Almost for the last two years, I was fighting with Type 2 Diabetes mellitus. My BMI was high (>3), which means I am obese. My weight was 78 kg and my height is 5 feet 7 inches.
My family history of diabetes is also very strong. My elder brother is a full-blown diabetic. Though my father was not diabetic my three uncles all were diabetic.
The doctor prescribed me metformin 500 mg initially though I was not having any symptoms and asked for strict dietary restrictions and advised me to do regular exercise.
But as of the other people I too was very much reluctant to do exercise and couldn’t control my diet at all. Tried to do Yoga, exercise, etc many times but could not keep the momentum.
But as the pandemic, SARS COV2 begins in November 2019, and WHO was informed by China on 31st December2019, I was in Srilanka with my family. We returned home in the first week of january2020. At first, I did not give much attention to the pandemic means i didn’t take it seriously at all. But as the days are gone, like anybody else I too became curious about the virus.
News started slowly about the mysterious behavior of the virus.
Social distancing, wearing masks, frequent handwashing, lockdown, and many more new things slowly changed the world.
Why I was afraid of covid 19
Every day new studies, new announcements from WHO began to publish.
And ultimately one thing was very clear the virus is killing mainly the diabetics and hypertensives.
And I was really concerned this time. What now to do?
Lockdown in India
India observed the first lockdown on May 26th,2020. It lasts almost 3 months and we observed how during these days it breaks the backbone of India’s economy. Middle-class and lower-class people of India were devasted in the first lockdown.
We thought days will be better within few months. But as the first wave started declining in India, the second wave started killing more people around the world.
The second wave in India was much more devastating though vaccines become available. The vaccination campaign was going on and the death toll reaching almost 6 lacs in India.
As a health worker, I got the opportunity to get the vaccines earlier.
But many of my colleague doctors getting reinfected even after two doses also.
How can I keep myself away from Covid
As a pediatrician, I could not enjoy(?) lockdown.
My sugar reading was never below 200 mg/dl(PPBS)
AND
my blood pressure also started increasing
AND
I started occasional palpitation also.
Means??
Maybe I will be the next victim?
Enough is enough, I decided that I should do something.
But What?
Few days I engaged myself in reading books, articles research papers, and what not? Even I started reading Homeopathy and Ayurveda too!!
And then I decided what to do!
From my study, I came to a conclusion that
1.I will decrease my weight at any cost
2.I will have to control my sugar
3.I will be more active beyond my work.
I made a strategy.
1.I started going to my nearest stadium at 5.30 am. I never expected that so many people may be there !!
I started running for 10 minutes. then I play badminton or table tennis for 25 minutes and 20 minutes in the gym.
I started to lift the weight. It gave me immense pleasure I don’t know why.
2.Alternate day fasting: I studied lots of articles on it. Though there are many different views regarding it I decided to go with it.
I took only juice or tea on the fasting day.
I started enjoying juice. Orange juice, Tomato juice, mango juice, groud juice, and many more.
The next day I eat whatever I like and how much I can.
3. I started reading books. ( Storybooks, novels, poems whatever I like.)
Even I started a Facebook page of G.K.where I started to ask questions and started getting good responses from the audience. I even started to come live on Facebook.
These all activities really changed my life.
After one month I started getting results.
First I noticed My palpitation went away. It was such a boring thing!!
Then I checked my sugar.
My God, it is 98 mg/dl . First I was surprised, though the report was wrong.
The next day again I repeat. Same result even 2 hours after heavy meals it was 110 mg/dl.
Now after 4 months my results are like this:
1.I stopped metformin, and my sugar is quite in the normal range.
2.My blood pressure is within the normal limit.
3. I have not palpitation.
4.I lost 7 kg weight.
Moreover, I have become very active and gained a positive attitude in life.
Disclaimer: This is a discussion regarding my own experiment. I don’t encourage anybody to do like me. Always consult with your doctor before doing something.
These 5 practice changed my life
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| photo credit to Ayo Ogunseinde |