“Just imagine, how much easier our lives would be if we were born with a User Guide or Owner’s Manual which could tell us what to eat and how to live healthily.” This is a popular quote by Author, Artist, Publisher, and Natural health advocate, Erika M. Szabo (Keep Your Body Healthy).
When I became a statistic in the diabetes population of the world about 18 years ago, the obsessive thought running through my head was, “How do I manage my disorder without having to pump toxic drugs into my system?” I sought solace in Ayurvedic treatments and they helped for a while – but the needle on Blood Sugar Readings stopped moving in the right direction. Diet back then, was never in consideration as the focus of change. Samosas, Roti, Rice and all carb-loaded items were still very much on the plate. That led me back to mainstream medicine which brought with it a plethora of side effects — exhaustion, weight gain, heartburn, palpitations, sinus infections, and multiple surgeries.
It finally dawned on me that I needed to take charge and do my own research. Until then, I did not care enough to believe that I was being led down the garden path of complications. I subscribed to the common belief that diabetes is a progressive disease, people need to be medicated and dosages will shoot upwards progressively. Recognition that this nightmare could be my story too – if I did not take action, was the catalyst for me to look for a dietary solution. I was almost wishing for a user guide to drop down from the heavens.
I started slow. I went through some medical literature and landed on Jenny Ruhl’s book ‘Blood Sugar 101’. That provided the impetus to understand that fats might be the key to improving blood sugars. The next question was, “Well, how on earth do I apply that to my Indian Diet?” That’s when the Health Unlocked blog popped up on my screen and I had the opportunity to interact with Anup Singh whose direct and practical way of advising made perfect sense. I was asked to explore the forum – DLIFE.IN.
A few of the members who are stalwarts in their fields Shashikant Iyengar, Arun Kumar along with Anup Singh jumped in passionately to answer my queries and slowly the miracle unfolded before my very eyes. In just about three weeks’ time my HbA1c dropped from 9.0 to 6.9%. I stopped being hungry, deprived, irritable, and exhausted. I was beginning to see my life come back in terms of energy, vitality, and happiness. Thus, began my first chapter into a personal user guide based on the collective wisdom from DLIFE.in forum.
I’ve been picking up some very wise sayings from the Wise and Nice thread on dLife.in that hits the nail on the head.
Will Dubois, a famous columnist says “Can you have a pet tiger? Sure, you can. As long as you feed it well, groom it, and never turn your back on it, you can coexist with a tiger in your living room. But if you neglect the tiger, starve it, turn your back on it – the tiger will pounce on you and tear you to shreds. Diabetes is the tiger. Feed it right. Take care of it right. And the two of you will live just fine together.” If this doesn’t bring home the point, I am not sure what else will. Diabetes is the tiger we all must tame and constantly watch out for.
To further quote Edward Stanley, the author of Before and After Waterloo – “Those who think they have no time for healthy eating will sooner or later have to find time for Illness” rings a familiar bell. We often succumb to the “No time” excuse and throw our hands up and say we don’t have time for a special diet. That’s where DLIFE.in starts to make sense, because you will learn the tools of the trade called diabetes management that allows you to tailor what you eat in a way that works around your lifestyle.
The transition does not magically happen overnight. Your condition demands that you to take the first step – invest at least three months – to do a complete reset. Stick with it, the switch starts one meal at a time. Your questions and concerns are meticulously examined and the advice that follows from fellow travelers at dLife.in, is spot on. This is what collective wisdom can do for you. Soon you will begin to understand the underpinnings of the disease and how you can be the one that decides what goes into your body, mind, and soul. That is empowering beyond words.
To sum up, what does DLIFE.in stand for?
D – DA LIFE is back when you ditch the carbs
L – Lasting control with less medication
I – Improved Blood Sugar readings
F – Fast intermittently for speedy weight loss
E – Empowered to customize and tailor your diet to your needs
I – Inspire others with your success
N – Now is the time to hit the reset button on your health
As C.S Lewis, the Irish writer said, “You can’t go back and change the beginning, but you can start where you are and change the ending.” This aptly applies to diabetics all over the world. No matter which stage you are in, you can learn the basics of a healthy diet and you can get it customized for you. That my folks, is the beginning of your User Guide for managing diabetes for life; you get to complete and personalize that manual as you go. This is one designer Manual that is guaranteed to be a keeper for life.
