Ayurvedic Tips for Pre-Diabetes

PRE-DIABETES Ayurvedic Tips

To diagnose pre-diabetes, the doctor may perform one or more of the following tests:

• Glycated hemoglobin (A1C) test: Calculates average blood sugar level for the past 2-3 months.
• Fasting blood sugar test: Calculates blood sugar levels after an overnight fast (for atleast eight hours). A blood sugar level from 100 to 125 mg/dL (5.6 to 6.9 mmol/L) will be considered as pre-diabetes.
• Oral glucose tolerance test: Calculates fasting blood sugar level at empty stomach, followed by drinking of sugary liquid and blood sugar levels will be measured after 2 hours. A blood sugar level from 140 to 199 mg/dL (7.8 to 11.0 mmol/L) will be considered as pre-diabetes.

If you are diagnosed with pre-diabetes, your doctor may recommend further testing for total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol and triglycerides yearly or more frequently.

Diet Recommendations (Aahar)

• Increase intake of barley in diet as it is considered the main food for healing diabetes.
• Turmeric and cinnamon combination is beneficial in early stages of diabetes.
• Have herbs like gokshura, gudmar, triphalá, musta, cardamom, fenugreek, or coriander, mixed with honey.
• Include other cereals such as wheat, kodo millet and rice which crops within 60 days.
• Pulses such as adhaki (Arahar), horse gram (kulattha), green gram (mudga), along with bitter and astringent leafy vegetables may be taken.
• Include vegetables such as green banana, chaulee, dwarf copperleaf (matsyakhshi), methi (fenugreek leaves) and bitter gourd.
• Include fruits such as orange, watermelon, apple, jambu, kapitha, amla and papaya.
• In foods, include oils such as soya bean oil, groundnut oil and mustard oil.
• Karela juice or white pumpkin 20-30 ml on an empty stomach may be beneficial
• Regularly have methi seeds soaked overnight in water.
• Avoid sugar, sugar products, rice, potato, ghee, butter, fat, regular oil, fermented food items, alcohol, urad (blackgram), rajma (kidney beans) and other heavy items.

Lifestyle changes (Vihar)

• Start exercising regularly. Walking, swimming, running or yogasanas are highly beneficial.
• Have regular massage.
• Taking regular steam may help reduce fat in obese diabetics.
• Taking sitz or waist bath (warm shallow bath to cleanse the genital area) also helps.
• Include pranayama (breathing exercise) in your daily routine.
• Yogasanas such as Tadasana, Salabhasana, Dhanurasana and Paschimottanasana may be useful.