Please note: transcript may not be 100% accurate
Anar Allidina 0:00
There is no cure for Type II diabetes, for any diabetes, okay, there is no cure for it. So your diet and your lifestyle is a form of medication.
Dr. Meenal Agarwal 0:15
This is Dr. Meenal, and welcome to Uncover Your Eyes, where we uncover reality. As a mom and eye doctor, I want to know it all. In 2023 over 10% of North Americans were diabetic. 90 to 95% being type two diabetes. Diabetes is on the rise, with its prevalence increasing amongst the younger demographic due to obesity and sedentary lifestyles. Here to dive deeper into diabetes after her first appearance with us on Episode Three about balancing sugars, is one of my favorite guests, Anar Allidina. Anar is a registered dietitian who specializes in helping people struggling with insulin resistance. She works with clients to reverse pre diabetes and better manage diabetes by teaching them how to balance their blood sugars, boost energy mood and decrease cravings. Welcome Anar. Thank you, Anar, for being on today. Really appreciate your time today.
Anar Allidina 1:24
Of course, thanks so much for having me.
Dr. Meenal Agarwal 1:26
It’s great to be with you again. And you know, I think now we really want to dive a little bit deeper into the aspect of diabetes. It’s on the rise. It’s showing up in the younger demographic. So can you explain to our listeners, like, what is diabetes? You know, the process of it, the details about it, absolutely.
Anar Allidina 1:45
So diabetes, or type two diabetes, are actually all. Diabetes is a condition when there’s too much blood sugar in your bloodstream. So there are different types of diabetes. Type One is when you are not you know, your body is not producing insulin, so you’re deficient in it, so you need to go on insulin therapy. And type one is usually diagnosed at an earlier age, although for some people in their older age can also develop as well. It’s more of an autoimmune condition, okay, your pancreas is just not working. Type Two Diabetes is what we also see a lot of, and this is when you’re insulin resistant. So you do have insulin but it’s just not working properly. So when type two diabetes develop, it actually is a process that starts, like much even 10 years before, when you’re actually fully diagnosed with type two pre diabetes, that can happen, which is when your blood sugars are elevated, and, you know, it’s kind of like on the borderline, and then that can progress to type two. But what the problem is that many people don’t even know they have pre diabetes or elevated blood sugar, because the symptoms are, you know, not that pronounced, and a lot of people are not even aware of it. So by the time their doctor, or by the time they, you know, get blood work done, see their physician, it could already be in type two and that’s what is scary, is that, you know, people are getting diagnosed, they’ve missed the pre diabetes phase, where you can actually make some changes and reverse that diagnosis, and then they’re in type two diabetes. So like I mentioned, is when, you know when you have elevated blood sugar. So your blood sugar is like, think of it like the consistency of honey. That might be a bit dramatic, right? But if your blood is too thick, right? If it’s too concentrated in sugar, you know, it’s like a syrup, almost So, and your blood flow controls everything, your brain, your heart, your kidneys, all your other organs are supplied. You know, blood flow is essential. So, you know, we want the consistency of our blood to be more like fluid, like water, right? So as the blood sugar rises in our body, the consistency of our blood flow changes, and this is what can impact like all like so many other conditions, and you know, chronic conditions that we see today. So being on top of knowing you know what your blood sugar levels are, especially if you’re over the age of 40, that’s when anyone is at risk for developing type two diabetes. Again, as you’re aging, your body is aging to your organs, so they’re not working as efficiently. So we really need to be on top of that, and want to make sure you know things are checked out. You’re meeting regularly with your physician to get your blood work done.
Dr. Meenal Agarwal 4:37
So you mentioned, I love the honey analogy. I’ve never heard, I’ve never heard that before, but I love that. So I’m going to think that honey is flowing through my body. But, you know, that makes sense, because it’s like, thicker, so it’s harder to get to, you know, the places where it needs to be. So what are like, the main conditions that can also, you know, you said Diabetes can affect the other parts of. Your body as well. So what are some of the main conditions that you would mention? Yes,
Anar Allidina 5:05
so definitely heart disease. You know, as our arteries, they get narrow because the blood flow is not adequate, so being at risk for heart like heart attacks, stroke, high blood pressure, those are the common ones that we see. You know, when someone is diagnosed with type two diabetes, they will automatically be flagged in to look at those markers as well kidney issues. You know, that’s one of the biggest again, also side effects of having elevated blood sugars that your kidneys, which filter everything it’s it’s not that efficient, right? Also, as an optometrist, right in our retina, like I know people who have gotten diagnosed at their eye doctor, of course, they have these small veins, and the blood flow is, you know, it’s stopped. It can’t, you know. So eye doctors can actually see that as well. I don’t know if you’ve ever diagnosed anyone with diabetes, yeah,
Dr. Meenal Agarwal 5:58
definitely. I mean, it’s so common. We see it all the time. Generally, we’ll see it if they’ve been diabetic for a long time and they don’t know it, or if their sugar is just very high and they don’t know it. But, you know, we’ve diagnosed people. I have one that was an emergency room doctor, and he had no idea he was actually ended up being type one diabetic. Sugar was like 26 which is through the roof. And it was through an eye exam that, you know. And actually, I’d seen him the year before, but it was the current year where it was, like the one year of change just indicated diabetic changes. So, but yeah, no, it definitely can affect anyone and in all these ways. So, you know, thank you for bringing up the eyes, you know, honoring that. I’m an eye doctor, so thank you for that.
Anar Allidina 6:39
And even, like dentists, you know, I see that as well with certain gum diseases, you know, you know, having elevated blood sugars can be at risk for some other health issues too. So it’s really, it’s really widespread some other conditions, like, for example, fertility. So women with PCOS, you know, there’s a term. It’s not like a medical term, but PCOS can be seen as diabetes of the ovaries. So this is when you have too much insulin, your body is not able to utilize, you know, the insulin efficiently. So there’s a lot of your insulin levels are higher, which then impacts your other hormones as well. And that could be an issue, even for men, erectile dysfunction, again, it’s all blood flow related. So sometimes, and I’ve, you know, talked to some endocrinologists that, you know, some men are diagnosed with diabetes after they’ve told them about, you know, erectile dysfunction, and that’s how it can be diagnosed as well. So it impacts your blood flow, impacts every aspect of your health, even brain health, cognitive decline, dementia, Alzheimer’s, you know, that’s seen as diabetes type three, right?
Dr. Meenal Agarwal 7:49
I didn’t know that. Wow. So
Anar Allidina 7:53
it’s just again, having elevated blood sugar and how that impacts our brain health and aging as well. So you know, being mindful of your blood sugars is super important. You know, getting your blood work done annually. You know if you are at risk, you know if you are over the age of 40, if you are certain ethnic group, if you have a family history, you even need to be more on top of your health.
Dr. Meenal Agarwal 8:18
Can we touch on those risks, like the ethnicity. Where do you see more diabetics in which race ethnicity? Exactly.
Anar Allidina 8:27
So yes, there are some ethnic backgrounds that are just naturally predisposed to developing type two diabetes. So this includes being African, African descent, Middle Eastern Asian, specifically South Asian, as well as being Native and Pacific Islanders. So this, these groups of people are just naturally predisposed. And it’s really interesting because, you know, being South Asian, we’re such a high risk for developing type two. And it’s so fascinating when you kind of look into the research, because South Asians tend to be leaner. You know, you know, they don’t weigh as much as like Caucasians, especially there’s a study, a few studies, done on infants, and they looked at South Asian babies, and even though they weigh like around six pounds, they actually had more fat, more body fat than a Caucasian baby who may have weighed more, you know, same size the South Asians were smaller. Um, they just how South Asians carry their body fat. They just naturally have more body fat than other ethnic groups, and this is a huge problem, because the more body fat you have, especially in the midsection. Okay, so our midsection is where all our organs are, our heart, our liver, our pancreas, right? So when there’s more fat around your organs, they’re not able to work as efficiently. So, you know, we see this at such a young age in life, in infancy, right? That how at birth? So we’re already at. I’m kind of at a disadvantage in that regard, just naturally having higher body fat. And that’s why, like using a BMI is not that efficient, because you know you could be at a high or low BMI, but that doesn’t tell you anything about your body fat. And you know knowing what that number looks like, or measuring it, or knowing that you may have just more body fat than other people puts you at risk for developing type two diabetes. So with the ethnic factor, you know, there are some genetic issues, like I said, having more body fat than other ethnic groups puts you at a higher risk. A lot of people think, you know, it’s because there’s their diet, there’s too much rice, that could be a factor. It definitely plays a role, for sure. But even just like movement, like getting exercise, leaving living a sedentary lifestyle, that can definitely contribute to developing type two diabetes as well, you know. So we talked about an age so age ethnic groups carrying more body fat around the midsection. These are all risks to put you you know, for pre diabetes and type two diabetes,
Dr. Meenal Agarwal 11:08
who should be checking their sugars? Then who should be, you know, sometimes, like you said, we don’t wait. We don’t we wait until, you know, things have gone downhill before we see our family doctor. So who should be kind of alerted that, hey, tomorrow they need to go to their family doctor and get their sugars checked. Yes,
Anar Allidina 11:24
honestly, just getting an annual physical done is so important, especially if you’re over the age of 30, I think that is definitely important if you have a family health history, if you have you know, parents, grandparents that have diabetes or heart disease, either of those, you really need to be on top of your health, you know, and shows, getting the blood work done is going to be one of the best ways to kind of navigate that. And but also, what’s really frustrating, and I’ve worked with many people like this as well, is that their blood sugars may be on the higher end of normal, and their doctors won’t flag that. As you know, your blood sugars are increasing, this is what you need to do. So that’s also really frustrating. So you need to be your own advocate with your health, you know. So the specific test that you want to get measured is your hemoglobin a 1c the hemoglobin a 1c is measures the amount of sugar that’s stuck around your red blood cell. So your red blood cell has a lifespan of around 90 days, so three months, and it looks at the amount of sugar that’s stuck there. So it’s a percentage. So the a 1c is a percentage we like to see. I personally like to see my clients have an A 1c less than 5.5 that means that you know your body’s working efficiently, anywhere between 5.5 and 5.9 is seen as a high risk. Doctors are really not talking to their patients about this. You know, if they see a 5.7 or they’re like, Okay, you’re still good. But again, like, over time, this is going to increase, and then when someone has an A 1c of 6.1 they’re like, Oh my gosh. Like, how did this happen? Then, you know, then they come to me and be like, I need to make changes. And I’m like, Okay, let’s What was your previous readings? And they don’t even know. I’m like, did your doctor tell you that when things were starting to trend upwards? And they’re like, No. And it’s such, so frustrating, you know, for that patient, when they’ve been like, I was, you know, I’ve been doing everything right, like, my health has been great, but like, now I’m in this situation, and so knowing your a 1c is probably the best thing you could do if you are someone at high risk for developing type two diabetes, just knowing what that number looks like, and it’s a blood work that’s or a marker that you don’t Need to be fasting for it. It’s not very sensitive, like a fasting blood sugar, because it looks at a span of three months. So it looks, you know, your day to day for the last three months. So knowing that number is going to be key. Also looking at other markers in your blood work if your cholesterol is elevated, specifically, your triglycerides, they’re very much correlated with your blood sugar. If your triglycerides are elevated, that’s a sign that there’s some metabolic dysfunction going on. If your HDL, which is your good cholesterol, if that is too low, that’s also another indication that there is some insulin resistance happening. And like I mentioned, right? Like, insulin resistance can happen, like, for a period of 10 years before you’re diagnosed as a, you know, type two because there’s a, you know, there’s resistance going on, but your blood, your A, 1c, is still normal, but there’s still stuff going on in there, and then eventually that can lead to type two diabetes.
Dr. Meenal Agarwal 14:41
So those, you know, 10 years, or whatever you got with the pre diabetes, I guess those are the key years where you have to make those modifications that are within your control. What are some of those modification, modifications specifically,
Anar Allidina 14:54
right? So the number one thing I talked about this is the body fat, right? So I. Exercise. But specifically, building muscle is going to be your biggest, I don’t know, biggest bang for your buck. So not only like working out, but like, really, you know, really building that muscle. Because the more muscle tissue we have, the less body fat we’re going to have. But muscle is a very metabolically active tissue, so it requires a lot of energy, so it pulls all that sugar from your bloodstream and uses it for energy. So it’s literally a form of medication. So more muscle you can build, the more muscle that you can stimulate. So you know, walking on an incline, if you’re not there yet with the weights, adding small weights, doing push ups, squats, even if you’re someone who’s into walking, that’s amazing. But maybe adding in some squats, some push ups, some body weight work to again, really help stimulate that muscle growth and activity. So yes, definitely exercise is important. You want to aim for 30 minutes at least five times a week, so 150 minutes, and then you want to make sure you’re getting in some weight bearing as well, like the squats, the lunges, walking on an incline using small weights. You know, lifting things, this is going to be really beneficial. So exercise is definitely one component. The other component, of course, is diet. And that’s what I love talking about being a dietitian. There is no cure for type two diabetes, for any diabetes, okay, there is no cure for it. So your diet and your lifestyle is a form of medication. So this is what I find so passionate, because what we eat can really have a huge impact, not just to prevent chronic disease, but to actually feel good. You know, when our blood sugars are regulated, you know, we are more calmer or less irritable. We, you know, are able to concentrate better. Our blood sugar levels definitely reflects our energy level. So making sure you’re eating like a whole food diet instead of, you know, processed refined grains that are those quick carbs that we have if you’re a busy individual, you know, this could be really tricky, because, you know, we just rely on quick, you know, fast food, perhaps anything is quick and easy, right? So really being intentional with your with your eating, and you know, a great place to start is just to get in the habit of having regular meals. So having a regular breakfast, having a regular lunch time, and then dinner time. So starting your best bet, you know, making sure you’re getting protein every single time you eat. It is very satiating. It helps regulate your blood sugars too. Getting in vegetables so you don’t have to be, you know, vegan or plant based vegetarian. But just including a lot of plants in your diet, again, they’re filled with tons of nutrients that support your cellular health, but it also includes a lot of volume, so it keeps you full for longer. It provides fiber. So when you focus on on protein and fiber, that’s really going to be incredibly helpful in keeping your blood sugars regulated. You don’t necessarily need to cut out your carbs completely. You know, that’s not a sustainable approach. You want to be smart. You want to choose high fiber carbohydrates. So meaning, like, if we take bread, for example, instead of a white bread that’s been stripped off that fiber, you want to choose, like a whole grain bread, you know, pasta and you know, you want to make sure you’re getting protein with that as well as, you know, fiber. So really focusing on having balanced meals would be the best place to start and focusing on whole foods too. You know, instead of relying on quick, processed foods, you know, just really focusing on more wholesome, wholesome foods. And it doesn’t have to be expensive, it doesn’t have to be time consuming, especially if you’re a busy individual like the grocery stores, have really come a long way. And there’s so many wonderful shortcuts that you can take, you know, buying your veggies chopped already, buying bags of salads that have already been prepped. So you just have to add, you know, a bit of the dressing. Again, you don’t have to use all of the dressing. But, you know, all the veggie veggies are cut up for you, so it’s so easy to make that part of your meal, right? You know, relying on frozen vegetables. My God, there’s so many wonderful different types of frozen veggies that you can steam, that you can roast in the oven. You know, again, all the chopping, all the washing, has already been done. And frozen veggies don’t go bad, you know, so they’re not sitting in your fridge, and then you’re gonna have to throw out, you know, the same freezer, and again, they’re packed with so many vitamins and minerals. Like, you’re still maximizing that so doing small things to elevate your meals, you know, without, like, putting too much pressure on yourself, right? Like, yeah, and. Other one is like, just buying a veggie platter from the grocery store and keeping that in your fridge so that whole family can kind of enjoy, right? It doesn’t have like, I don’t want people to think that, oh, I have to cut out all of my sugar. Think about what you can add to your meals and to your diet to help support a healthier lifestyle. So diet, exercise, stress is another huge factor when it comes to blood sugar. You know, like it’s really surprising. Some people don’t realize how stress can impact their blood sugar. It’s huge. When your body is under a lot of stress, you’re producing more cortisol, which is a hormone that impacts your insulin levels. So finding ways to manage your stress, whether that’s like breathing, working out, making sure you’re getting enough sleep, can have a profound impact on your blood sugar and overall health. Sleep is another really important pillar when it comes to blood sugar management, making sure you’re getting consistent quality quality sleep is also really important, because when we sleep, you know, that’s when our body can rebalance. That’s when our hormones can rebalance. You know, even just one night of bad sleep can make you insulin resistant the next day. So, you know, really focusing and again, this all ties in with that stress and sleep factor, right? So maybe, you know, getting off your phone an hour before bedtime, kind of having an evening routine in place, maybe doing a few stretches to kind of get you in a better, you know, sleep state so that you can actually sleep well and start again the next day. So sleep and stress are huge. A lot of people just think it’s just diet and exercise that is definitely important, but stress and sleep are also incredibly important when it comes to any kind of chronic issue. You
Dr. Meenal Agarwal 21:55
know, that was great. Thank you. But I want to ask you about like you see patients you know every day, educating them on the dietary changes as well. What are some common like foods or wrong things that we eat that you would say are the most common that you want to kind of tell our listeners today that these are things that if you feel you are at risk of pre diabetes or diabetes, these are things you need to cut out. So, like, I don’t know the top five, or whatever you can think of.
Anar Allidina 22:28
Okay, yeah, for sure. So definitely having, like, beverages that are sweet. Um, so anything that’s liquid and sweet is going to hit your bloodstream very quickly, as opposed to chewing food, right? You’re just swallowing. So I’m talking about like, you know, coffees, like all these flavored coffees that we see, especially at this time of the year, iced coffees, like frappuccinos, bubble tea, soft drinks, juices, you know, those liquid you know, beverages can really do havoc on your health. Okay? So you just want to be really smart about if you are someone who enjoys these kind of, you know, drinks that you want to be strategic about it. You know, having that on an empty stomach would be a definite big no. You know, if you wanted to enjoy something sweet to drink, have it right after your meal that has protein in it, so your body is not going to, you know, turn that to sugar very quickly. It’s going to slow down the rate of absorption. So liquid beverages that are sweet would be my number one thing. Number two is not realizing portions. And yeah, this can be really tough, especially if you eat out a lot, so, you know, having a lot of carbs, right, like, so rice and pasta and, you know, fries or anything like that. When we eat out, like, we get so much of it. So it’s rice for sure, even just, you know, just be more aware of it, to be like, Okay. Looking at your plate and being like, okay, is half of my plate? Is there a vegetable component, you know? Is my carbs, like, a quarter of what I’m you know, my plate is my protein, a quarter of my plate. Just making sure it’s more balanced, eating is going to be huge and like, it’s not going to be perfect all the time. And that’s not what we want to strive for. But we just want to really be thinking about that. So maybe, yeah, maybe you did have a meal that was a bit too carb heavy, right? So now what, what can you do at your next meal to kind of help with that, right? So I don’t want you, I don’t want people to think like, Oh, I already ate like this. So what’s the point? And that’s something that I see a lot of where, like, oh, you know, I already had, you know, this for breakfast. So it doesn’t matter which is not the right mindset at all to have every time you eat. Is an opportunity for you to really help your body out, you know. So you really want to be careful in that regard.
Dr. Meenal Agarwal 24:56
So, you know, one thing that I really struggle with, and I. Don’t know if it’s, you know, as a parent, as a South Asian, is really the foods for my kids, right? I mean, I, I don’t want to say the damage is done with me, but, you know, I mean, obviously I feel strongly about fighting the genetics, you know, for myself and now for my children. And I really want them to learn to eat smarter, and I and I’m always trying, and I put a lot of pressure on myself, and I’m sure a lot of parents out there do to, you know, make them eat healthy and find those options, but sometimes I just don’t have those options, and I can’t think of them. Do you have any advice for us parents? Yeah,
Anar Allidina 25:35
so number one is to lead by example. You know how you eat is whether that your kids eat the same thing as you, but at least they’re seeing that you, you know, making sure you’re having vegetables with your meals, or making sure it’s available for them too, right? Like giving those options there is so important. So leading by example is number one, you know, like, if you’re eating well, you know. And talk about how foods make you feel right. Be like, oh, you know, when I eat vegetables, I just feel like I have a lot more energy. And, you know, having those communications with your kids at a younger age, especially again, if you are South Asian or at a higher risk these, you know, it really starts at a young age. We see that right with them. The study I was telling about babies. So how you feed your family, how you feed yourself is it is really important. And you know, at a younger age, it’s so easy to be in control of what your kids are eating. But as they grow older, you know, they see what other kids are eating their you know, birthday parties, holidays events, there’s so much sugar in our food supply. And, yeah, it is really tough. So as a parent, you know, leading by example is key, making sure you’re having meals together as a family. And this is tricky, even for me, but doing what you can, and I think it doesn’t have to be a home cooked meal, like it could be picking up a rotisserie chicken at the grocery store, you know, and having, like, you know, frozen veggies, or whatever the case may be, and just, you know, it doesn’t have to be something that you have to cook from scratch every day. You can take those shortcuts, but really focusing on getting that protein, getting those veggies in and your kids seeing that is really important, and having those conversations like, how are you going to feel if you ate this or, like, Okay, so my kids are older. I have a 15 year old, a 13 year old and 11 year old. So, you know, it is really challenging right now. My daughter obviously in high school, she’s kind of in charge of her own meals, but whenever I get the opportunity to talk to her about, like, you know, let’s say if she wants pancakes for breakfast, right? So I’m like, Okay, well, why don’t you have some protein first? Because that’s going to keep you full. You have a busy day ahead, and you’ll just feel better. So it’s not that I’m telling her not to eat like the sugary foods that she wants, but let’s see what we can add to it. Or if you are going to have pancakes, let’s put some berries on it, because they have so much fiber, and they’re sweet, right? So, you know, you want to think about what you can add to their foods. Another big thing, my daughter likes bubble tea,
Dr. Meenal Agarwal 28:10
which is, who does it now?
Anar Allidina 28:13
But, like, it’s interesting, because you can control the sugar levels that you put in there. So I’m like, why don’t you try a 30% and see if that makes an impact, right? So just being aware and talking to them about it, right? So as they get older, like, you know, when they’re young, you have all this, all this control, and you could be restrictive, but you just want to be careful, because if you’re too restrictive, then you know they’re gonna not get that right information from you, and they’re just gonna be like, Oh, I never was able to eat this, but, you know, all my friends are eating it, so this is what I’m gonna have so really helping them develop, like, a healthy relationship with food. So it’s not like, cutting things out completely, but seeing what we can add to that. You know, if your kid likes to have cookies after school, okay, what can you add to those cookies, that’s going to make them more satiating for them, right? So having a glass of milk, maybe decreasing the cookies to two, and adding in some nuts, you know, with it again, making that balance, so making sure they’re getting some protein, some fiber. In another really great strategy that I personally like to use as well, especially at this time of year with Halloween, is getting single servings of those snacks the kids like, whether it’s candy or chess. Oh, yeah, yeah. That really makes a huge difference, because it really helps keep portions in check, um, instead of buying, like, those Costco size bags and having them there. So getting those, you know, snack size treats, I think that’s definitely fine. You know, as long as, like, their meals are healthy, they’re getting in that protein. There is room for moderation. There is room for those fun foods that kids just, you know, are having, but just being really strategic about it, right? And just having those conversations, you know, like one of my kids, he notices if he eats too much. Candy, he gets, like, canker sores, so feeds like a sour candy or something like that. Hey, so, and this happened when he was a lot younger, but he catches on to that now I’m like, okay, so this is teaching them how to regulate, you know, their treats as well. So it’s just having those conversations, not being too restrictive, leading by a good example. And as parents, we have control over what we bring into the house too, right? So you know what you bring into the house is what’s going to be available. And if you don’t have that many processed foods in the kids are not going to have that, right? So you just want to be careful with that. And like I said, you know, even with cookies and chips, like buying them in the silver single serving packets, just makes it. Things a bit easier with portions, for sure. So those are some strategies I would definitely try. As as parents also, you know, activity, going for walks, bike rides, having your kids in sports. There’s so many wonderful benefits besides just, you know, being healthy, but like for their mental health, you know, working as a team, confidence, you know, there’s so many great benefits. So you know, playing sports with your kids, putting them in activities that keep them active is also huge when it comes to kind of having them like, yeah, setting them up for success, for their health as they grow up.
Dr. Meenal Agarwal 31:28
It’s funny that you mentioned the, like, the portion sizing, because my little one, who’s four, loves chocolate, like, he’s like a chocoholic. So now what I’ve done is I bought that little like the baking mini chocolates, you know, like the chippets, they’re mini chipots. It’s hilarious because they’re already small, but now they come as mini chipots, and I buy those, and I’ll give him, like, five, and I’ll be like, that’s a lot. And he’ll be like, oh yeah, oh my god, this is great. But they five mini chipots, right? But that’s so interesting. But, yeah, you’d be surprised with what. They’re just happy with. Even those small portions, they feel like they’ve just gotten it right. So that’s so great,
Anar Allidina 32:05
yeah, and actually, speaking of that, getting those mini chocolate chips is such a great hack if you’re trying to reduce the sugar in your cooking and your baked goods, because those small chocolate chips, you know, they’re smaller, but there’s so many more of them, so you can actually use less when you use mini chips, like, when you’re baking muffins or or anything like that. So, yeah, yeah, that’s a great So
Dr. Meenal Agarwal 32:28
can I ask you, like for snacks, like for my chip my kids, like, when I send them to school, I do always struggle with the snacks, because a lot of times they come home having eaten the, you know, the not so great ones, you know. And I will always try to combine it. So there’s two types, you know, one kind of treat Type and one healthier type. And I find that it’s always, you know, the vegetables that come back or whatnot. So what are some tips on, like, or, you know, foods that you feel or snacks that they would like, but are also healthy,
Anar Allidina 33:02
yeah, so, you know, having stuff like pairing that with a protein, whatever, you know, sweet food that they’re having, you know, looking at nutrition labels, and if you’re buying a granola bar, for example, and comparing the sugar grams and the fiber. So if there are President’s choice, they have a blue line menu of granola bars, and that actually has way more fiber than some other granola bars that I have seen. So really paying attention to your nutrition labels and trying to choose ones that you know have more fiber, have less sugar, have more protein, that’s going to be helpful is always a great tip, yeah? Like, even with vegetables, if you know, same with my kids, like, if I give them carrots or whatever, if they don’t finish that school, you know, I’ll ask them to finish it when they come home, so they will get they will usually finish that or adding in some dip with that, right? So, whether it’s like a ranch dressing, don’t be afraid of doing that. You know, a lot of parents are like, Oh, I don’t think that’s good. It’s gonna take away from the nutrition of the carrots when that’s not necessarily true, adding in a little bit of dressing butter just makes vegetables a lot more tastier, and you’re gonna enjoy them more when they taste better, right? So don’t be afraid of doing that. Yeah, and I think I love that strategy of you kind of giving like a like, a whole food snack, versus like and a packaged snack, and just having those conversations like, you know, it’s good for you to eat both of these, yeah, just trying to look at nutrition labels and trying to make the best choice in terms of sugar content would be your best strategy.
Dr. Meenal Agarwal 34:34
So I want to ask you something that I think is the burning question. So, can we really fight, you know, the pre diabetes or the genetic disposition with these lifestyle modifications? Yes, 100%
Anar Allidina 34:49
you know, the more you’re aware, right, the more changes you’re going to be able to make. But, yeah, how you feed your family, the foods that you bring into the home? So, you know, all of these things really make a difference, for sure. Yes, the genetic component is there. But you know, our lifestyle, what we do day to day, is also really going to make a difference. And it could just be like, you know, simple things like, um, you know, even if they like to have dessert, you know, just making sure they have it after a meal, as opposed to having it on an empty stomach. Because when we have sugar or sweets on an empty stomach, again, it’s going to turn to sugar much more quickly, versus when we have it after a meal. You know, going for a walk after dinner, or playing with your kids outside so their body can, you know, use those sugar molecules more efficiently, you know, because their body is moving and it needs that energy, I think definitely you can 100% prevent these kind of diseases, if you start at a young age, you know, having a healthy relationship with food as parents ourselves, teaching our kids as well how to like, honor their hunger, but also be strategic, you know, if they enjoy certain types of food, like your son with the chocolate chips, right? So making sure that he is including that, but in a more sustainable, healthy way. You know, maybe I don’t know if your kids eat nuts, yeah, yeah, yeah, they do. So even doing like a trail mix with those chocolate chips, right? With some nuts in there, some air pop popcorn, perhaps, so that you know he’s enjoying it, but he’s also enjoying with foods that have a bit more fiber and protein, that’s just going to help keep him full as well.
Dr. Meenal Agarwal 36:32
That’s great. Thank you so much. Anar for today. I mean, all this information has been so helpful, and I think our listeners will want to know where they can find you? Yes,
Anar Allidina 36:43
so absolutely you can find me at my website. It’s anaraladena.com I’m also pretty active on Instagram. I have recipes and tips for blood sugar management, and that’s anar underscore dietitian. So you can find me there.
Dr. Meenal Agarwal 36:56
That’s great. Thank you so much for your time today.
Anar Allidina 36:59
You’re so welcome. Thanks so much for having me. It was fun.
Dr. Meenal Agarwal 37:02
Thank you. Thank you, listeners and viewers, for tuning in. If you want to catch more episodes of Uncover Your Eyes, make sure to Follow or Subscribe on your favorite podcast platform and on YouTube. To learn more about me, follow me on Instagram @Dr.MeenalAgarwal Until next time, keep those eyes uncovered!