Diabetes is diagnosed either by suspicion by the patient or the Doctor, when the following signs and symptoms are noticed.
Clinically it is suspected when there are some signs and symptoms noticed either by the patient or by the Doctor. As mentioned in the earlier articles, it can be a typical symptoms like Poly urea (frequent urination), Poly phasia (frequent hunger) or Poly dypsia (Excessive thirst). Or other symptoms or signs like Weight loss or gain, Fungal infections especially in the genitalia, teeth infections, non healing wounds etc.
It is also diagnosed accidentally or incidentally when a person undergoes pre employment health check, periodically check like annual check, check up before undergoing any operation or even during taking a policy.
During any health check, if the HbA1c (Glycosylated haemoglobin) is found to be more than 7 %, it indicates the person to be diabetic.
Confirmation of diabetes is always by Blood Test. The test is called Glucose Tolerance Test (GTT) . The test can be explained as follows
The person is asked to have a normal meal in the previous night, and asked to attend the hospital in the morning (on empty stomach) . Whereupon the Fasting Blood sample and Urine sample is taken.
The patient is given 75 gms of glucose. Every half an hour, blood and Urine samples are drawn and examined.
If the 1 & 1/2 hr blood sample is more than 180 mgs/dl (deci liter), the patient is pronounced to be a diabetic. The threshold level of blood sugar in normal kidneys is 180 mgs/dl and when the blood sugar is more than 180 mgs/dl, the glucose passes through the kidney and appears in the urine.
The normal blood glucose in fasting should be between 70 - 110 mgs/dl.
Post prandial (after food) blood glucose should be below 140 mgs/dl
When Post prandial is between 140 - 180 mgs/dl, the stage is considered to be glucose intolerance or Pre diabetes stage.
When Post prandial is more than 180 mgs/dl, it is considered to be Frank diabetes or overt diabetes.
These Pre diabetes group of people have great potential to become diabetic and have great scope for post phoning the occurrence by taking advise from doctors and also following the diet discipline, exercise etc
We shall cover the areas in the coming weeks
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Source: Written for Spice your Life, by Dr. Nagarathnam Jetti, MBBS,DPH,DIH,FIAOH.
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Friday, April 17, 2009
Healthy Snack for Diabetics ~ Chickpea Salad or Sundal!
I know I had promised to come up with menu and diet details for Diabetes. So first in the series is going to be a simple one that's quite common in atleast the South Indian homes. I remember my Amma making this so often when her father was with us for a while. The evenings used to be some salad or the other for sure. Then Dad insisted she makes some evening snack and some legume used to find its way to evening snack.
When we talk about a Diabetic diet, there are many factors that we got to consider. First being, they should eat small measures about 4 -5 times a day, ensuring they keep their sugar levels on control. This means they cannot stuff themselves with heavy meal in one serving. So they will have to split accordingly and at the same time ensure they don't stay hungry.
This simple and quick Indian salad ensures we address the protein requirement and also mental satisfaction.
Ingredients Needed:
Chickpea - 1 cup
Onions - 1 big
Coriander leaves handful
Curry leaves handful
Green chillies - 2 long
For Seasoning
Oil - 1/2 tsp
Mustard Seeds - 1/2 tsp
Urad dal - 1/2 tsp
Salt to taste
Method to prepare:
Wash and Soak Chickpea for atleast 6 hrs or over night. Wash and pressure cook till tender.
Then take a kadai and add oil. Once its hot, add mustard Urad dal. Then add the curry leaves and chopped onions along the chopped green chillies. Saute well.
Once the onions turn pink add the cooked chickpea and salt. Simmer for 5 mins for the salt to absorb.
Finally garnish with coriander leaves
I normally pressure cook the chickpea with little salt, so adjust it while sauteing. The onions are not browned, but are left pink so that they still maintain the crunchiness.
Serving Tips: If you are serving this to others, you can even garnish fresh grated coconut, especially the kids will love it. But diabetics can avoid this garnish as its not advisable to consume coconut.
When we talk about a Diabetic diet, there are many factors that we got to consider. First being, they should eat small measures about 4 -5 times a day, ensuring they keep their sugar levels on control. This means they cannot stuff themselves with heavy meal in one serving. So they will have to split accordingly and at the same time ensure they don't stay hungry.
This simple and quick Indian salad ensures we address the protein requirement and also mental satisfaction.
Ingredients Needed:
Chickpea - 1 cup
Onions - 1 big
Coriander leaves handful
Curry leaves handful
Green chillies - 2 long
For Seasoning
Oil - 1/2 tsp
Mustard Seeds - 1/2 tsp
Urad dal - 1/2 tsp
Salt to taste
Method to prepare:
Wash and Soak Chickpea for atleast 6 hrs or over night. Wash and pressure cook till tender.
Then take a kadai and add oil. Once its hot, add mustard Urad dal. Then add the curry leaves and chopped onions along the chopped green chillies. Saute well.
Once the onions turn pink add the cooked chickpea and salt. Simmer for 5 mins for the salt to absorb.
Finally garnish with coriander leaves
I normally pressure cook the chickpea with little salt, so adjust it while sauteing. The onions are not browned, but are left pink so that they still maintain the crunchiness.
Serving Tips: If you are serving this to others, you can even garnish fresh grated coconut, especially the kids will love it. But diabetics can avoid this garnish as its not advisable to consume coconut.
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
Coconut Dates Boorelu ~ a treat to Kids!
After I made those yummy boorelu with dal, I had the batter still left. My kids liked the boorelu quite a lot and since the batter was still around, I was thinking what else can go into this. I really don't mind giving the kids, deep fried ones. After all the running and activities they do, its enough to burn them all. Moreover, they enjoyed deep fried snacks. But enjoy they burn them out.
With no offense to anybody, I have seen many mothers feeling very concerned that they have obese kids but fail to look for the root cause. There is no harm in giving oily stuff frequently provided you make sure they burn them out. Ensuring they are actively involved in physical activities, gets you the solution. When the kids are physically active, we need not worry about feeding them fats or deep fried snacks.
I have been in this situation couple of times. Once Konda refused to eat anything when she was about 3 years. It continued for almost two days, finally when she asked for tea, I had to give in as Dad said its fine to give even that if they want only that to eat/drink. Tea is much better than Coffee, of course for kids you feel bad to give. But what Dad says is, kids eat when they are hungry. they will never starve. Its only the moms who feel over protective and overfeed them.
Its been a rough path, but I have got used to feel detached when they refuse to eat what I want them to eat, because its healthy. Instead think of such alternative snacks which gets them eat these stuff, which they otherwise won't
So once in while, its fine to indulge them to a deep fried snacks. And these are very tasty ones. It has the goodness of dates stuffed within.
Ingredients Needed:
All purpose flour/ Maida - 1 cup
Salt a pinch
Sugar - 2 tsp (opt)
Water as required to make a thick batter
Oil for deep frying.
For the stuffing:
Fresh Coconut - 3 tbsp
Dates - 5 -6 (without pits)
Method to prepare:
Mix the batter to a thick consistency.
Meanwhile, chop the coconut into smaller pieces and roughly run the coconut and dates in the mixie to get a well formed stuffing. The stickyness from dates will get the coconut to bind well. Shape them into desired balls.
Heat the pan or kadai with oil. Once its hot, roll or dip the stuffing into the maida batter and gently drop into the oil. The batter has to be thick, so mix little quantity as you go. The balls have to be well coated.
Turn on both sides and cook well. Drain on a kitchen towel.
The sweetness from the dates is enough to make this sweet. There is no need to add extra sugar.
With no offense to anybody, I have seen many mothers feeling very concerned that they have obese kids but fail to look for the root cause. There is no harm in giving oily stuff frequently provided you make sure they burn them out. Ensuring they are actively involved in physical activities, gets you the solution. When the kids are physically active, we need not worry about feeding them fats or deep fried snacks.
I have been in this situation couple of times. Once Konda refused to eat anything when she was about 3 years. It continued for almost two days, finally when she asked for tea, I had to give in as Dad said its fine to give even that if they want only that to eat/drink. Tea is much better than Coffee, of course for kids you feel bad to give. But what Dad says is, kids eat when they are hungry. they will never starve. Its only the moms who feel over protective and overfeed them.Its been a rough path, but I have got used to feel detached when they refuse to eat what I want them to eat, because its healthy. Instead think of such alternative snacks which gets them eat these stuff, which they otherwise won't
So once in while, its fine to indulge them to a deep fried snacks. And these are very tasty ones. It has the goodness of dates stuffed within.
Ingredients Needed:All purpose flour/ Maida - 1 cup
Salt a pinch
Sugar - 2 tsp (opt)
Water as required to make a thick batter
Oil for deep frying.
For the stuffing:
Fresh Coconut - 3 tbsp
Dates - 5 -6 (without pits)
Method to prepare:
Mix the batter to a thick consistency.
Meanwhile, chop the coconut into smaller pieces and roughly run the coconut and dates in the mixie to get a well formed stuffing. The stickyness from dates will get the coconut to bind well. Shape them into desired balls.
Heat the pan or kadai with oil. Once its hot, roll or dip the stuffing into the maida batter and gently drop into the oil. The batter has to be thick, so mix little quantity as you go. The balls have to be well coated.
Turn on both sides and cook well. Drain on a kitchen towel.
The sweetness from the dates is enough to make this sweet. There is no need to add extra sugar.
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