“I am not diabetic, yet a handful of foxnuts (makhanas) shot my sugar from 94 to 262 in 20 minutes,” said Ashwini Wagle, Professor of Nutrition, San Jose State University. She was speaking at a May 30 scientific symposium held by Arogya World to explore ‘The Next Frontier in Diabetic Care,’ in Rosewood Sand Hill, Menlo Park, CA.
The symposium focused on the prevention and nutrition of diabetes, as well as the role of philanthropy in the fight against the disease.
Foxnuts (makhanas) are healthy. The point Wagle was making was that everybody responds to food differently. She would have never imagined this, yet a study done with Continuous Glucose Monitoring (CGM) revealed this astonishing fact and helped her avoid them, while others did not have a similar impact with this popular snack.
Wagle also broke the myth on ghee, the rich clarified butter beloved to many South Asians; with 60% saturated fat, it can be taken in small quantities. A thin smear on rotis is safe, but long-term use can lead to heart and diabetic ill health.
Lesson 1: Wear a CGM with a food diary for a fortnight, even if you are not diabetic.
You will learn about your unique food orchestration. We are bombarded with one-size-fits-all information on diabetes, but CGM demonstrates the facts for your body.
The force behind this revelatory symposium is Nalini Saligram, who founded Arogya World. She believes that diabetes is not inevitable but preventable despite the emerging data on its rise across the South Asian community.
She envisions a disease-free (arogya) world and advocates lifestyle changes at schools and workplaces in rural and urban India using the mDiabetes app, Healthy Schools and Healthy Workplace programs, and MyThali, which simplifies the gastronomy of food.
The Scientific Symposium brought together researchers, clinicians, and prevention experts who shared the latest findings.
The Masala study presented by Dr. Alka Kanaya found that:
South Asian bodies tend to store fat in all the wrong places. Instead of under the skin, we store it in the liver, around the abdominal organs, in the muscle, and around the heart.
Lesson 2: Being slim does not preclude anyone from the risk of diabetes or prediabetes.
Even an active lifestyle cannot override your genes. Regular A1c checks help monitor glucose levels and manage treatment
The other revelation was how heavily South Asians are skewed towards diabetes: 23% vs 6% among Americans; the skew is even higher for Bangladeshis and Pakistanis compared to Indians. We also develop diabetes at a lower BMI- 23 instead of 25.
Anita Sathe from South Asian Heart Centre suggested MEDS- Meditation, Exercise, Diet, and Sleep – to lower stress and counter many lifestyle diseases. She also recommended plant-based diets and restful sleep.
Dr Michael Snyder from Stanford University revealed there are several causes of diabetes, which is usually lumped into a single ‘sugar in the blood’ problem. He cited Muscle Insulin-Resistance, Hepatic Insulin-Resistance, Beta-Cell defect, and GLP1 (incretin defect) – suggesting it would be helpful for individuals to identify which one triggered their diabetes, as solutions vary. He wears 4 monitoring devices and also recommends using a CGM.
Lesson 3: Knowing the type of diabetes you have can fine-tune the treatment you get.
Diabetes is completely preventable, said Dr Nalini Saligram, who launched Arogya World to share prevention knowledge with the world, after discovering that diabetes ran rampant in her family.
‘Every day, I can’t wait to get out of bed knowing the work is making a difference to someone somewhere in the world. I hope to reach 100 million people by 2030. This year, our goal is to reach 43 million with about 14 million in India alone”
Saligram is designing Arogya cities, a collective initiative in partnership with companies and leaders to bring science-based prevention and behavior change programs to their cities. Currently, the project is being implemented in Bangalore, Chennai, and Mumbai. Her vision is also attracting partnerships with Stanford, Emory, and Ashoka universities.
Find out more at arogyaworld.org
