rediffGURU Komal Jethmalani, a dietician and nutritionist with over 27 years of experience, tells you how to plan a healthy, balanced diet for yourself and your family.
What's on your child's plate today?
A concerned parent wants to know: Can sugary cereals be replaced with something that is rich in proteins and easy to prepare?
An anxious mom-to-be asks: Can elevated sugar levels during pregnancy affect the baby's health?
rediffGURU Komal Jethmalani, a dietician and nutritionist with over 27 years of experience, tells you how to choose your meals and plan a healthy diet for your loved ones.
Komal specialises in weight loss and diabetes management.
Anonymous: With so many kids starting their day with sugary cereals, how does this impact their concentration and energy levels during school hours?
What are some tasty, protein-rich breakfast swaps that parents can prepare to help children avoid sugar crashes and stay active through the morning?
Children who eat high-sugar cereals tend to consume twice as much refined sugar at breakfast compared to those who eat low-sugar options.
This may lead to blood sugar spikes followed by sharp crashes, which can cause fatigue, irritability, and difficulty concentrating.
Some tasty, kid-approved options to keep them energised and focused include scrambled eggs or omelets with cheese and veggies, moong dal/besan cheela with paneer or veggies mixed, oats idli with veggies and sambhar.
You may add to this a glass of milk or curd to pack protein and calcium.
Anonymous: I'm 29 years old and I'm diabetic for 4 years and married for two years.
Now I'm pregnant with our 1st baby, but I'm little anxious about it.
How is diabetes going to impact the baby?
Congratulations on your pregnancy!
It's completely natural to feel a little anxious, especially when managing diabetes alongside such a big life change. However, with careful monitoring and support, many people with diabetes go on to have healthy pregnancies and healthy babies.
Elevated blood sugar levels can cause the baby to grow larger than average, which may lead to complications during delivery.
Also, babies born to mothers with diabetes may produce extra insulin in response to high glucose levels in the womb, which can cause their blood sugar to drop after birth.
Babies exposed to high glucose levels in utero may have a higher chance of developing metabolic issues later on. To lower these risks, keep your blood sugar in target range.
Regular monitoring and adjustments to your insulin or medication regimen can help. Your medical or healthcare team will guide through nutrition, physical activity, and medication adjustments tailored to pregnancy.
My latest report: Fasting-110, PP -71, HbA1c-6.0, age 50 years, weight 70.5 kg approx, height 166cm.
I am not taking medicine for sugar. I am presently on Atorva 20 and Concor AM 2.5.
What can be done to keep sugar in control?
Based on the values you mentioned, a fasting glucose of 110 mg/dL is in the impaired fasting glucose range, just slightly above normal.
HbA1c of 6.0% falls within the prediabetes range.
Many doctors would recommend lifestyle changes as the first line of action.
Follow a balanced diet with controlled carbohydrates, high fibre, and healthy fats.
Regular exercise of at least 150 minutes per week of moderate aerobic activity is necessary.
Weight management and monitoring glucose regularly is of prime importance. Stress reduction and getting adequate sleep is encouraged.
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