Bollywood celebrity trainer mantra: A Yogic lifestyle, with asanas, diet and sleep, can control diabetes

What is your blood sugar level? It is the measure of concentrated glucose in your blood. Yogic science considers devitalization and improper digestive processes due to overeating, obesity, and lack of exercise to be some of the main causes of diabetes.

Another causal factor is stress. The push and pull of the demands of modern work life and sedentary lifestyle lead to mental and emotional disorders. Stress leads to the activation of the adrenal glands, which secrete adrenaline (stress hormone) into the bloodstream. This is a powerful stimulus for the body to mobilize glucose.

HOW YOGA CONTROLS LEVELS

With yoga, we can literally subordinate our body, making our mind subservient to our will. It can repair and restore our cells, improve metabolism and digestion, generate more energy, heal wounds, and reduce numbness and muscle spasms. Yoga helps prevent serious complications in all parts of the body that may be vulnerable, such as the kidneys, eyes, arteries, heart, liver, nerves, and joints.

Newly diagnosed diabetics have a higher chance of fully managing diabetes with yogic practices and lifestyle guidance. Yoga rejuvenates and strengthens the pancreas to allow your body to use its own insulin efficiently. This restores the pranic energy in the middle digestive tract.

WHAT ARE THE POSITIONS THAT ARE BENEFICIAL?

Certain yoga postures re-sensitize the muscles and fatty tissues to the body’s own (endogenous) insulin. Yogasanas like Mandukasana, Vajrasana, Pavan Muktasana, and Paschimottanasana work wonders. Advanced yoga poses like Ardha Matsyendrasana, Sarvangasana, Halasana, and Mayurasana are also good for those who can practice them. Sun salutation enhances pranic energy and also balances metabolism.

WHAT BREATHING EXERCISES SHOULD I DO?

Pranayama like Kapalbhati and Ujjayi are helpful. Bhramari and Nadi shodhana help reduce stress and tension. Shatkarmas are cleansing, detoxifying and rejuvenating processes and increase blood flow to the depleted and atrophied glandular segments of the pancreas.

CAN A YOGI DIET HELP?

Along with yoga, healthy eating is an important part of managing diabetes. Uncontrolled diabetes can increase the risk of developing heart-related problems. A healthy eating plan and being active can help keep your blood sugar in your target range. To control this, eat a balanced diet, be physically active, and take your diabetes medications at the same time each day. What you eat, how much you eat, when you eat is important in maintaining optimal blood sugar levels.

The key to eating is choosing from all of the food groups.

Vegetables – Opt for non-starchy vegetables like broccoli, carrots, leafy greens, bell peppers, and tomatoes. Starchy ones include corn, peas, and potatoes.

Fruits: include oranges, melons, apples, a slightly ripe banana, berries.

Grains: Choose whole grains like unpolished brown rice, khapli wheat, rolled oats, barley, and chau.

Proteins: legumes, lentils, peas, beans, nuts and seeds.

Dairy: A2 cow’s milk and dairy products such as ghee, yogurt, paneer, buttermilk.

Herbs: Neem powder can be consumed once a day. Choose bitter herbs with healthy fibers. Soak a teaspoon of fenugreek seeds in a cup of water overnight and drink it in the morning. Drink an herbal tea made up of ginger, turmeric and cinnamon powder in the morning.

Eat foods that are good for your heart, such as avocado, olives, nuts and seeds, seed oils. Fill your plate with vegetables, complex carbohydrates like raw brown rice, sweet potatoes, couscous, whole grains, followed by good quality protein from legumes, lentils and beans.

SLEEP IS THE KEY

Sleep is a very important factor. Get a good night’s sleep for at least seven to eight hours. Simple Shavasana certainly helps you ease your stress levels as your physical knots and tension dissolve with gravity. When you do guided meditation with Yog Nidra in particular, when you move your awareness from your toes to your head or vice versa, moving through every tiniest inch of your body, breathing in awareness, breathing out stress, you are releasing all your anxiety.

(Dr. Mehta has trained Bollywood superstars Akshay Kumar, preity zinta, billionaires, politicians, Miss World/Miss Universe candidates and the Maharashtra police. A best-selling author, he has been named a Champion of the FIT Movement India by the Sports Authority of India).