Thanks for caring about your friend. The single best tip I can offer is: ask your friend how you can help! Everybody is different, and your friend is the expert on his/her diabetes and the kind of support that is needed. Just by letting your friend know that you care, and that you care enough to ask, is an enormous gift.

The illness is a stressful life event. The individual must accept the diagnosis and treatment along with many changes. There are several factors that can reduce stress and contribute to coping with the illness. One of these factors is social support.
Being surrounded by friends and family provides satisfaction to a person. It is vital for someone with an illness to have love and support from their loved ones. A friend could give emotional support, be present, listen actively, allow the person to express themselves emotionally, and be available for advice and encouragement through healthy activities to help.

SHARE

You bet it can! In particular, we know that physical stresses (like surgery) or major catastrophes (like a major earthquake or hurricane) can drive up glucose levels. This is because the body’s stress response leads to the release of hormones, like epinephrine and cortisol, which directly raise glucose levels.

And what about emotional stress? In many cases emotional stress may lead people to overeat or forget to take one’s diabetes medications, both of which can lead to glucose rises. And emotional stress can directly affect the same hormones, epinephrine and cortisol, thus driving up glucose. But emotional stress is tricky—for some people, it may have little impact on glucose levels, or only certain types of stress may cause a problem, or glucose levels may only be sensitive to stress at certain times of day. The best bet is to use your glucose monitoring system and consult with your HCP to find out how stress affects YOUR glucose levels.

SHARE

If your sugar level is high, it can affect your saliva and increase bacterial growth in the buccal mucosa, which sometimes causes a bad taste in the mouth.

Feeling unwell might be due to high sugar levels. You may be able to improved your taste buds by gargling warm salt water before and after meals. Chewing on cardamom can also provide freshness and enhance taste.

SHARE

By taking action to manage your diabetes more effectively, even if you have not been doing so for many years, you canmake it more likely that you can live a long and healthy life. It is never too late to positively affect your diabetes and your quality of life, even if you are (gasp)… over 50!

Yes, you can—wellness can begin at any age by focusing on mental, physical, and social well-being. Depending on your age, you might consider practices such as meditation, breathing exercises or walking. It’s beneficial to follow a regular diet and exercise routine. Regardless of age, proper guidance tailored to your specific needs can be valuable.

SHARE

A healthy lifestyle is very important for everyone, especially for people with diabetes. Diabetes is associated with a large number of complications and can cause other diseases. By changing your lifestyle, you can help protect yourself from the effects of diabetes. A healthy lifestyle can include physical activity and a diet adapted to your health condition and the appropriate amount and quality of sleep. Gradual introduction of changes will make it less of a burdensome and difficult process. You should be doing this under the supervision of a dietitian or doctor, who can help you adjust the changes to your health condition, type of work, activity and the time and financial possibilities.

SHARE

India faces an alarming rise in diabetes, a trend I've observed over the past 40 years, including 20 years of specialized practice. The primary cause is a combination of overeating and insufficient exercise, compounded by several factors:

Rapid urbanization has reduced physical activity and increased reliance on processed, sugary, and fatty foods. Indians now enjoy a variety of cuisines like Mexican and Chinese, often indulging excessively. Traditional diets are shifting toward refined carbs, sugary drinks, and fast food. Many Indians have a sweet tooth, often beginning and ending meals with desserts. Frequent celebrations revolve around calorie-rich foods, with sweets offered as prasad during spiritual events. Sedentary habits, even among children, and minimal physical activity contribute to obesity and diabetes. Many remain undiagnosed until complications arise due to limited screening and education. Diabetes management varies widely among practitioners, with no standardized approach. Genetics and an aging population further exacerbate the issue. Addressing these requires lifestyle education, structured healthcare policies, and regular screening.

SHARE

One effective way to help reduce the mental load is to integrate your treatment into your daily routine, much like brushing your teeth. By creating a daily plan, using technology as an electronic monitoring tool, and setting reminder alarms, you can make this process more manageable. Ask a family member for assistance with the monitoring. Also, it can be useful to engage in recreational activities, which distracts one from thinking about monitoring. Practice mindfulness.

SHARE