Hi There! Thanks for stopping by.
My name is Manju, a Special educator who turned into a food blogger, food photographer, and a health coach. I’m someone who firmly believes that healthy eating shouldn’t be boring. I love cooking healthy meals for my family members and I thought why not share my recipes with others too. All the recipes, pictures, and videos I share are mine unless stated.
Our Story in a nutshell:
A few years back, to be precise November 2014, my husband was diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes. When he was diagnosed, he looked absolutely ‘healthy’. He was NEVER overweight, or ever overate. He ate like a normal person, with cheat days at times. That’s why I was shocked when we got the results. But, I have to say he had a high level of stress and didn’t know how to handle it. He also worked 24/7, which eventually affected his sleep. We are assuming that his High-level stress and lack of sleep were the main reasons. Only through his diagnosis, I realized that there are other factors involved in getting Type 2 diabetes, other than food.
Initially, even if I had heard the term ‘diabetes’, I didn’t know the depth of it. I was not even aware that there was type 1 and type 2. So, you can imagine my situation during the initial stage. I was shattered when we got the unexpected results. We consulted a dietitian after few days, and she helped me start off. I regretted those days when I used to restrict my husband from eating most of the things. Few weeks after diagnosis, I started researching on my own and gained more knowledge about what causes the blood sugar to rise. I took it as a challenge because I wanted to prove to the world that Type 2 Diabetes is reversible.
Ten months passed by, and it was time for the regular blood checkup. The blood result was expected on the day of our 16th wedding anniversary. I asked God for a good result as our anniversary gift. And yes, He heard my prayers. The results came, and the doctor conveyed the message that my husband’s Type 2 diabetes was reversed and he could be off medication.
Yes, you read it right. My husband’s diabetes got reversed in 10 months (Sep 2, 2015) after diagnosis and is off medication since then. My husband believes that his T2 Diabetes got reversed because of three factors: GOD, my food, and his dedication to following my diet and regular exercise. Now, he knows how to handle stress and gives importance to sleep, which has also played a major role in reversing diabetes.
To develop recipes with healthy alternatives, I needed time and had to stay at home. For that, I decided to give up my job to focus on my husband’s dietary needs.
People think that as the diabetes is reversed, my husband can eat everything. Just because it’s reversed, it does not mean that it’s cured. With that being said, he cannot eat everything. As all the symptoms are still in his body, I still have to be very careful of how I cook, what he eats, and that he exercises on a regular basis, at least 5 days a week.
With my experience as a caregiver, healthy food doesn’t mean that it won’t spike the blood sugar. Whenever I introduce a new dish, my husband checks his blood sugar after two hours. Our target is within 120 mg/dl or max 130-140 mg/dl. Also, I roughly calculate his carbohydrate intake as well. My target is 120-150 grams of carbohydrate a day. My husband’s diet includes complex carbs, high fiber, and low GI foods. No simple carbs are included in his diet. Additional to that we have portion control as well.
I hope that he will be able to continue getting good quarterly results. As my husband is not on medication, our target is to maintain less than 6.5 % A1C/HBA1C level and we have kept the safe zone to be below 6.9% A1C/ HBA1C. As a caregiver, I’m trying the best I can to support my husband and the rest I’m leaving it to God. The journey after reversal is challenging as my husband is not on medication. He has to maintain a certain blood sugar level. In order to know that, there is a lot of pricking involved to know the blood sugar reading before food, after food, random, before exercise, after exercise, recipe testing days etc. He doesn’t check the level every day, but we try to do it at least 3-4 times a week to get the average. On the day my husband gives the blood for quarterly testing, waiting for the blood results is like waiting for the results after a major exam. I have to say, both happiness and tears are involved in our journey.
All the recipes I post are what I prepare for my husband. The diet I follow is the same with few exceptions.
In September, 2018, I graduated as a Health Coach from IIN which gave me more confidence to share my knowledge and inspire others through our lifestyle.
Please read this ARTICLE written by a scientist Dr. Kirti Kaul where she is talking about Diabetes.
WE BELIEVE THAT GOD CHOSE US FOR A REASON and WE PRAISE HIM FOR CHOOSING US.
Disclaimer: Please note that this is our personal journey. The intent of this page is ONLY to share our experience.
TEALTHY: Tasty & Healthy 