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Table of contents
● Introduction
● Risk Factors involved with Diabetes
● Difficulty in Weight Loss
● Think You Have Diabetes? 7 Symptoms To Watch Out For!
● Diagnosis of Type 2 Diabetes
● How can you prevent diabetes?
● How to control diabetes with Indian food
● Managing diabetes with the help of exercise
● Diabetic Food List
● Truweight Indian Diabetes Diet Chart
● Uncontrolled diabetes and weight gain
● Truweight’s approach to weight loss and manage diabetes with diet
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Introduction:
India is the diabetes capital of the world and one of the major contributing factors to its
prevalence is the increasing rate of excess weight and obesity. Since the medications
for weight loss have proven to have a negative impact, the more practical and healthy
approach is to manage diabetes with diet.
It is a general diabetes diet chart plan and it has to be considered along with a physical
activity routine and a detailed diet, hormonal, and genetic history of an individual.
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● Age-related diabetes– After a certain age (45 above), one needs to keep their
body in shape and healthy in order to avoid diabetes.
● Genetic Reasons- If one’s parents have diabetes, the chances of it getting
passed on to their children increases. In this case, one needs to remain alert and
take good care of their body by following healthy diet, exercise and regime.
Diabetes can also take place depending on your health condition and medical history.
Many other reasons can be responsible for getting type 2 diabetes. It depends upon the
habits you inculcate and lifestyle that you enjoy. Habits such as-
● Unhealthy eating
● Physical inactivity
● Smoking
● Stress
● Sleep Deprivation
can cause diabetes. One can simply bring changes in their lifestyle in order to avoid
such factors causing the disease.
Being overweight and having type 2 diabetes is a dangerous combination which can
result in risks and other complications.
But this problem can be tackled by inculcating healthy habits, eating healthy and
physical activity. This will reduce the risk for further complications including high BP,
health of heart and kidney, disturbed metabolism. But if the things are not done right, it
can turn into an obstacle between you and weight-loss.
Here are some reasons that can come between you and your goal weight and some
tips to battle them out.
Sometimes, people who are overweight may somehow manage to lose weight but it can
be difficult to maintain that weight. One needs a commitment to maintain it.
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One must start the day by eating a healthy breakfast. Small frequent meals with
inclusion of all food groups is essential.
The toughest part of losing weight can be easily done with a little bit of discipline. Little
cheats are okay but overall, a person should not forget their commitment to keeping
their sugar under control by eating healthy.
A quality sleep of 7 to 9 hours is mandatory for everybody. Lack of sleep can cause
insulin resistance which hinders the metabolism of glucose.
Inadequate sleep makes your body to produce more ghrelin (the hormone meant for
appetite stimulation) and reduced leptin ( the hormone meant for suppressing appetite).
If one chooses to stay up till late at night, there are more chances that you will eat more.
Also, the chances for choosing snacks high in calories, sugar and salts are high.
Though late night snacking is not advisable for diabetics, especially, when they are
trying to lose weight. But making wise choices is the best solution to satisfy the hunger
as well as ensuring healthy calorie intake.
Skipping meal is a worse idea for sugar patients. Include healthy option for meals as
well as healthy snacks in between meals.
Often people diagnosed with type 2 diabetes don’t have specific diet related knowledge
or the idea about preventive/curative measures to be taken. They hesitate before eating
anything and this can be a reason for long gaps between meals.
This, in turn, can lead to fluctuations in the insulin and glucose levels, and therefore,
weight gain rather than weight loss.
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Doctors have found many a times that patients choose a healthy diet and yet eat in
large proportions. This increase in the calorie intake makes the weight loss procedure
difficult.
This is one of the biggest problems that diabetes patients are naive about. They resort
to good choices when it comes to choosing food items but with the wrong cooking
techniques, they let their efforts go in vain.
Whenever you are cooking your food, do it in the small amount of olive oil or just spray
some oil to saute food. In fact, try to use other methods such as bake, broil, grill, or
stir-fry instead of frying it.
Intake of proteins is good for diabetic patients as it will not affect their blood sugar
levels but it can definitely affect your cholesterol levels and waistline.
6. Mindful Grazing
By this we mean making wise choices among options available. Opting for a healthier
alternative is important and should be accompanied with mindful snacking.
While healthy snacking is important for sugar patients, but munching all the time will
lead to weight gain rather than weight loss. Extra intake of 100 calories than what the
body requires can lead to weight gain of around 4 to 5 kgs a year. The converse of this
is also true, cutting down on extra 100 calories can reduce your weight by 4 to 5 kg a
year.
It is better to plan your diabetes snacks. Keep them prepared in advance and eat them
while you are sitting down in one place and relaxed. Relish them rather than just
munching them.
7. Obsession of desserts
People often think that because they have exercised, they can eat desserts. This can
only be done if they do it in a way where they intake no or just a few calories.
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The biggest problem with diabetes is to manage the blood sugar levels along with
managing what to eat or drink and some physical activity. Sometimes, a person might
get the sweet craving, which can be satisfied by indulging into something sweet.
This is where they should learn to manage their food choices. If one wants to have a
scoop of ice cream, they should keep the prior meal free of starch. In order to lose
weight and control diabetes, they should do the necessary calculations as exercising
won’t be enough to burn the calories received from the dessert.
The above tips may not straight away help you in weight loss but it can surely help you
move forward in the right direction of weight loss.
If the weight loss is not happening as you have planned, it is better to go see a doctor
for thorough check-up. Also, you should consult the certified nutritionist for well-
designed and customized diet plan as the calorie requirement varies from person to
person and requires a different mechanism to shed those extra kilos.
In the long run, it starts affecting other organs like kidney, retina, etc, creating many
more problems for the patient.
● Diabetes affects the ability of the kidneys to filter the waste from the blood. A
person with diabetes is also prone to developing high blood pressure.
● Diabetes also affects the skin making it dry and cracked. In more severe cases,
diabetes even leads to the development of gangrene in the patient, which can
have serious repercussions.
● In young women, having diabetes may even mean a less fertile reproductive
system and thus, problems in conceiving and giving birth.
● Diabetes may be a single disease but actually has various offshoots, which when
raise their ugly hoods, make the patient’s life difficult.
Now don’t get scared! We have here, a comprehensive list of symptoms of diabetes,
which, if checked as soon as they appear, may save you the trouble of going through
diabetes all your life!
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Feeling thirsty even after consuming a few glasses of water? It may be one of the
signals that you should get your diabetes checked by your doctor.
What happens is, in case of diabetes, our muscles and other tissues get dehydrated.
When the level of blood sugar rises, the body tries to pull the water in the muscles and
tissues in order to dilute the sugar in the blood.
This is what dehydrates the body and we start craving to drink more water. This is a
symptom of diabetes.
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Just like drinking, if you are feeling frequent pangs of hunger, even right after having
your meal, you should take it as a symptom of diabetes and see a doctor.
This happens when your tissues don’t derive enough energy from the food that you have
consumed.
If the body is insulin resistant or doesn’t produce enough insulin, the sugar from the
food you consume may not be entering enter your tissues to provide energy.
And when this happens, we feel the hunger pang and dig into the refrigerator time and
again.
If you have a normal diet and still losing weight, you should give it a check, for this
normally happens with people having type 1 diabetes.
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If the body doesn’t get enough energy from the food it is consuming, it breaks down
other sources of energy like fats and proteins amongst others. This leads to obvious
weight loss, which should be taken as a symptom of diabetes.
5. Fatigue
6. Blurry vision
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When the blood sugar goes abnormally high, it may lead to blurry vision. It happens
because the fluid may have shifted into the eye duct.
People with diabetes have higher chances of contracting cataracts and glaucoma.
Blurry vision is one of the symptoms of diabetes.
If you are suffering from type 2 diabetes, you may have a tough time in healing your
infections and wounds. This happens because of the fact that more bacteria survive
when the blood sugar is high.
High blood sugar negatively impacts the white blood cells, which are actually
responsible for the healing of wounds. Due to this, cuts, wounds and infections take
much longer to heal when your blood sugar is high. This is another major symptom of
diabetes.
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Sometimes, if the diabetes symptoms are mild, they go undetected. In a few unfortunate
cases, the symptoms actually get caught when they are on the verge of getting out of
hands. These diabetes symptoms may include deep, rapid breathing, nausea or
vomiting, stomach pain, flushed complexion, confusion, fruity smelling breath or coma,
in the most severe cases.
In some chronic cases, the following complications may also develop kidney disease
(nephropathy), eye disease (diabetic retinopathy), nerve damage (diabetic neuropathy),
vessel damage, amputations, due to nerve and vessel damage, dental issues and skin
issues.
If you notice one of these symptoms you should immediately consult a doctor.
2.Fasting Glucose Test- This test is taken on an empty stomach. One is not allowed to
eat or drink anything before eight hours of taking the test.
3.A1C- This test of glycosylated hemoglobin takes an average of the blood sugar level
of three months.
● Heart
● Kidneys
● Eyes
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● Nervous system
● Immunity system ( a lot of time to heal a small cut or wound)
● Pregnancy
Many researchers have found that a person with type 2 diabetes may die earlier than a
person without diabetes. Many people die not because of diabetes but because of the
complications it causes in the body. Kidney failure, heart disease is a common example
of such complications.
However, this is not always the case. If one can take good care of themselves by
they can surely avoid the effects of this disease, keeping you active and let you lead a
fulfilling life.
1.Shedding extra Kilos- This is the most important prerequisite to reducing the risks
involved with type 2 diabetes. If one decides to lose at least 8 to 10 kilos of their weight,
the risks involved with type 2 diabetes will cut in half.
2.Get more Active- This is something that one hears from everyone. But it is true as
well. Getting active and doing a simple task such as walking involves muscle movement
that uses sugar reservoirs. Brisk walking for around 30 minutes every day can cut the
risk by one-third proportion.
3. Eating Right Food- Diabetes patients should avoid food items rich in carbohydrates,
sugary drinks, and food items with trans and saturated fats. One should also avoid red
meat as well as processed meat.
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Here is the ultimate list of superfoods that are easily available and apt to control
diabetes with Indian foods. The best part is, they are highly nutritious and are beneficial
in not just bringing down the sugar level but also bringing up the health quotient. We
have compiled the list of 10 superfoods for Type 2 Diabetes m anagement below.
1. Fenugreek Seeds
Fenugreek seeds or methi seeds are one of the top superfoods for diabetes mellitus
prevention and control. Studies have found that fenugreek helps lower the blood sugar
by affecting the rate of digestion of starch and other carbs.
In addition, several clinical trials seem to have shown methi seeds to reduce the
metabolic conditions seen commonly in diabetes mellitus. A study even found that 100
grams of fenugreek seeds seemed to lower the fasting blood sugar levels.
2. Psyllium Seeds
Psyllium husk is one the major foods for diabetes that you can incorporate in the diet. In
the digestive system, viscous fibres present in psyllium husk absorb water and swells to
form a thick, jelly-like mass.
According to a study conducted by Cleveland Clinic, the resulting viscous substance
slows down the rate at which a food is broken down and nutrients like glucose are
absorbed.
In this way, it reduces the rise in glucose levels after consuming foods. And hence, a
high intake of viscous fiber is linked to low risk of developing diabetes.
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3. Millets
Millets
The Millets are a group of small seed grasses grown in semi-dry areas of Asia and
Africa. Millets are a rich source of magnesium, a mineral which is extremely important
for starch digestion.
Researchers have found that magnesium-rich whole grain consumption can help lower
the risk of type-2 diabetes. In addition to this, low-fat dairy was also shown to reduce
the risk of type-2 diabetes owing to the presence of calcium.
4. Bitter gourd
karela or Bitter gourd has been known to be one of the oldest natural remedies for
controlling high blood sugar levels.
In addition to these, karela or bitter gourd also contains lectin which suppresses
appetite and thus lowering blood sugar levels, all the more reason to add it to any diet
chart for Diabetes Type 2.
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5. Oats
Ever wonder why oatmeal is so good for people with Type 2 Diabetes and even weight
loss? It’s because it’s loaded with soluble fibre which, when mixed with water, forms a
paste.
Just as it sticks to your bowl, it also forms a gummy barrier between the digestive
enzymes in your stomach and the starch molecules in your meal.
So it takes longer for your body to convert the carbs you’ve eaten into blood sugar. Don’t
like oatmeal in the morning?
Oats are flexible too. Here are some of the recipes to control diabetes with Indian foods.
Oats and spring onion parantha, Banana oats and seeds cocktail smoothie, minty
vegetable oats soup
6. Seeds
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Seeds Cocktail
We love eating watermelon, muskmelon but throw away the seeds. You will be surprised
to know that their seeds, in addition to some others, have immense content of nutrients.
They are low in carbohydrates, provide healthy fats, have high fibre with good protein,
making it a great diabetic food. Truweight makes its own Seeds Cocktail using flax
seeds, sesame seeds, watermelon and muskmelon seeds.
7. Brown rice
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As we are largely dependent on rice, brown rice can be an amazing option to control
diabetes if included in our meals. Unlike white rice, brown rice is highly nutritious.
It is a source of important mineral selenium, which is an antioxidant and supports
thyroid health. It is one of the best sources of the mineral manganese, which helps in
maintaining a healthy nervous system.
Manganese also aids in the production of an antioxidant enzyme called superoxide
dismutase. All of them are beneficial for digestion of starch, preventing diabetes in the
long run.
You can substitute white rice with brown rice in various preparations. We give you the
recipe of g
reen brown rice and b isibelle bath prepared from brown rice.
8. Quinoa
It is said to have a high ratio of protein to carbohydrate and provides all the essential
amino acids our body can’t make on its own. It provides 8 grams of protein in a cup and
hence a significant vegetarian source of protein.
Being gluten-free, quinoa is well tolerated by everyone. Its high potassium content
makes it an ideal food not only for diabetes mellitus but also for people with
hypertension or high blood pressure.
Hence it should definitely be included in your list of Indian foods to control diabetes.
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9. Cinnamon
Cinnamon is one of the most common spices recommended for Type 2 Diabetes
control. Some studies have shown that cinnamon helps to reduce blood sugar levels by
lowering insulin resistance.
In a study, 1-6 grams of cinnamon was shown to reduce cholesterol levels by 18% and
blood sugar levels by 24%. However, many more studies are needed to prove the
effectiveness of cinnamon in Type 2 Diabetes control.
10. Legumes
This low-fat, low-calorie, high-fiber, high-protein food helps to reduce the risk of
diabetes and heart disease.
The fiber slows the release of glucose into your bloodstream, which prevents the blood
sugar spikes that worsen blood sugar control and make you feel hungry. Legumes are
good weight-loss friends too.
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Exercising is important as it makes the cells in the body more insulin sensitive and
controls the sugar levels in our blood. It makes the body active and gives you energy.
1.Weight Training
Any kind of light exercise will do the trick but it is better if one does exercise that helps
in building muscles, such as weight training. As soon as you involve yourself in physical
activity, you will see changes in yourself and all that lethargic feelings will be gone.
2.Brisk Walking
Brisk walking everyday will stimulate your muscles and make your heart do the extra
work. This is the easiest thing that a person can do to avoid diabetes-related
complications.
3.Yoga
Doing yoga can reduce the risks involved with type 2 disease. It will not only control
sugar levels in your blood but also help you in shedding extra kilos.
People who are not overweight but are facing diabetes problems due to stress, they
should also do yoga as it gives you the peace of mind and helps you in getting relaxed.
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1. Carbs
Complex carbs
Carbs are quintessential because they impact the blood sugar levels more than other
food groups. Consuming more carbs can spike up your blood glucose levels, too little of
carbs can lower it down too much, which is also not healthy.
That is why have enough of carbs, especially the complex carbs found in whole grains
and veggies, can help.
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These carbs also help in better digestion, keeping you full for a longer time as well as
giving you steady energy.
2. Fruits
Foods like whole grains, brown rice, bran foods are rich in fiber and are amazing for
maintaining a Diabetic Diet. High fiber foods are also found to be helpful in controlling
blood pressure and heart diseases, which are again helping factors for Diabetics.
4. Good Fat
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The good fat or the monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats are found to be
beneficial in a diet for Diabetes treatment. We say it a Diabetes treatment because a
diet can actually prevent Type 2 Diabetes.
1. Sweetened Beverages
These drinks contain high levels of fructose that can impact insulin resistance as well
as promote weight gain. Moreover, sugar-sweetened beverages have shown promoting
health-deteriorating issues, that often come with Diabetes like fatty liver. [4]
2. Bad Fat
While good fats can help in managing Diabetes, the bad fats i.e, the trans fats are
shown to be increasing heart risks.
Although trans fats don’t spike up blood sugar levels directly, they produce health
impacts like body inflammation [5] that are particularly harmful to Diabetic.
3. Packaged Foods
While most of us are dependent on packaged snacks, for Diabetics, these processed
foods containing refined flour and very high amount of carbs raise blood sugar levels
greatly.
4. Fruit Juices
Therefore, instead of a glass of fruit juice, no matter how pure it seems, go for a whole
fruit, which is also fiber rich.
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5. Refined starchy foods
A Diabetic Diet should totally avoid food sources that are rich in refined starches like
white rice, flour and bread.
So now that we know how a Diabetes Diet can help in Diabetes treatment and what a
food list for diabetics should look like, here we bring to you amazing Diabetic Recipes
along with the time of meals, recommended by our Nutritionist, Dr Priya, that you can try
at your home. Check them all out and be a controller of your sugar levels.
After ½ an hour 1 cup of green tea / Tea with low- fat milk with some gluten-free snacks.
Breakfast 2 Truweight mighty millet idli with 1 bowl mix veg sambhar / 2 medium
sized quinoa dal dosa with 1 bowl sambhar / 1 open veg paneer sandwich
with 1 whole grain toast / 1 medium plate red rice sprouts poha with 1
bowl of low-fat curd / 2-egg white omelette with spinach and mushroom.
After ½ hour 1 bowl chicken/egg/paneer salad + 1 low on oil subji + 1 bowl dal + 2
regular sized gluten-free / whole wheat phulka (or)
1 bowl vegetable pulao made with brown or red rice + 1 bowl dal + 1 bowl
mixed veg raita.
Dinner 1 bowl salad of choice or 1 bowl Truweight’s Moringa/ Tomato moong
soup/ bitter gourd soup.
½ an hour later 1 bowl dal + 1 bowl Mix veg subji + 2 gluten-free phulkas.
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Remember, this is a sample Indian diet plan for diabetes incorporating Truweight’s
superfoods.
Doctors while dealing with the treatment of Diabetics often advise them to consult a
Nutritionist for well-planned diet charts.
Weight management and loss of weight in obese diabetic patients is very important
because such patients may have a condition called insulin resistance. In insulin
resistance, which usually occurs in Type 2 diabetes mellitus, the muscles and other
cells are non-responsive to the action of insulin though adequate insulin may be
available.
In such patients, weight loss is an essential part of the management of the disease
without which diabetes cannot be controlled successfully.
Overweight, obesity and metabolic syndromes like type 2 diabetes mellitus and
cardiovascular diseases are spreading its claws globally, at an alarming rate. It requires
immediate steps not only for its curing but its prevention at first place.
The relation between higher fat percentage and diabetes mellitus is well established
that results in insulin resistance and consequently, the condition of pre-diabetes and
diabetes. Therefore, to manage diabetes with the diet that also assists in reducing
weight is the new mantra.
The principles of a d
iabetic diet are:
1. The inclusion of Low- glycemic index or GI foods: It refers to a food item that is
slowly digested and absorbed in the blood and releases glucose in the blood at the
slower pace.
On the basis of the GI value, food items are categorized into 3:
• Low: 55 or less
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• M
edium: 56-69
• High: 70 or more
Low GI food includes complex carbs like whole grains, fruits and vegetables.
Avoid baked goods, white bread, sweetened beverages, packaged foods and refined
starchy foods like naan, white bread.
3. Have good fats: Omega-3- fats are good fats and should be consumed. Studies have
shown that omega-3- fatty acids help in improving the functioning of the beta cells and
also helps in improving the insulin sensitivity
4. The inclusion of micronutrients: Have more of whole fruits and vegetables that
ensure the supply of vitamins and minerals.
2. Complex carbs
4. Omega-3- fats
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These components are very helpful in regulating the blood sugar level and in weight
management as well because of their health and therapeutic benefits.
• Diet recall– 24hr recall method was employed for the assessment of the diet pattern
of all the subjects.
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The diet intervention was given to every subject having complex carbs, low glycemic
index foods and moderate protein. This diet was administered to subjects for the
duration of 12 weeks with regular counseling and follow-ups.
The results showed that there was a significant weight loss of 6% achieved in the span
of 3 months as shown below.
Table 1: Initial and Final weight of the subjects in 3 months with the administration of
Truweight’s weight loss plan
Similarly, the blood glucose profile showed improvement in the Fasting and
postprandial phase due to fibre and bioactive-rich compounds present in the
Truweight’s superfoods. The systematic representation of the Blood glucose profile is
shown in Figure 2.
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Figure 2: Pre and post Fasting Blood Sugar and Postprandial Blood Sugar level with
Truweight’s weight loss plan
This one study is the glimpse of the efficacy but the words speak more loudly when
people tell their own stories. You can be a part of this health journey where you not only
can attain health but gain knowledge between right and wrong.
You can attain that stage of a healthy lifestyle and can help people around you as well.
Try for yourself. Check the video for hearing our clients willing to share their piece of a
success story.
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The real meaning of diabetes management lies in inculcating healthy habits for better curing of
the disease along with the health of family and future generations. So, this diabetes day, be
aware of being healthy today and always. Consult our expert Truweight Nutritionist for more.
The first Health consultation is on us. Click here to avail.
Related Sources:
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https://truweight.in/blog/health/diabetic-diet.html
https://truweight.in/blog/food-and-nutrition/indian-diabetes-diet-chart.html
https://truweight.in/blog/fitness-exercise/5-ultimate-exercises-for-diabetes-to-lookout-f
or.html
https://truweight.in/blog/health/diabetes-checklist.html
https://truweight.in/blog/health/need-know-type-2-diabetes.html
https://truweight.in/blog/weight-loss/weight-gain-due-to-unmanaged-diabetes.html
https://truweight.in/blog/health/think-diabetes-7-symptoms-watch.html
https://truweight.in/blog/health/top-10-foods-that-help-to-beat-diabetes.html
https://truweight.in/blog/type-2-diabetes-checklist/truweights-weight-loss-program-can
-help-manage-diabetes-with-diet.html
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