Is Your Blood Sugar Fluctuating?

rediffGURU Komal Jethmalani explains how you can maintain healthy blood sugar levels with the right diet and lifestyle.

Does your blood sugar level fluctuate at a particular time during the day/night?

What can you do to keep your sugar levels within the healthy range?

rediffGURU Komal Jethmalani, a dietician and nutritionist with over 26 years of experience, explains how you can take charge of your health with a balanced diet and exercise.

• You can post your diet and nutrition-related questions to rediffGURU Komal Jethmalani HERE.

Chandrika: I want to know how to deal with dawn phenomenon which increases sugar to very high levels for a Type 1 diabetic.

To manage the dawn phenomenon in Type 1 diabetes, consider adjusting insulin timing or dosage, using an insulin pump with programmable basal rates and modifying evening meals and activity.

Continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) is key to identifying patterns and tailoring treatment.

Track glucose levels at bedtime, at 3 am and upon waking up.

If you are using injections, consider switching to ultra-long-acting insulin or splitting doses to extend coverage.

Late-night snacks can elevate glucose overnight.

Increase protein-to-carb ratio at dinner.

Choose low-GI foods to reduce overnight spikes.

Work closely with your endocrinologist or diabetes educator to fine-tune your plan.

Anonymous: Hello Sir, My uncle is 70 years old and a chronic diabetic but his sugar levels have always between 100/120.
He is taking oral medicine (and not on to Insulin).
For the past four months he had urinary infections and was taking antibiotics.
In the last couple of days his sugar levels fell alarmingly low, like around 40 and we helped him consume sugar or something sweet to boost the levels.
Even after consuming sugar, it is only around 80, 90.
Why is this happening and what do you advise?

Your uncle's sudden drop in blood sugar could be due to interactions between his diabetes medication and the antibiotics he’s been taking or changes in his overall health status.

Consult his doctor immediately.

His medication regimen may need to be adjusted or simplified.

Meanwhile, monitor his blood sugar frequently.

Sayak: I am 19 years old, male. I have been diagnosed with fatty liver.
My height is 174 cm and weight is 82 kg.
What should be my ideal weight and how to reduce it?

For your age and BMI, a target of around 70 kg would be a good goal to aim for gradually.

Fatty liver (non-alcoholic fatty liver disease or NAFLD) occurs when excess fat builds up in the liver.

For an effective diet plan, focus on low-glycaemic carbs are brown rice, oats, millets, quinoa and lean proteins like eggs, fish, chicken breast, tofu and dals.

Include healthy fats from nuts, seeds, olive oil (in moderation) and fibre-rich veggies like spinach, broccoli, carrots, beans, etc.

Avoid sugary drinks and snacks, fried and processed foods and excess white rice, maida and red meat. Stay hydrated.

• You can post your diet and nutrition-related questions to rediffGURU Komal Jethmalani HERE.

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