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 glucose concentrated in your blood. Yogic science considers devitalisation and improper digestive processes due to over-eating, obesity and lack of exercise as some of the major causes of diabetes.
Another causative factor is stress. The push and pull of modern work life demands and sedentary lifestyle lead to mental and emotional durbance. Stress leads to activation of adrenal glands, which secretes adrenaline (stress hormone) into the bloodstream. This is a potent stimulus for the body to mobilise glucose.
HOW YOGA CONTROLS LEVELS
With yoga, we can literally make our body subservient, thus 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 spasm. Yoga helps in preventing severe complications in all the parts of the body that can be vulnerable, like kidneys, eyes, arteries, heart, liver, nerves and joints.

Newly-diagnosed diabetics have a higher chance of completely controlling diabetes with yogic practices and lifestyle under guidance. Yoga rejuvenates and strengthens the pancreas to allow your body to use your own insulin efficiently. This restores the pranic energy in the mid-digestive tract.
WHAT ARE THE POSES THAT ARE BENEFICIAL?
Certain yoga poses re-sensitise muscle and fat tissues to the body’s own (endogenous) insulin. Yogasanas such as Mandukasana, Vajrasana, Pavan Muktasana and Paschimottanasana work wonders. Advance yoga poses like Ardha Matsyendrasana, Sarvangasana, Halasana and Mayurasana are also good for those who can practise it. Sun salutation improves the pranic energy and also balances metabolism.
WHAT BREATHING EXERCISES SHOULD I DO?
Pranayam like Kapalbhati and Ujjayi are helpful. Bhramari and Nadi shodhana help in reducing stress and tension. Shatkarmas are cleansing, detoxifying and rejuevenating processes and increase blood flow to exhausted and atrophied glandular segments of the pancreas.

CAN A YOGIC DIET HELP?
Alongside yoga, healthy eating is a big part of diabetes management. Uncontrolled diabetes can increase the risk of developing heart-related problems. A healthy meal plan and being active can help to keep your blood sugar level in the target range. To manage this, eat a balanced diet, include physical activity and take your diabetes medicines at the same time each day. What you eat, how much you eat, when you eat are all important in keeping your blood sugar levels optimal.
The key to eating is to choose from all food groups.
Vegetables – Go for the non-starchy ones, including broccoli, carrots, green leafy vegetables, capsicum and tomatoes. Starchy ones include corn, green peas and potatoes.
Fruits – Include oranges, melons, apples, a slightly ripe banana, berries.
Grains – Choose wholegrains like brown unpolished rice, khapli wheat, rolled oats, barley and jau.
Proteins – legumes, lentils, peas, beans, nuts and seeds.
Dairy – A2 cow milk and milk products such as ghee, yoghurt, paneer, buttermilk.
Herbs – One can consume neem powder once a day. Go for bitter herbs with healthy fibres. Soak one teaspoon of fenugreek seeds in one cup of water overnight and drink it in the morning. Have herbal tea made up of ginger, turmeric and cinnamon powder in the morning.

Eat foods that are heart-friendly such as avocado, olives, nuts and seeds, oils from seeds. Fill your plate with vegetables, complex carbohydrates such as unpolished brown rice, sweet potato, couscous, whole grains, followed some good quality protein from legumes, lentils and beans.
SLEEP IS THE KEY
Sleep is a very important factor. Sleep well for at least seven to eight hours. Simple Shavasana certainly helps you ease your stress levels, as your physical knots and tension get dissolved with gravity. When you do guided meditation with Yog Nidra in particular, when you move your awareness right from the tip of the toe to the head or vice-versa, moving through every smallest 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 appointed FIT India Movement Champion the Sports Authority of India).