Diabetes, my good friend

Today, Nov 14, is World Diabetes Day. If it means something to you then surely you will remember that one day when your life changed track. You continued to live like the others but in the matter of food you had to live unlike them.

I remember the day towards the end of July'04 when the elderly doctor who summed up the results of my general health checkup gave me the 'breaking' news - my results showed a significant level of 'glucose intolerance'. I had miserably failed the 75gm 'glucose challenge'. She said I should get a proper blood sugar test done to confirm diabetes. But her very next words, 'you will find that tea and coffee taste much better without sugar', stamped 'DIABETIC' on me - with indelible ink.

Initially I saw diabetes as the 'enemy' within that needed to he 'destroyed'. I shunned all sweet food, exercised and walked much more regualarly and lost around 7-8 Kgs. in four months. Starting with Ayurvedic medicine and switched over to allopathic medicine and a diabetologist became the first 'specialist' in my life.

I had the first knowledge on being a diabetic from observing both my parents who were long-time diabetics and probably one of the reasons I was too. I read a lot about the disease and the fact that one never really got cured and could only hope to control it.  Control was absolultely necessary if one were to avoid 'diabetic complications' that significantly affected the 'extremities' (feet and hands), kidneys, eyes, heart and generally all the organs of the body. I read books that described diabetes as the 'worst curse' and many more colourfully negative adjectives.

Having acquired quite some knowledge about diabetes I summed up what diabetes had taught me:

1. Avoid high calorie food esp. food sweetened with sugar (consider glycemic index and glycemic load)

2. Avoid fried food to reduce the risk of high levels of bad cholestrol

3. Have healthy food, exercise regularly and be active

4. All of the above should result in a near-ideal, steady body weight and good overall fitness.

Diabetes was forcing me to adopt a lifestyle that any good health/wellness expert or a doctor would have advised anyway even if I were normal. But had I been normal, I would have probably ignored the advice. Diabetes simply made it difficult for me to ignore the healthy lifestyle advice. Besides, diabetes made me aware of the food I consumed, the nutrition it provided and of course, the calories it provided. Now isn't this what you would expect a friend who is deeply concerned about your health do for you? I remember reading somewhere about  diabetics who lived longer and better lives than those who were 'normal' and never forced to control their lifestyles.

I have looked upon diabetes as a friend who uses the threat of 'complications' to force me to follow a healthy lifestyle. I am no longer in conflict with diabetes. Diabetes is my health partner.