Diabetes Management through Yoga
The modern lifestyle has made life easy with all the advancements in technology. This resulted in more competition and less time, which altered our habits, including eating. We are more dependent on convenience foods. Fast foods and junk foods are other categories, everyone likes to explore. However, these have led to the rise of different ailments, and among them, diabetes is a very common one. Yoga and mitahara are extremely beneficial in reducing this health condition.
9/25/20242 min read
Diabetes and its different types
Diabetes is the result of high blood sugar levels in the body due to its inability to control glucose levels. When the body is unable to produce or use insulin, a peptide hormone that is responsible for regulating glucose, this condition happens.
There are two types of Diabetes. These are:
Type 1 diabetes: This type of diabetes stems from the body’s inability to produce insulin. Such individuals are suggested to take insulin injections to balance the deficiency. This condition is also known as insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus or IDDM.
Type 2 diabetes: Type 2 occurs when the body fails to use insulin. This is due to the body’s resistance, which is characterized by the cell’s inability to use the insulin produced. This was formerly called non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus, NIDDM.
Yoga for Diabetes
As diabetes is a lifestyle disease, yoga can help us avoid it by correcting our lifestyle. Yoga is also beneficial for the effective management of the disease, and hence, those who have already developed the condition can also find it useful. Yoga employs different tools, such as Asanas, Pranayama, and Mitahara to keep check on the disease.
Yoga recommends the mitahara practice. It suggests eating healthy, natural, nutritious, and home-cooked food. According to a yogic diet, one has to consume only three-fourths of one’s capacity and leave the rest of the stomach empty. It suggests being mindful and respectful toward the food while eating. Savoring food or enjoying any act one performs is a form of yoga. Yoga is nothing but an act where the person involved in it becomes one with the object and culminates in complete oneness.
Modern dieticians suggest a diet high in fiber and low in fat. It also advises including fewer carbohydrates and proteins in food and avoiding foods with table sugar.
Dietary Guidelines for Diabetes Management
Incorporate a variety of fruits and veggies.
While consuming fruits, be careful about the carbohydrate levels in them and eat accordingly.
Don’t include any particular food item in your diet continuously.
Don’t overeat and skip meals.
Try to include non-starchy vegetables such as spinach, fenugreek leaves, carrots, broccoli, or green beans.
Try to avoid sugar in your diet.
Avoid trans fats.
Use water or natural substitutes instead of soft drinks.
Consume lentils and dried beans.
Choose whole grain foods over processed grain products. Use cereals like jowar, bajra, makai, quinoa, etc. instead of just wheat and rice.
Include dried beans (kidney or pinto beans) and lentils in your meals.
