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The Role of Nutrition and Naturopathy in Diabetes Control










Synopsis of Session, "The Role of Nutrition and Naturopathy in Diabetes Control"

Date: 28.09.2019
Venue: Jayabharat Sabhagruha, Bhubaneswar
Arranged by: Maa Janaki Swasthya Mission

Chair: Dr Umesh Prusty
Chief Speakers:
- Ms Pushpanjali Mishra, Clinical Nutritionist, IMS and Sum Hospital, Bhubaneswar
- Ms Ritanjali Pradhan, Clinical Nutritionist, AIIMS, Bhubaneswar
- Dr Pramod Kumar  Mahapatra, Naturopath, Arogya Mandir, Gorakhpur

Dr Pravas Tripathy introduced the objective behind the programme. He raised the subject of Public Health. He said that when any disease assumes the proportion of an epidemic, the medical system finds it difficult to attend to the needs of every patient. Then it becomes the responsibility of the patient, family members and the society to participate. The doctors duty becomes to create awareness about the disease and possible treatment modalities through public platforms so that the patient and society are empowered to take charge of their own health. This discussion session on Diabetes is a public health exercise. He invited the panelists to the dias.


Mr Jagannath Chatterjee welcomed the participants on behalf of Maa Janaki Swasthya Mission (MJSM). He stated that MJSM is being taken forward by people who have experienced serious illnesses and found themselves helpless in such a situation. After recovering through their own efforts they then decided to have a forum that could help the suffering populations by providing them help as a group, knowledge and resources. This vital support is rarely available to the suffering masses. These regular discussion sessions on the 4th Saturday of every month is a beginning. The long term goal is to create space for free in house care of those suffering from serious illnesses, guiding sick people towards doctors of various treatment systems according to their choice after understanding the working of the modalities, creating a database of doctors and clinics, creating health awareness among all to create a healthy society, introducing holistic health as a subject in the education curriculum, and holding treatment camps to help people with diagnosis and treatment free of cost. He requested people to convert themselves from being participants to becoming volunteers by sharing their knowledge, influence,  resources and expertise.


Dr Umesh Prusty, Chair, then requested the eminent and expert speakers to put forth their views.

Ms Pushpanjali Mishra began her session by inviting questions from the audience and then she proceeded accordingly. She explained how she was working outside Odisha and returned 15 years ago to join IMS and Sum Hospital at Bhubaneswar. She said that SUM Hospital which caters to the economically weaker section of society places stress on counselling and nutrition needs of patients. SUM Hospital is the first in Odisha to focus on nutrition as an important part of treatment.


Diseases like Diabetes and Cancers are assuming epidemic proportions due to faulty diet. Our food intake is wrong at several levels.

There is need for a balanced diet composed of carbohydrates, protein, fats, fiber and fluids. An average daily balanced diet should be in the range of 2000 kilo calories depending upon age and body weight. Our busy lifestyle however denies us the benefits of a balanced diet. We also do not have the right knowledge.

Protein requirement is about 1 gram per kg of body weight. 50% of our food should be fibrous carbohydrate. Fibrous food and vegetables should be 30 grams per day. Oil portion should be 30 grams. Rice (preferably unpolished red rice) should be 50 to 60 grams, Pulses 30 to 45 grams, Greens (saga) should be 100 grams, green leafy vegetables should be 100 to 150 grams. Vegetarian food is good but those who are non vegetarian can have 100 grams of non veg items. Apart from this our food should contain sprouts, nuts, salad and home made curd.

Are we getting such a balanced diet? This is a serious issue that everyone should question him or herself about.

We can get protein from various sources. It is not that non veg food alone provides protein. We get protein from pulses ( non polished ), various types of sprouts and nuts, and also soybean.

She advised;
Breakfast - Heavy
Lunch - Heavy
Dinner - Light
Those who skip breakfast invite gastritis.
One should have 3 meals and 3 snacks per day to get the required 2000 kilo calories.
Our present diet habits may be supplying 1200 to 1400 kilo calories in an unbalanced way leading to a deficiency of around 800 kilo calories per day!

Intake of fluid is also very important. Lack of water is leading to kidney problems. Take one glass in the morning and around 8 glasses of water every day.

Why are people becoming diabetic? The major factors are wrong food and stress. There are several types of diabetes, some require insulin, others can be treated with medication. But all require proper nutrition support.

Currently as per new research a higher count of blood sugar is the new diagnosis of diagnosis - up to 270 after food is not considered diabetes. But people should be careful about stress and nutrition and exercise if their sugar levels are on higher side.

The general symptoms are excessive appetite, unexplained weight loss, frequent urination that attracts ants, excess thirst, fatigue, and gradual loss of eyesight.

Testing urine for blood sugar and creatinine is important. So also is the HB1AC test every three months to know whether sugar is being effectively controlled.

The proper way to test is as follows;

Morning - Give blood and urine
- After 5 minutes take your diabetes medicine
- After 30 minutes take your food (If you are taking insulin take food after 20 minutes)
- After two hours of taking food give your blood and urine again.
Only then you will get the correct results.

People think eating potatoes and sugar cause diabetes. That may not be true. You can take burnt potato.

Exercise is very important. 15 to 30 minutes of morning walk helps a lot. A brisk walk of 20 to 30 minutes is necessary for women. Take a sip of lukewarm water after morning walk. You can take red tea also after returning from morning walk.

For breakfast Dahlia (a mix of various pulses) is good. Take it like Upama. Millets, cornflakes, pista badam, banana and apple can be taken. No polished fluor like maida should be taken.

You can take methi. Take two tsp and soak in water overnight and take in the morning. If you plant the methi seeds you can grow methi greens and can also take them.

Avoid Saru and Desi Alu. Kandhamula can be taken sparsely. These are tubers.

The bigger species of bitter gourd (Karela) is rich in carbohydrates, so avoid. Take the smaller variety. You can make bharta; karela, onion and garlic. You can take Neem juice or neem leaves.

Diabetics MUST be moderate in food habits. No excess.

Animal protein leads to uric acid. So take small portions around 30 grams. Body requires 0.7 grams per kg of body weight.

Avoid cauliflower, cabbage for they are full of pesticides. Due to chemical  agricultural practices food has become toxic and also nutrition deficient.

How to avoid toxic food?

After buying vegetables soak in water for 30 minutes and then take out and wash in running water for 2 minutes. Then dry and store in fridge. After cutting vegetables again soak in water for 30 minutes and again wash in running water.

(As per news reports you can put baking soda or potassium permanganate in the water before putting the vegetables to wash out pesticide.)

Ms Ritanjali Pradhan of AIIMS, Bhubaneswar then said that the first prescription of diabetes is nutrition. Medicine comes later. Doctors are increasingly becoming serious about nutrition.


She said as Ms Pushpanjali had already covered many points she would cover the rest.

Avoid fasting and feasting. Take some food every three hours. If not 2000 k/cal per day at least ensure 1600 k/cal.

Diabetes is not just about high blood sugar (hyperglycemia). Low blood sugar (hypoglycemia) is what is very dangerous as it leads to diabetic coma. Mostly it occurs in early morning as there is a long gap in food intake at night during sleep. At night we go 8 to 10 hours without food.

Have a heavy breakfast. And after three hours take a mid morning intermediate food. Such food can be;
- Home made Buttermilk 200 ml
- Pulses water
- Soup from boiled vegetables
- Fruits (Apple, Guava, Cucumber)
- Chhatua
But avoid high sugar foods.
You can take it in your work place.

Have dinner at 9PM. At 10 PM before going to sleep take doubled toned milk with turmeric powder. You can also have it with a little protein powder. This will control blood sugar at night.

Fruits are ok. 100 grams of fruit will control glycemic index. But avoid ripe banana, ripe mango, grapes, chiki, sapeta. Pomegranate or Dalimba can be taken.

You should know about glycemic index. It is about the sugar in food that causes spike in blood sugar.

Polished rice, mudhi, cornflakes etc have high glycemic index. Pulses and legumes (chholey, rajma, cow peas, kidney beans) have low glycemic index.

What is glycemic load?
Total food glycemic index/ 100 X Carbohydrate in food is glycemic load.

For red rice glycemic index is high but glycemic load is low. Kandhamula with moderate GI and GL has a lot of fiber therefore it can be taken in moderate quantities. For peetha (rice cakes) or similar food made from ground rice kept overnight glycemic load is high so it is to be avoided.

Even for diabetics carbohydrates are required for energy. It should not be completely eliminated.

Fiber is soluble and insoluble. Soluble fibres contain polysaccharides and is preferable.

AVOID refined cereals like maida, cakes, pastries, ice cream etc.

DO NOT TAKE PACKED PROCESSED FAST FOOD. AVOID THEM. Our children are becoming sick because they are taking Lays and Kurkure instead of nutritious food. Mothers should cultivate healthy feeding habits for their children. Breast feeding is very necessary and can continue for a long time.

TAKE Bajra, jowar, ragi, dalhia, oats

Green Pumpkin is ok. Pumpkin seeds are good source of zinc and can therefore be taken.

DIABETIC NEPHROPATHY
- Avoid pesticide laden food and vegetables
- Avoid potassium rich foods
- Take green leafy vegetables, tomato
- Avoid coconut water, salt, khatta, sweet potato, soybean
- Take water goud (lauki). You can deskin it, remove seeds, juice and take. It is also good for cardiac problems and acidity. But you should do some physical activity after taking it.

For diabetics honey is to be avoided. Jaggery which has iron, fiber and has digestive properties can be taken but in moderation.

Guava is very good. Watermelon in moderate quantity. Take sandhab laban. Avoid processed salt.

Dr P K Mahapatra, Naturopath said naturopathy is about the components of the body; earth, water, air and space. Naturopathy is medicine less intervention. Food is the only medicine here.


Disease occurs due to accumulation of waste and toxins in the body. Constipation is very dangerous and leads to serious diseases. Today constipation affects a very large number of the population.

Good nutritious food and proper digestion is very important for the body. Chew food properly and mindfully. You have teeth and saliva in the mouth and not in stomach and intestines therefore please use them. The stomach and intestines cannot do that job. Never drink cold water after food. If required take lukewarm water in little quantity. The stomach is hot, cold water severely disturbs its work and then it finds it difficult to pick up the work again and therefore leads to indigestion. People who have the habit of taking cold drinks with food are doing great harm. Read and understand about Jathar Agni or the digestive fire. It is the most important fire in the body and this fire keeps the body healthy and fit. If Jathar Agni suffers good health cannot be achieved.

Watch your breathing. When your breath involves the right nostril then undertake evacuation activity and also your regular work.

When the left nostril is active engage in prayer and meditation.

Become vegetarian. Animal meat is not natural food for human beings. It is tamasic food. Food should be satwik or pure for you to benefit and have a high quality of life. Take food fresh. Also take cooked food immediately. Stored and refrigerated food is poison and also lifeless.

Don't use market oils. Use naturally prepared oils - ghani oil. Do not use refined oils. The body can digest only 3 grams of oil per day. Therefore the use of oil can be minimum.

Like you take care of your bike and cars, take care of your body if you want to avoid disease. Instead of wasting your money on medicines use it in food. Like vehicles run on oil, the body runs on food. If you neglect that you will spoil the machine and reduce your lifespan.

Take raw food for breakfast. Your lunch should be half raw food. Take jaggery instead of sugar. Your dinner can be cooked. Continue this for some time for getting results. All naturopathy interventions require time and change in lifestyle. Do not expect result in a few days. But in the long term you will be surprised at the results. Sometimes short term results are also observed but the interventions must become a part of life.

Never indulge in unnecessary passions. Be calm and composed. If you get angry take a glass of water and do sheetali pranayam. Mental poisons are much more dangerous than physical poisons. They lead to very serious diseases as they lead to loss of vitality. Both the gut and brain must be well looked after.

Bacteria and viruses do not cause disease. They are beneficial for the body and perform vital functions. Disturbing them with medication causes serious diseases. Medicines kill bacteria indiscriminately. They also disturb their normal functioning.

Regarding diabetes we consider and know that all food ultimately converts to sugar. So instead of concentrating on blood sugar we concentrate on pancreatic health. Yoga and pranayama stimulates the pancreas and it functions effectively. These practices can make the pancreas function again. Exercise and take bitter food to stimulate pancreas and keep it healthy.

AVOID morning tea. Take Tulsi tea with labang, gujarati, lemon and a little honey.

We consider lemons to be alkaline and extremely necessary.

Disease occurs according to your body constitution. For example;
- Kapha karaka is sugar, fried food, cold drinks. Therefore avoid them.
- Kapha Nibarak is unpolished rice, pulses and jaggery. Take them.

Earlier we used to take a diverse variety of natural seasonal vegetables and fruits. Today we take poisons as our agriculture system is toxic and we are also taking processed food with no nutrition value. How can we remain healthy? Unless we change our food health will never return.

If you at all want to take fish, take small fish species of river origin in very moderate quantity only in lunch. Never take mutton, chicken, eggs.

Take 3 (normal) to 4.5 litres (summer) of water every day.

Rest means fasting. Fasting should never be without water. Take water sufficiently. It will cleanse the body during fasting. Fast one day in a month. You will soon see the results.

The body when laden with waste matter and toxins eliminates them through acute diseases (tibra roga). Bear them patiently if you want to stay healthy. Be hydrated, take simple food and rest to recover. If you interfere and stop acute diseases it will lead to serious chronic diseases.

In today's toxic world you must suffer from 10 colds, fever, diarrhoea/ dysentery every year. (Naturopathy also talks about skin rashes). If these do not happen then consider the body is unable to detoxify and is proceeding towards serious chronic disease.

In Naturopathy the body, mind and spirit are nourished. We look at the whole person, not just a disease. If the person becomes healthy through change in food, lifestyle, naturopathic interventions involving earth, water, air, sunlight and body alignment, and habits then diseases will automatically go. The body is always trying to become healthy. We must understand the way the body works.

For constipation try this;
Take some cold water and warm water. Take a towel. Wet towel in warm water and keep in lower abdomen for 3 minutes. Then wet in cold water and apply for 3 minutes. Do this six times and continue every day. It is a 18 minute exercise. You will be relieved of constipation after some days.

You should go out for morning walk after cleaning your bowels. The unpolluted atmosphere in the morning, the early morning dew, and the early sunlight are very important and necessary. At least go to the roof and enjoy this. This is extremely important if you want to stay healthy. We are unhealthy because we have lost touch with nature which is the real  healer.

Good thoughts, meditation, spiritual reading, and yogic asanas are the base of a healthy life. Do yoga and pranayam after morning walk. Know the asanas and pranayam for diabetes and do them. You have to become active. No doctor or medicine can help you if you cannot help yourself.

Lowering the middle portion of the body in water and sitting for 15 minutes (kati snana) is also good for diabetes.

Dr Mahapatra also demonstrated some very simple stretching exercises.

After this talk the Chair Dr Umesh Prusty thanked the panel and participants. He reminded everyone that MJSM will continue to hold such discussion sessions on various subjects on the 4th Saturday of every month at Jayabharat Sabhagruha, Bhubaneswar.

On behalf of Maa Janaki Swasthya Mission Ms Mamata Biswal thanked the Chair Dr Umesh Prusty, the chief speakers Pushpanjali Mishra, Ritanjali Pradhan, Dr Pramod Mahapatra, Dr Pravas Tripathy, Jagannath Chatterjee, and all participants for their active participation.



For information and regular updates Mr Jagannath Chatterjee can be contacted with name and WhatsApp number at his WhatsApp no of 9337102146 for inclusion in the MJSM WhatsApp group.

With this the meeting came to a close.

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