You have been reading their advisories on managing blood sugar from time to time. But do experts ever follow their own advice and execute it in their lives? For a few minutes, Dr Anoop Misra, Dr V Mohan and Dr Ambrish Mithal take the chair and face the very same questions they ask their patients. Read on to find out how you, too, can prevent and manage diabetes.
When he’s through seeing his last patient for the day, Dr Misra spends time on his research papers and demystifies latest findings as editor-in-chief of the journal, Diabetes and Metabolic Syndrome. He is also looking into the efficacy of harnessing technology, AI and ChatGPT, in medical diagnosis. He unwinds with his dogs.
Morning routine: I’m up at 5:30 am, courtesy Alexa’s dutiful alarm. Mask on, headphones in, shoes tied and out I go, listening to morning prayers that kick-start my day. There’s no skipping this routine — unless Alexa takes a day off (becomes offline)!
Fitness regime: A mix of 40 minutes of walking and a quick five-minute “pump iron” session. It’s all about consistency. Deviations? Not in this plan!
My meal pattern: I stick to a three-meal plan with one snack. Breakfast is eggs and a besan chila; lunch is soup, fruits and two paneer wraps. Dinner is slightly indulgent: a bit of rice, besan rotis, leafy greens, and daal, with salad twice daily. Occasionally, I’ll sneak in a piece of chocolate before bed for good measure.
Diabetes status: Yes, with a strong family history (my father had complications), I’m at high risk. I’m diligent with my checks, and while I have prediabetes, I’m committed to keeping things in check. My willpower won’t let it get the best of me.
Health checks: I get regular blood and cardiac checks. Partly because I’m careful, and partly because my wife owns a lab. Let’s just say convenience helps!
Sleep: I aim for seven hours, winding down by 10.30 pm. A dark, quiet room and cool temperature do the trick, with eye shades for extra help when needed.
One tip to manage diabetes: Discipline in diet, exercise, medication, and regular check-ups. Master that, and diabetes doesn’t stand a chance.
Destress mantra: Short walks, music (90s rock, jazz, and Kishore Kumar), Stephen King, Michael Connelly, and Trueman Capote novels, and conversations with my wife and kids. No alcohol needed!
Dr V Mohan. (Express Photo)
Dr V Mohan, Chairman, Dr Mohan’s Diabetes Specialities Centre, Chennai
“I still fit into the same Marks and Spencer’s suit that I bought in London in 1984,” says Dr V Mohan, who has maintained the same body weight since. Of course, that has meant a lot of discipline and compartmentalising his day — he even has a couple of hours slotted for exclusively answering emails and connecting on social media. And he avoids watching negative news or doomscrolling before sleeping. “I cannot help victims of an earthquake at the other end of the earth, so I don’t need the breaking news moment, I can catch up with it the next morning. And if it were an emergency around me that requires my attention and expertise, there are other ways of communication and immediate action than just watching the news,” he says.
Morning routine: Wake up at 5.15 am, have water, go out for a walk with friends by 5.30 am (walking in a group helps you stick to routine). Back at 6.45 am, have half a litre of water, a cup of tea, read newspapers. Then I exercise at my home gym, shower, pray, meditate and have breakfast by 8.30 am. Leave for work by 9 am.
Fitness regime: Stretching and light weights (resistance training). I use the treadmill only when rains halt my outdoor walks. Every Tuesday and Thursday, a personal trainer works with me for an hour on stretching, lifting weights and bending (these two days I skip walking). I end each session with 15 minutes of pranayama and five minutes of meditation, 365 days a year. Am a Type A personality (outgoing, impatient, anxious, hyperactive), so slowing down is necessary. At work, I get up every hour with the help of my smartwatch and walk for two minutes. I never take the lift but climb stairs during my rounds.
My meal pattern: Breakfast is an apple, an egg white omelette and milk with pumpkin seeds. Have water during breaks. Lunch is anywhere between 1.30 to 3 pm. One or two vegetable dishes, steamed or boiled, usually beans, cauliflower, broccoli, cabbage and any gram, Bengal gram, black or green gram, rajma or mushroom. I have them with about five tablespoons of rice, sambhar and curd. I have just a cup of tea between 4.30 and 5 pm. Dinner is at 9 pm. Since digesting protein becomes difficult, I combine them with very little carbs, so I choose idiyappam with lentils, a scoop of rice with curd, even bread and cheese. Except eggs and dairy, I only have plant proteins.
Diabetes status: Negative
Health checks: Full body checkup once a year with ultrasound and echocardiogram. Tests for liver function, kidney function, sugar, cholesterol, thyroid (since I had hypothyroidism once) and vitamin D levels every three months.
Sleep: By 10.30 pm
One tip to manage diabetes: Reduce your carbs, increase protein, take green leafy vegetables or fruit, exercise every day, cut down on screen time.
Destress mantra: Reduce TV time, build a social circle instead, travel.
Dr Ambrish Mithal. (Express Photo)
Dr Ambrish Mithal, Chairman, Endocrinology and Diabetes, Max Healthcare, New Delhi
When he is not doing a deep dive into how our food choices are impacting our blood sugar levels or studying the gut-brain axis, Dr Mithal could be mistaken as a botanist for documenting every kind of pink flower at Delhi’s Sundar Nursery. Making room for hobbies with as much passion as work is the reason he stays anchored at work. “It’s all in your food. Just know when to have what and how,” he says.
Morning routine: I wake up between 5.30 am and 6 am, and go for a walk at least five days a week. Usually, I go to the Yamuna Biodiversity park or Vasant Vatika on weekdays, Sundar Nursery and Lodhi Gardens on Sundays. I like catching the morning sun and gathering energy for the day.
Fitness regime: A physio comes in three days a week and helps me stretch, loosen my muscles and keep me pain-free. I am not a great exerciser but I do strength training and some weight training.
My meal pattern: Breakfast at 8 am comprises three eggs or dal ka chila, fruit, milk and cereal. I skip bread altogether. I have a single fruit at 12 noon. Lunch is anytime between 1 and 3 pm, usually a roti roll with chicken or paneer stuffing. No matter where I am, be it work or conference, dinner is at 8 pm, mostly a bowl of vegetables and curd. Must admit that sometimes in social settings, I do get tempted by a salted snack. If I have a sweet craving, just have a bite of a dark chocolate.
Diabetes status: No. I have a good metabolism and am careful about my food, always doing checks and balances.
Health checks: Once in two years I get a detailed cardiac workup, routine tests I do twice a year.
Sleep: 10.30 pm, 11 pm at a stretch but am a sound sleeper.
One tip to manage diabetes: Just correct your lifestyle, walk 10,000 steps, watch your weight and exercise for 45 minutes. Don’t go crazy about workout routines or fad diets. Don’t let diabetes control you. Instead control your diabetes.
Destress mantra: Photographing birds and flowers during my walks, listening to Hindustani classical music, and reading books.