Dealing With Diabetes

Even though I was feeling a bit keyed up,I was raring to get to the hospital quickly to collect my HBA1c glucose result.The week before, I was advised by my doctor to check my blood sugar readings for the previous three months.Uncertain what the outcome would be,I waited for my turn to be called in.I didn’t know why I was getting edgy since I very well know that I have totally changed my dietary habits and have been following a rigid exercise plan.Overall, my diet consists of  healthy portions of protein and  limited amount of carbohydrates and besides,I have stopped eating sweets altogether.

Last February,when I was first diagnosed with diabetes,my HB A1c reading was 7.8,since then I have come a long way.Just before I went on vacation I was asked again to do the A1c test and I was as surprised as the doctor,when the reading showed up as  5.5. This unanticipated evaluation kept me in high spirits throughout the summer holidays.Then came the month of fasting where I couldn’t resist the savouries that I prepared for my family to feast at the time of breaking the fast.Though I ate in moderation,there were a few times that I gave in to my cravings.When a craving set in for a particular food from the’ untouchable list’- the foods that I have been advised to clear steer of,I would uncontrollably ( not all the time) nibble bits and pieces of it. Walking down the hospital corridor to see the doctor,sent my heart racing.My mind was clogged with a lot of questions.Though I brushed them aside as unnecessary,I feared for the worst. ‘Will I have a higher reading this time’? ‘Will the doctor increase the medicine dose?or will I be introduced to insulin’.I knew I was,pointlessly tensed as ever.How so ever,after a couple of minutes,I got the most astounding news.I was so taken aback when the doctor, who with a broad smile on her face, congratulated me and said that my A1c was 4.9.( which is considered as normal range) Wow! Didn’t that bring a broad smile on me too!

She has even reduced the medicine to one dose a day.And she also mentioned if I continue with my present dietary and exercise plan, by next month, she would take me off medicines.I am,as a result,relieved that the strategy to keep the diabetes  under control is  working  for me.More than anything I am gratified that I was actually paying heed to the doctor.Regrettably, many usually don’t, when it comes to reducing sugar and starches.Most often its easy to pinpoint other things that lead to diabetes.We are so much to be blamed .We lead a stressful lifestyle and play an inactive role daily. We tend to eat at different times and shove into our mouths unhealthy food everytime our tummy rumbles.We treat our bodies like a thrash can, dumping all the superfluous and rotten stuff.Diabetes makes you lethargic,exhausted and inactive if you let it.I didn’t want that happening to me.So instead of being disturbed over this health issue I took charge and rejuvenated. Together with my go-getters: diet and exercise ,I was able to bring my sugar level to normal range.I also owe a big ‘thank you’ to Doctor Mark Hyman, for making available ‘The blood sugar solution',which has  provided readers with wonderful guidelines and an abundant of information.To me it was like a God send.I was so ignorant and uninformed about so many things related to diabetes and reading this book helped broaden my awareness about diabetes,diabesity and the consequences of the disease. I also learnt that reducing weight and sustaining healthy weight can help perk up insulin sensitivity and glycemic control.Incorporating life style changes is an excellent approach for diabetes control and management and also to improve ones state of health, both physically and mentally.

 

I  snack on fruits not sweets

 

I eat plenty of leafy greens

My Inspiration

 

 

Motivating Children To Read

Enid Blyton

The school where my children attend , organized  their  annual   ‘Reading Book Week’ recently, for the  children in the smaller age group. This was arranged  in a very elaborate way. All the little  children took part with a lot of enthusiasm. I actually like this idea a lot because  the main objective is to encourage and motivate children to read.My kids were asked to bring some of their favourite books,to display in the makeshift class room Library and share and exchange  books with friends.This actually helped my sons to actively participate in the program.

Motivating children at an early age ,encourages them  to enhance their reading habits .This helps them develop their learning  skills  and enable them to reach great heights in learning  in their later years.Reading at an early age instigates a child in many ways.Their listening and writing skills improve to a  vast extent.   In this day and age most children are  fascinated by the television and the computer .They have no time to get involved in extra curriculum or  outdoor activities.So getting teachers and parents organize similar programs would definitely facilitate a lot of children to read a lot and more often.

The other day ,reading an article on Enid Blyton took me back to my childhood. As a little girl I loved reading her books.I would wait impatiently till I got my hands on her latest book.I vividly remember during that time ( in the late 7o’s) .We got the opportunity to borrow books from the mobile bookman, who would bring the latest books of Enid Blyton,stacked in a box on his bicycle.For a few cents, we got to keep the book for a week or so. Now as an adult and a mother to four, I’m still enthralled with her books and enjoy reading her mysteries and adventures to my children. Her books were a part of my childhood and in some way   responsible for my love for reading.

The Magic Of Disney

Very Recently the Disney demo 09 concluded in the country of the birth place of Walt Disney and here I am half way across the other side of the world and motivated to write something about the Disney influence we all have had. My whole family is attracted to Walt Disney creations...I loved Disney classics as a child, and still enjoy them with my children. Walt Disney has inspired my kids in so many ways ...They were drawn to his world of sketching from an early age.
And as parents, we were fully aware of their interest in everything ‘Disney’. We introduced to the kids some Disney classics for reading. Initially we read to them during bedtime and subsequently it became habitual and only when the end of the story was read and when they had heard their favourite characters from the book lived happily ever after, that they used to fall asleep without any hassles whatsoever... Having introduced them to Disney classics, from a young age, enhanced their reading and listening skills too. By the time they entered kindergarten, they had mastered several skills like listening, picture identification and word building.
The earliest memories I have were the sketching on our home walls, depicting some of Walt Disney‘s animated characters. An attempt at Disney creations, by my children! Later I discovered these drawings on their pillow covers as well. During their school break, they loved to watch Disney movies on DVD, which kept them spell bound .and whenever their class had some story time program, my two daughters did not fail to act as a Disney character, to bring the story to life.
The world of Disney also shaped my young children’s’ minds. They learnt to recognise and identify the good, the wicked and the evil, thanks to the characters in Snow white, Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella, etc. They were inculcated with values like kindness, love and generosity.
Now whenever I log on to my computer I am ushered in by Disney characters painted by my children. Am I not glad we have the world of Disney playing a significant role in developing the language skills that leads to stimulating reading in children .Thus laying a solid foundation for a more complex learning in later years.
And even today, my daughters, who, in their adolescence and pre-adolescence years are motivated and enthralled by his wonderful cartoons! And lately my two young sons are following suit...
Here are some cyber paintings, done by my twelve year daughter Mona.


The Lion King





Tarzan II