.

What is Diabetes?

Diabetes is a chronic disease where there’s a high level of sugar in the blood, either due to less insulin sensitivity or because of low insulin secretion or no insulin levels in the body.

There are three major types of diabetes. The causes and risk factors are different for each type:

  • Type 1 diabetes: can occur at any age, but it is most often diagnosed in children, teens, or young adults. In this type, the body makes little or no insulin. Daily injections of insulin are needed. The exact cause is unknown.
  • Type 2 diabetes: makes up for most of the diabetes cases. It often occurs in adulthood, but teens and young adults are now being diagnosed because of high obesity rates. In such cases, either the body becomes less sensitive to insulin or insulin secretion decreases.
  • Gestational diabetes: is high blood sugar that develops at any time during pregnancy in a woman who does not have diabetes, and disappears once the pregnancy is over.

Can You Exercise To Manage Diabetes? 

We all know that exercise provides multiple benefits but does it help diabetics as well? In fact, it does! Here are some of the changes you can experience if you exercise to manage diabetes:

  • Exercise helps lower blood sugar levels
  • It helps you feel better
  • Helps maintain proper body weight
  • Keeps the heart rate and blood pressure lower
  • Keeps blood fat levels normal
  • Improves insulin sensitivity
  • Helps in maintaining normal blood circulation in the feet

Now that we know a few of many reasons why exercise is important for a person with diabetes, let’s see which exercises can benefit diabetics.

Which kinds Of Exercise Are Best For Diabetics?

To help manage diabetes, you can try:

  1. 30 minutes of “moderate intensity” aerobic activity – 5 days a week.
  2. “Vigorous intense” aerobic activity for 20 minutes or more a day – 3-5 days a week.

In addition, you should add flexibility and strength training to your routine.

  1. Flexibility activities 5-7 days a week.
  2. Strength training 8-10 exercises, 10-15 repetitions of each exercise, 2-3 days a week.

Calories Per hour and the types of moderate and vigorous exercises

Moderate physical activity for one hour Calorie burnt per hour
Hiking 370
Light gardening / Yard work 330
Dancing 330
Golf(walking and carrying clubs) 330
Bicycling (<10mph) 290
Walking  (3.5mph) 280
Weight lifting (light workout) 220
Stretching 180
Vigorous physical activity for one hour 
Running / Jogging (5mph) 590
Bicycling (>10mph) 590
Swimming (Slow freestyle laps) 510
Aerobics 480
Walking (4-5 mph) 460
Heavy Yard work (chopping wood) 440
Weight lifting (vigorous effort) 440
Basket ball (vigorous) 440

Source – Dietary Guidelines for Americans – 2005 *(These values are not specifically for Indians as they are taken from American journals)

When Should One Exercise?

The best time to exercise will vary with the schedule. Preferably, one should pick the same time for exercise each day so that if one is on insulin, the adjustment of insulin dosage is manageable.

  1. Morning exercise may cause your blood glucose to drop less than if you exercised later.
  2. If you are on insulin or taking pills that work by making more insulin, evening exercise may result in low blood glucose while you sleep.

Remember -Your Diabetes Management can be adjusted to suit your lifestyle. Your lifestyle does not have to be adjusted to fit your diabetes.

After knowing what kind of exercise and at what time we should do them, let’s see what precautions should be taken while doing them.

Safety Tips for Active Diabetics

1. Get your doctor’s okay before you start exercising.
This is especially important if you are older than age 35, have had diabetes for more than 10 years, have any complications of diabetes, have not exercised in a long time, or have heart disease. Exercise has the same effect on blood glucose as insulin. It lowers blood glucose, making you more sensitive to insulin. This is a benefit of exercise that can also pose a problem if it lowers your blood glucose too much.

2. Avoid low blood sugar levels
Low blood sugar levels are when the glucose levels dip below <70mg/dl. Common symptoms include shakiness, weakness, abnormal sweating, and anxiety, tingling of mouth and hunger, headache, visual disturbance, confusion, seizures, coma. Monitor your blood glucose before and after working out, especially when beginning or modifying the exercise program. Always keep a 15g of fast-acting carbohydrate (powdered sugar/Glucose tablets 3-4) with you to treat Hypoglycemia.

3. Check your blood glucose levels pre and post workout
If you blood glucose is below 70 –

  1. Take 5g of carbohydrate right away
  2. Wait for 15 minutes
  3. Check again – if still below 70, then have another 15 grams.

It should work now.

If the blood glucose is high – Fasting is>250 and ketosis is present.

Or >300 with or without ketosis. Avoid exercise with such high blood sugar levels.

4. Eat before heavy exercise
If you’re going to exercise around mealtime, you should eat the meal first. When possible, allow half an hour for digestion. Solid foods, such as whole grains, vegetables, etc. are digested slowly than liquids. They provide protection for at least 2-3 hours. When it is possible to choose the exercise time, try to begin the exercise 30-60 minutes after a meal or snack.

Remember – Nothing works better than experience and frequent blood glucose testing. 

5. Diabetic complications 

  • Retinopathy: Patients with retinopathy are at risk for retinal detachment and vitreous hemorrhage associated with vigorous-intensity exercise. For those with retinopathy, vigorous aerobic and resistance, weight-bearing exercises should be avoided.
  • Nephropathy: Should not indulge in vigorous-intensity exercise as protein excretion increases post-exercise.
  • Peripheral Neuropathy: Should take proper care of feet to prevent foot ulcers. Feet should be kept dry. Avoid the wrong type of socks and shoes. Avoid tight elastic bands and ill-fitted shoes (they reduce circulation). Avoid wearing thick or bulky socks (they can fit poorly and irritate the skin). Rather wear light colored cotton socks that dissipate heat faster. Moisturize your feet – but not between your toes- that could encourage a fungal infection. Use a moisturizer daily to keep dry skin from itching or cracking. Consider non-weight bearing activities as they may be better tolerated and aid healing.

6. Stay hydrated
Proper hydration is essential during exercise. Exercising during hot weather requires special attention. Drinking extra fluids should begin an hour or two before you begin exercise to manage diabetes. A general rule is to drink 8 ounces of fluid for every 30 minutes of vigorous activity. 

7. Check your pulse rate
It’s important to check the pulse periodically to see if you are exercising within your target zone. Right after you exercise, take your pulse – count your pulse for 10 secs and multiply the no by 6.

Compare the numbers on the right grouping in the table below.

Age Target Heart range zone
20 years 100-150 beats/min
25 years 98-146 beats/min
30 years 95-142 beats / min
35 years 93-138 beats/ min
40 years 90-135 beats/min
45 years 88-131 beats/min
50 years 85-127 beats/ min
55 years 83-123 beats/min
60 years 80-120 beats/min
65 years 78-116 beats/ min
70 years 75-113 beats / min

Source: Exercise and Your Heart, NationalHeart, Lung, and Blood Institute/American Heart Association, NIH Publication No. 93-1677.

The good news is that if someone regularly exercises, these benefits can be permanent, and for someone with diabetes, it can mean reducing medication. If younger members of families with a predisposition to diabetes exercise regularly, they could avoid diabetes altogether.

A single bout of exercise can benefit the body’s sensitivity to insulin for 16-18 hours and have positive effects on blood glucose control (glucose absorption) for 24-48hours.

But these effects wear off between 60-72 hours. Hence, staying active most of the time is imperative.

I just want to convey that Diabetes cannot take your hope, faith, attitude, courage and happiness away from you. We are the authors of our own health. Let’s overcome it, no matter what type or what level of disease it is.

Now that you know why you should exercise to manage diabetes, get out there and begin your journey! To read more on Diabetes, check out Healthy Reads.

For further guidance and motivation by certified experts, join the GOQii Diabetes Care program. It’s India’s only diabetes program that is driven by Smart Science and Personal Coaching to improve Fasting Blood Sugar (FBS), Postprandial Blood Sugar (PP), reduce HbA1c levels and let you win gold! You can subscribe here: https://store.goqii.com/diabetescare.

#BeTheForce

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Devesh Srivastava Lowers His HbA1c from 6.7 to 5.8 With GOQii

Devesh Srivastava

Have you ever suffered from a cold or fever and thought to yourself that you can manage this? In fact, there’s a good chance that with some medication and rest, the symptoms of a cold or fever have subsided. But, when you deal with issues such as Diabetes and Hypertension, trying to manage the issue on your own might not be such a good idea. Our Player Devesh Srivastava came to realize that personalized health coaching is the best way forward!

Life Before Joining GOQii 

Devesh Srivastava is a 52 year old investment banker residing in the city of Ahmedabad. He was always keen on joining an app-based fitness solution. Back in 2014, he heard our Founder & CEO Vishal Gondal speak at an event. He says, “What he said connected well with me and I was looking forward to joining something like GOQii, but it never happened”.

While he did have a normal routine, he wanted someone to look over him and guide him towards a healthy lifestyle. He says, “Before the pandemic, things were manageable but during the pandemic, the situation was difficult as you were at home the whole time. Earlier I would walk with my friends and colleagues but then it all stopped during the lockdown. I did not have a proper routine and that created a weight issue”. 

During this time, Devesh Srivastava tried creating his own regime and restricted his diet to reduce weight. “I’ve seen other people reduce weight by doing their own things. So I decided to try as well. But, my sugar levels were not reducing,” he said. He was also on Diabetes and Hypertension medication. 

Joining GOQii and Making Lifestyle Changes 

After several trials and errors of trying to manage his health by himself, Devesh Srivastava said that he needed someone to keep a watch on his health and guide him properly. So, he came to the decision to subscribe for GOQii’s Personalized Health Coaching in November 2021. 

“The coach’s guidance worked well for me. She made simple and doable changes,” he says. Some of these changes included: 

  • Have soaked Methi seeds in the morning
  • Increase salad portion before lunch and consume fruits as mid-meal snacks 
  • Eat healthy evening snacks which include dry fruits, fruits or roasted snacks.
  • Eating an early dinner
  • Reduce carbs from dinner and replace them with fiber and protein
  • Drink green tea in the evening 
  • Begin the day with Surya Namaskar 
  • Increase steps count gradually

Apart from the above changes, his GOQii Coach kept a close watch on his food consumption, water intake, sleep and exercise, making timely corrections as per requirements. 

What Changes Did Devesh Srivastava Experience? 

Within 4 months, Devesh could experience changes in his health. As his journey continued, within 7 months he was able to lose approximately 7kg. From 80kg, he came down to 74.6kg. His waist size had reduced from 36 inches to 34 inches. 

In his current report, he found that his blood sugar and cholesterol levels had lowered down. “With Coaching, I feel better,” he says. “My stress levels are better managed. I am also able to sleep well for at least 6.5 hours daily,” he added.

What Does Coach Sakshi Agarwal Have To Say About Her Player? 

When he came onboard, he was overweight. His height is 170cm and weight was 80kg. His waist size was 36 inches and his BMI was 27.7. He was suffering from Diabetes and High Blood Pressure. His Triglyceride was also high at about 180.

Fortunately, Devesh Srivastava is a very sincere player and was always enthusiastic about taking on all the challenges I threw at him. He tried his absolute best to complete them. Within 4 months, he has made remarkable progress. 

Apart from reducing his weight and waist size, his blood sugar and cholesterol levels have also reduced. His HbA1c reduced from 6.7 to 5.8. His Triglyceride levels reduced from 180 to 148. His Blood Pressure reduced from 97fbs – 135pp to 85fbs – 119pp. 

He is quite happy with these transformations and I appreciate his positive response to my suggestions as well as his  dedicated approach to improving his lifestyle! 

Do you have a condition similar to Devesh Srivastava? You too can make a positive lifestyle change by getting the right guidance and motivation from certified experts. Join the GOQii Diabetes Care program – India’s only diabetes program that is driven by Smart Science and Personal Coaching to improve Fasting Blood Sugar (FBS), Postprandial Blood Sugar (PP), reduce HbA1c levels and let you win gold! You can subscribe here: https://store.goqii.com/diabetescare.

For more inspiring Health Stories, check out Healthy Reads.

#BeTheForce 

Devesh Srivastava Lowers His HbA1c from 6.7 to 5.8 With GOQii

Have you ever suffered from a cold or fever and thought to yourself that you can manage this? In fact, there’s a good chance that with some medication and rest, the symptoms of a cold or fever have subsided. But, when you deal with issues such as Diabetes and Hypertension, trying to manage the issue […]

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