Tips For A Better Blog Post

I don't know how good I am in writing a post.But here are some points that my best buddy shared with me a couple of years ago and I would like to share it with you today.Many of you may know this already but just sharing it for the benefit of the others.

1. While naming the post do not use capital letters.Many of my earlier posts are still in caps.I used to think that its like a title so why not make it in caps [capital letters].Then I was told that the search engine looks for the normal way of typing.Also let the beginning letter of each word of the title be in capital letters.So instead of PAV BHAJI or pav bhaji it can be Pav Bhaji.

2.Let the title of the post be specific to the recipe.I wrote a post long back and named it Ouch!I am sure you do not know what it is.I love to use catchy terms for my title.But then I realized if anyone wanted  red chilli chutney , they could not find mine through a search engine.Then I changed it to - Red Chilli Chutney - Ouch! which looks better.Though we like catchy titles for the posts, let us also remember that the search engine looks for the specific details only.

The points that I am writing below will make the people who are already following you to stay in touch with your blog...

3.Once in a while write about a general topic,like something that caught your attention.We all write food blogs, yet it is nice to write something different.Share a small joke or something you read in the newspaper or magazine.This adds to the variety to the blog.

4.If ,like me, you shoot in low light ,use some photo editing software that are available on the net to be downloaded for free. I use photoscape and its free to download and use.There are plenty of free softwares that can be downloaded but please make sure they come from a reliable source.You can use any editor that is comfortable to work with.

5. More that one photo gives a better appeal to the post.But be sure to post at least one clear picture of your dish.

6.While writing a post break it into sentences and smaller paragraphs.Its easier for people to read and understand.Do not use too make '....' in between the sentences. Let the points be crisp but clear.Also do not use abbreviations.'U' instead of 'you' and similar abbreviations looks better in SMS than in posts.

7.We all tend to make mistakes while typing.There are so many things on our mind when we do a post that we tend to over look the errors.Type out on a word document. It will point out the spelling mistakes[so does doing it on a blogger] and also corrects the punctuation marks and spaces[which blogger does not] so that are posts are free of errors.[ I don't know how many errors there are in this post of mine! ;)]

8.A clear layout and a nice back ground also counts for the look of the blog.

I hope this was useful. I am not a pro . Just felt these points will help improve traffic through search engines and the people who visit us often will be tempted to come back again.

If you have any other tips, please leave a note in the comments section and I will add it to the post with your name.

Tadka Bread With Yogurt Dip

This month Sushma has chosen Prathiba's - The Chef and her Kitchen blog for this month's Tried and Tasted.As you may remember, this event was started by Zlamuska and is now being run by Lakshmi I have already prepared quite a few recipes from Prathiba's blog and this one too joins the list.This recipe makes use of left over bread and is a quick and tasty way to use up the loaf if its been around for too long. A simple side dish of yogurt lightly beaten with a few spice powders makes a wonderful dip.

For Tadka Bread
I used : [The original recipe is here]

Bread slices -10
Onion -1, sliced
Tomato-1 chopped
Green chillies- 2, chopped
Yogurt - 2 tablespoons
Turmeric powder- a large pinch
Cumin seeds - 1 teaspoon
Mustard seeds- 1 teaspoon
Oil- 2 teaspoon
Lemon juice to taste
Salt to taste
Coriander to garnish

1. Toast the bread slices till golden brown and cube them. I totally forgot this step!
2. Heat a pan with oil and put in mustard, cumin and curry leaves.
3. When the mustard crackles, add the finely chopped onion, green chillies and fry the onion till golden brown.
4. Put in turmeric, salt, lightly beaten curd and saute for a minute.
5. Add the bread cubes and mix well.
6. Cook for a few minutes and add the chopped tomatoes.
7. Cook for a minute. The tomatoes must not get mushy.
8. Remove from heat, sprinkle lemon juice and serve garnished

Serve with yogurt dip.

For Yogurt Dip
I used:

Fresh curd- 1 cup, lighly beaten
Red chilli powder - 1/2 a teaspoon
Black pepper powder- 1/4 teaspoon
Salt to taste

Mix all the ingredients together. Chill and serve as a dip

Sending this Tadka break to Srivalli who is celebrating her blog anniversary with Breakfast Mela

This day That year...

2009 - Fruity Yogurt

Bon Appetit...

Kollu Dosai | Horsegram Crepes | Kulitha Polo

After the blogging marathon, I took a few days off from blogging and today I am back with Horsegram crepes.Are you thinking that this recipe is being repeated? Yes, I have posted Kollu dosai earlier.It was more like the instant variety.Today's recipe is the one which needs time to soak, grind and ferment. I saw this in Red Chillies blog and knew I had to make this. Those of you who are regulars to my blog will know how much I like this legume.

I used:

Horsegram - 1/2 cup
Rice - 1 cup
Urad dal-1/2 cup
Channa dal - 2 tablespoons
Salt to taste

1. Soak horsegram, urad dal, rice and channa dal over night.
2. The next morning wash with fresh water and grind to a smooth paste using a little water.Do not add too much water as the batter will become watery.
3. Remove the batter from the grinder / mixie into a vessel and mix salt and allow to ferment for 7-8 hours or till the batter doubles in volume.
4. Once it is fermented, mix once again and prepare dosas on a heated griddle.

Serve with a side dish of your choice.

Store the remaining batter in the refrigerator and use within a couple of days.

Sending this to Srivalli who is celebrating her blog anniversary with Breakfast Mela and to Jaya Wagle who is hosting the 34th edition of My legume Love Affair, an event started by Susan of The Well Seasoned Cook

If you too love this legume, here are a few dishes that may interest you...

Kollu Kadaiyal - A creamy side dish to go with steamed rice.Also known by the names kollu masiyal,kadanja kollu.This dish is a typical one from the Kongu cuisine.

Sprouted horsegram salad -Horsegram sprouts cooked and lightly seasoned.Can be had as a snack with tea / as a side dish for lunch.

Kollu paruppu podi - A spice mix to go with steamed rice.

Kollu Rasam - Tasty horsegram soup ,can be served as such or with steamed rice.


Horsegram Dosa / Kollu dosai / Horsegram crepes-A tasty and healthy breakfast dish.This is the instant variety

Kollu-paruppu vadai - A Crispy crunchy snack,perfect with lunch or a piping cup of hot tea

Kollu Idli- A tasty and healthy variation to the regular Idli's

This day That year...

2010 - Read a short piece of food and fiction and indulge on an Oriental Curd Rice

2009 - Crispy Onion Roast


Bon Appetit...

Kala Channa - Spinach Gravy

Though I had originally planned to write about diet and diabetes as theme for today's post, I was not able to complete it on time today.But I will surely be posting it within a week.So here is a diabetic friendly dish for today that is protein rich and has fiber to give a feeling of fullness.Goes well with rice and chapathi.

I used:

Kala Channa - 1 cup
Spinach - 1 bunch, roughly chopped
Onion -1 , chopped
Tomato - 1 chopped
Garlic- 3 pods, sliced
Tamarind paste- 1 teaspoon, dilutes in 1/2 cup water
Sambar powder- 2 teaspoons
Mustard -1 teaspoon
Cumin seeds -1 teaspoon
Oil- 2 teaspoons

Salt to taste

1. Soak kala channa over night and the next morning rinse with a fresh batch of water.
2. Pressure cook with adequate water till soft but not mushy.
3. Drain the excess water and reserve it.
4. Heat oil in a pan and put in mustard and cumin seeds.
5. When it splutters, add the onion and garlic.Saute till onion is translucent.
6. Put in tomato and cook till mushy.
7. Add the spinach leave and wait for it to wilt.
8. Put in tamarind extract, sambar powder, salt and bring to boil.
9. Simmer till the raw flavor of tamarind goes off.
10. Add the boiled channa and adjust the consistency with the reserved water that was used to boil the channa
11. Simmer till it thickens. If you like , you can mash a handful of channa in a mixie and add to the gravy.
12. Remove from heat and serve as a side dish.

Check out what the Marathoners are doing in Season #4 of the blogging marathon hosted by Srivalli

Diabetes Diet/Management: PJ[That's me]

Kid Friendly Recipes: Suma, Priya Suresh, Divya
Seven Days of Soup:Ila, Smita P
Seven Days of Indian Bread: Monika
Seven Days of Cakes:  Bhagyashri
30 Minutes Meals: Archana  
Seven days of Condiment: Kamalika, Srivalli

Bon Appetit...

Diabetes And Exercise

Disclaimer: Please note that I am not a Physician or a Physiotherapist by profession. The materials discussed here are from reliable source and are written based on my understanding of the subject. Do not consider this as a medical advice.


One of the ways in which diabetes can be brought under control is through exercise. The other two criterion are drugs / medications and diet.

Exercise has a lot of benefits especially for the diabetics. I have outlines a few of them here.


1. Regular exercise helps the body to respond to insulin. On the long term effect, exercise lowers blood sugar levels and sometimes even reduces the dosage of medications.
2. Exercise burns the calories and thus we are able to maintain a healthy body weight. Obese people can lose weight and achieve the desirable body weight.
3. It improves blood circulation and hence prevents the complications of diabetes.
4. Stress is also another reason for diabetes to shoot up. Exercise helps reduce the stress.
5. Keeps the blood cholesterol and blood pressure under control.
6. In some people with Type II diabetes, being on a regular exercise schedule keep them off the medication!

How often or how much to exercise?

Well, this can be decided only by your Physician or your Physiotherapist. They will look into your history of diabetes, the blood sugar values over a period of time and how much you are under control, presence of any other illness/ disease etc. There are a wide range of exercise to choose from starting from walking to swimming, jogging, aerobic dancing, cycling etc. Many poses in yoga are also said to be beneficial. They will suggest what type of exercise best suits you, how long or how often you have to exercise

Start slowly and make it a point to continue the exercise regimen.

Exercise and Hypoglycemia

We have already seen about hypoglycemia in the previous post. Hypoglycemia is the sudden lowering of blood glucose levels.

Always talk to your Dietitian / Physician regarding the foods to take before exercising so that you will not go into hypoglycemia.

Keep a carbohydrate rich snack / beverage / candy / chocolate in your bag. Take a carbohydrate rich meal if you go into hypoglycemia and consult your doctor. He may change the exercise routine.


When not to exercise?

1. Exercise must be stopped if the blood sugar level is too low or too high.
2. When there are feet problems like loss of sensation / sores/ blisters / wounds / tingling sensation/ cramps etc.
3. Feeling a crushing pain in the chest, chest pain, shortness of breath etc.
4. Repeated incidences of hypoglycemia.



Points to remember before exercising:

1. Talk to your Doctor and then start exercising
2. Start slowly and continue the schedule.
3. Keep a tab of blood sugar values before and after exercise and discuss it with your doctor.
4. Have a chocolate/ candy with you always to use if you go into hypoglycemia.
5. Check feet for sores/ cracks/ blisters / wounds everyday
6. Wear comfortable shoes
7. Remember when not to exercise [ as mentioned above]

Try these things to get physically active

• Be active in the evening instead of watching TV. Go for a walk in the park , any other place that interests you.
• Use the stairs instead of elevators.
• Park your vehicle away from the area where you are planning to do your shopping and walk.
• Inside the office walk upto your friends cabin to chat instead of talking to them over the phone.
• In between your work stretch or do some flexing exercise once in a while to relax your muscles.

Earlier in this series on Diabetes

Diabetes - An introduction
Gestational Diabetes-Part I
Gestational Diabetes- Part II
Handling diabetes under special situations
Risks / Complications of uncontrolled diabetes #1 -Heart and Blood vessels, eyes, Kidney
Risks / Complications of uncontrolled diabetes #2 - Nerve damage, teeth and gums.
Exotic Diabetic Cooking-Book Review

Check out what the Marathoners are doing in Season #4 of the blogging marathon hosted by Srivalli

Diabetes Diet/Management: PJ[That's me]

Kid Friendly Recipes: Suma, Priya Suresh, Divya
Seven Days of Soup:Ila, Smita P
Seven Days of Indian Bread: Monika
Seven Days of Cakes:  Bhagyashri
30 Minutes Meals: Archana  
Seven days of Condiment: Kamalika, Srivalli

Healthy Life ,Happy Life.....

Vatteppam / Vattayappam - Kerala's Steamed Rice Cake For ICC

When Srivalli announced the recipe for this months Indian Cooking Challenge, I was astonished to see the lengthy procedure.It looked very strenuous and time consuming.It looked like a real challenge had come by.But when I went through it for the second time, I found it similar to Idli, the only difference being the ingredients added to it.

The chosen recipe of this month is Vatteppam / Vattayappam , which is considered to be Kerala's Queen of steamed rice cake!!I have never seen it, let alone taste it.So this was a real challenge to me.Well, Srivalli did point us to a beautiful Vatteppam from Shn's- Mishmash! blog.One glance at the click was all that I needed to run to the kitchen to soak the rice.

Even though the procedure was lengthy Shn had explained it very well.When I set out preparing the recipe, it seemed so simple!

I read from Shn's blog that it was usually served as a tea time snack with tea/ coffee and I wondered how mine would turn out.Would it be fit enough to come to the coffee table or will it land up in 'another' place?Only time could tell.

Without delay, I soaked rice as soon as the announcement was made and explained the steps to mom, who also seemed eager to see how it would turn out :)

Here is what I used for this recipe.Though idli ponni rice was used in the original recipe, I soaked the usual idli rice that I had at home.

The recipe also had active dry yeast as one of the ingredients .But all I had was this...

Yes,  Instant dry yeast.Since I had already soaked rice and was ready to start, I could search for active yeast in our neighborhood shop and to  my 'luck' they did not have the yeast I wanted.So I went ahead with dry instant yeast.

This is the first time I am using yeast and the close up looked so nice that I thought I will put it up here

As I mentioned earlier, since I have never used yeast , I was not sure how to substitute this for active yeast.A little research on the net told me that dry active yeast can be added directly to the ingredients and does not need proofing like active yeast. I was rejoiced.One step less to do ;)

So here comes the step by step procedure to make spongy Queen Cake of Kerala - Vetteppam....

But before that let me tempt you with a click.......

I used:

For the batter

Idli rice - 1 cup
Fresh grated coconut - 3/4 cup
Steamed rice -  1/4 cup
A little water to grind the ingredients

Instant dry yeast - 1/2 a teaspoon [ See note below]

To prepare Thari Kurukku / Rice porridge:


Coarsely ground rice paste - 2 tablespoons
Water - 1/2 a cup

To sweeten and flavor:


Sugar - 3/4 cup [Adjust to taste]
Cardamom pods- 2, seeds removed and crushed
Almonds flakes -1 tablespoon
Raisins - 1 tablespoon
Ghee - 2 tablespoons


1. Soak rice for 6 hours

2.Drain and grind in a mixie or grinder.Since I used only 1 cup of rice, I used the mixie.Add very little water for grinding.Grind to get a coarse batter.

Hope this click gives a clear picture of the coarse paste.This is one of the ingredients listed under the ingredients required for Thari Kurukku / Rice porridge. Keep 2 tablespoons aside.

3.Grind the remaining batter to a fine paste.

4.Add freshly grated coconut

5. Add steamed rice

6.Grind to a smooth batter and let it cool.Grinding for a long time will cause the batter to heat,so it is advisable to let it cool before proceeding.

7.Meanwhile prepare the rice porridge.Heat water in a pan

8.When it comes to a rolling boil, add the coarse rice paste that was set aside in step - 2.

9. Mix well



The rice paste will get cooked like this .Hope you can see the difference.



The rice gets cooked , porridge will thicken and turn a little glossy.Remove onto a vessel and keep aside.

10. To the batter [which I left in the mixie jar] add porridge. By the time the porridge cooled, it looked like this...

I had only 3 tablespoons of porridge.The original recipe calls for 4 tablespoons of porridge.Nevertheless, I just went ahead and added 3 tablespoons to the batter in the mixie jar

11.Add yeast  [See note below]

12.Run the mixie for a minute for the ingredients to blend well.Remove onto a large dish and allow to ferment overnight or till it doubles in volume.

After overnight fermentation , the batter looks like this

13.Add sugar,mix well and ferment for another 2 hours

After 2 hours, the batter had risen more and had a lot of small bubbles

14.Just before you are ready to steam the rice cake, heat a small pan with ghee.Put in almonds, raisins and cardamom powder.When the almonds turn brown and raisins swell, remove from heat.

15. Add half of the garnish to the batter and mix well.

17.Heat a pressure cooker with water.Keep the plate with holes that comes with the cooker.

17.Pour the batter into a greased vessel that fits into the pressure cooker.

18.Cover and steam for 5 minutes or until half done.Open the lid carefully and pour the remaining garnish over the batter.Within 5 minutes the top of the batter was almost done and the nuts and raisins just stood on top!

19.Cover and steam for another 15 minutes or till it is done.To check ,insert a knife, if it comes out clean, you can switch off the flame,else cook till its done.

[The above two pictures may look alike.When nuts were added in step 18 only the top was cooked and the knife when inserted was full of batter.]

20.Carefully remove the vessel from the cooker .When it is cool enough to handle gently lift the cake from the vessel [use a knife] and transfer to a plate and let it cool completely

Cut into slices and serve the spongy rice cake.

The cake was spongy and delicious in spite of the light 'yeasty' odor.

My notes :

• In the procedure, we were asked to use rice that was less starchy.So if idli rice is not available, select rice accordingly.
• While grinding rice, add as little water as possible.If the batter is watery when you grind it , the end product will not have the desired result.
• If you use dry instant yeast reduce it to 1/4 teaspoon as against the 1/2 teaspoon mentioned in the procedure. I used 1/2 a teaspoon and the cake had a light ' yeasty' odor.
• Add a teaspoon of sugar to the yeast before fermenting it overnight.
• Since I used Instant dry yeast , there was no need for proofing. In case you use active fry yeast, you need to proof it.Add 2 teaspoons of sugar to warm water and add 1/2 teaspoon of active yeast.Set it in a warm place for 15- 20 minutes till it create a 'dome of foam' on top of the mixture.Depending on the temperature, it may take longer than 20 minutes to foam up.Then add this to step - 11.
• Use a large dish to ferment the batter overnight.Take care not to let the fermented batter over flow from the vessel.
• Adjust sugar to sweeten according to taste.Add more if you have a sweet tooth
• Take the batter for sugar before steaming
• The original recipe calls for cashew as a garnish .I used almond flakes.
• While steaming take care to see that the water at the bottom of the pressure cooker does not bubble up and mix with the batter.
• You can add the raisins and almonds to the batter and mix well before steaming it for even distribution of garnish.I mixed half to the batter and added the remaining on top of the batter after steaming it for 15 minutes.
• Another suggestion while steaming this is to pour the batter in idli moulds / small cups instead of a large vessel.

Its a very easy yet delicious recipe though the procedure seems lengthy.I really enjoyed this 'challenging' steamed rice cake.

Since today we are posting for ICC challenge, the diabetic series will continue from tomorrow.

Check out what the Marathoners are doing in Season #4 of the blogging marathon hosted by Srivalli

Diabetes Diet/Management: PJ[That's me]

Kid Friendly Recipes: Suma, Priya Suresh, Divya
Seven Days of Soup:Ila, Smita P
Seven Days of Indian Bread: Monika
Seven Days of Cakes:  Bhagyashri
30 Minutes Meals: Archana  
Seven days of Condiment: Kamalika, Srivalli

Bon Appetit...

Kothamalli Thokku | Coriander Pickle

I am so late in posting the recipe for Herbs and Flowers in my platter.This month's hostess is Krithi of Krithi's Kitchen and she has chosen Coriander.

I made this simple thokku / pickle that is a great side dish with curd rice. You can also use it as a side dish for breakfast dishes like idli and dosa.

I used:

Coriander leaves - 2 cups, packed
Green chillies -3 , chopped
Tamarind - a small lemon sized ball soaked in hot water
Mustard seeds -1 teaspoon
Cumin seeds -1 teaspoon
Asafoetida powder -a pinch
Gingelly / sesame seed oil - 2 tablespoons
Salt to taste

1. Separate the leaves from the stalk, wash well and drain. It need not be 100% dry.
2. Extract tamarind pulp and keep aside.
3. Grind together coriander leaves, green chillies with a little tamarind extract into a paste. The paste can be smooth or coarse depending on how you like it.
4. Heat oil in a pan and put in mustard, cumin and asafoetida powder.
5. When it crackles, add the paste, salt, a little more tamarind pulp.
6. Cook till the extra water evaporates and oil oozes out from the pickle.
7. Let it cool completely.
8. Transfer into an airtight container and keep refrigerated.

 Note:

• This can be stored for around 10 days in the fridge and for a couple of months in the freezer.For the above quantity, it will disappear before a week!
•  The quantity of tamarind, green chillies can be adjusted to suit your taste.

If you are interested in hosting a herb / flower , drop me a line - seduceurtastebuds@gmail.com

Bon Appetit...

Risks / Complications Of Uncontrolled Diabetes # 2

In continuation with yesterdays post, here are the other risks/ complications of uncontrolled Diabetes.

4. Nerve damage: Nerve damage can cause a lot of problems especially when it arises due to uncontrolled diabetes. Diabetes related nerve damage can cause pain in legs, arms and hands can cause problems in digestion, leading a normal family life.

The common symptoms are

• Tingling sensation, pain in toes, legs, arms and fingers
• Wasting of muscles in feet or hands
• Indigestion , nausea, vomiting
• Problems in urinating
• Weakness
• Diarrhea or constipation
• Vaginal dryness in women and erectile dysfunction in men

Weight loss and depression may also be present but these are not due to neuropathy but it accompanies these symptoms.

Neuropathy can affect almost all the parts of the body.

The first step towards treatment is bringing down the blood sugar levels. When the treatment starts, many feel the symptoms worsening but over a few days the symptoms are brought under control.

Pain killers may be given to relive the symptoms of pain. Always remember that pain killer must never be taken without the advice of the Physician.

When the digestive process is hindered due to nerve damage, the diet has to be modified. Eating small frequent meal helps. Fatty foods and spicy foods are best to be avoided.

As most of the complications occur at the foot, feet care is of utmost importance. This can be due to the fact that there is loss of sensation and when one gets hurt , it cannot be felt.

• Check the feet daily for sores, boils, cracks or any changes in the feet. Lay a mirror on the floor and check the feet regularly.
• Keep the feet free of cracks and use a moisturizer.
• Trim and file nails regularly.
• Always use a slipper / shoe when walking. Even inside the house there may be some fallen object that might cause injury.
• Dry the feel properly after a bath. Be sure to dry in between the toes.
• Wear shoes that fit properly.

5. Teeth and gums: Gum disease is one of oral problems of uncontrolled diabetes. Actually oral problem can happen to anybody. But diabetics with uncontrolled blood sugar are more prone to it. When the sugar level rises, bacteria thrive in the mouth and cause swelling, soreness and redness of the gums while brushing the teeth.

Smoking coupled with diabetes increases the chance of oral problems and the risk increases if the person is above 45 years of age.

You can know if there is an oral problem when these symptoms are seen:

• Swollen / red/ sore / bleeding gums
• Loose or sensitive teeth
• When the gums pull away from the teeth so that the teeth looks long
• Dentures don’t fit well
• Bad breath

Here is what you can do to keep dental / oral problems at bay

• Use a good brush that don’t hurt the gums and brush your tooth after every meal and even after a snack
• Floss daily
• If using dentures, keep them clean.
• Visit a dentist regularly and let him know that you are a diabetic.
• If there are any oral problems see a dentist immediately.
• Quit smoking
• Keep blood sugar under control.

Prevention and treatment of Diabetes related complications:

When the diabetic complications are detected in the early stage, medications and a change in life style may be sufficient to cure / prevent further damage to the organs affected. Only when it remain untreated does it lead to further complications where medicines alone are not sufficient and surgery or other methods of management may be required.

If the person also suffers from blood pressure coupled with diabetes, then blood pressure must also be kept under check. Also the cholesterol levels must be checked regularly and if the values are high, steps have to be taken to bring them under control.

Though there are other smaller complications, I have discussed the major ones here.Hope it was useful....

Earlier in this series on Diabetes

Diabetes - An introduction
Gestational Diabetes-Part I
Gestational Diabetes- Part II
Handling diabetes under special situations
Risks / Complications of uncontrolled diabetes #1 -Heart and Blood vessels, eyes, Kidney
Exotic Diabetic Cooking-Book Review

Check out what the Marathoners are doing in Season #4 of the blogging marathon hosted by Srivalli

Diabetes Diet/Management: PJ[That's me]

Kid Friendly Recipes: Suma, Priya Suresh, Divya
Seven Days of Soup:Ila, Smita P
Seven Days of Indian Bread: Monika
Seven Days of Cakes:  Bhagyashri
30 Minutes Meals: Archana  
Seven days of Condiment: Kamalika, Srivalli

Bon Appetit...

Risks / Complications Of Uncontrolled Diabetes # 1

Uncontrolled diabetes is like a disaster waiting to happen. When the blood sugar is constantly high it affects the various parts of the body. Here are the major organs that are affected...

• Heart and blood vessels
• Kidney
• Nerves
• Eyes
• Gums and Teeth

The common symptoms of problems arising due to uncontrolled diabetes:

• In the case of heart disease or that of major blood vessels, there are sometimes no symptoms at all. A heart attack or stroke may be seen. Most of the times it’s a 'silent' symptom.
• Problems in the large blood vessel may manifest as problems in blood circulation leading to cramps, changes in skin color and decreased sensation.
• Vision problem can be felt as loss of vision, pain in the eyes.
• Usually there are no symptoms of early diabetes related kidney disease. In the advances stages there is swelling of feet / legs,later stages- kidney failure.
• Nerve damage can be felt as tingling, numb sensation, burning or shooting pain the hands and feet and other parts of the body when there is diabetic neuropathy. If the nerve damage is caused in nerves that control the internal organs then there may be sexual problems, gastric problems, difficulty sensing when the bladder is full and the urge to empty the bladder. In some cases there may also be dizziness and fainting and this may be confused to hypoglycemia [Low blood sugar].

We will see more about this as we discuss the individual organ. Now let us see the risks/ complications

1. Heart and Blood vessels - This is one of the major complications of uncontrolled diabetes. A large number of deaths take place in people with uncontrolled diabetes due to heart attack and stroke. If you are a diabetic, you are twice as likely to suffer heart attack / stroke compared to a person without diabetes.
In uncontrolled diabetes, the blood vessels are damaged and can lead to poor blood supply to the feet and periphery. Blood vessel damage and nerve damage is the major cause for feet problems and amputation in diabetics.

When the blood sugar levels are high, over a period of time, it leads to the deposit of fatty material inside the blood vessel walls. The blood vessels become narrow due to these fatty deposits and affect the blood flow and increase the risk of clogging and hardening of the blood vessels.

The risks of complications increase when the person has uncontrolled diabetes coupled with obesity, smoking, high blood pressure and high cholesterol levels
.
Here is how to prevent / delay the risk of heart disease/ stroke

1.      Eat a ‘heart healthy’ diet –

·         Include lots of fiber rich food in the diet. Fiber helps in reducing weight, bringing down blood sugar and cholesterol levels and also avoids digestion problems.

·        Reduce the intake of saturated fats. This will increase the cholesterol levels. Saturated fat is fund in meats, shortenings, lard, dairy products with fat etc.

·        Keep the cholesterol in the diet to a very minimum. The body as such produces cholesterol and hence the amount of cholesterol through food must be very minimal. Reduce / avoid egg yolks, meats etc.

·        Check for trans fats in packaged foods. This also increases the blood cholesterol. The labels on the commercial products will have information of fat content. Check before you consume it. If the information is not provided cut down of all forms of baked goods like cookies, cakes, salad dressings, margarine, etc.

2. If you are smoking, it is best if you can quit as soon as possible

3 .Physical exercises is a must. Talk to your health care provider about the exercise that suits you best.

4. Maintain a healthy body weight.

5. TIA or Transient Ischemic Attacks occur in some people with diabetes. Get prompt treatment for TIA and also talk to your Doctor even before it strikes to be on the safer side.

2. Eyes : Diabetes is a major cause of blindness when the diabetes is not controlled properly. Most common eye problems include

• Cataract
• Glaucoma
• Diabetic retinopathy

The most common parts of the eyes that are affected are

• Retina which is the lining at the back of the eye
• Vitreous which is a jelly like substance that fills the back of the eye
• Lens which is in front of the eyes and focuses light on the retina.
• Optic nerve which is the major eye nerve.

The common symptoms of eye damage include

• Double vision
• Blurred vision
• Loss of vision
• Rings / flashes / blank spots / floating spots
• Pain or pressure in the eyes

Diabetic eye problems can be prevented by going for regular eye checkups and keeping the blood sugar levels near normal.

3. Kidney diseases: Kidney failure due to uncontrolled diabetes is on the rise. Actually kidney disease takes several years to develop and manifest. First there occurs a condition called Microalbuminurea / Proteinurea where the albumin leaks into the urine.As the amount of albumin increases in the urine, the kidney’s filtering function starts dropping. As this stage develops, blood pressure begins to rise. It may take a long time, sometimes as long as 10 -15 years for the actual kidney failure to occur.

The presence of albumin can be detected by urine tests and when detected earlier can be treated.
When kidney disease due to diabetes is detected experts advice a diet in moderate protein. This can be followed after consulting a dietitian. When the patient has high blood pressure due to kidney failure, blood pressure medications are given. When kidneys fail to work dialysis or kidney transplantation is the final option.

To prevent kidney diseases, a diabetic patient must try to adhere to the following

·        Do routine blood and urine tests to detect the presence of albumin / detect the signs of kidney damage.

·        Take proper medications as advised by the Physician and also follow a diabetic diet, exercise regularly and a modification in life style is necessary.

·        Keep blood pressure, blood sugar within the normal limits.

I shall discuss the remaining risks and complications tomorrow....

Earlier in this series on Diabetes

Diabetes - An introduction
Gestational Diabetes-Part I
Gestational Diabetes- Part II
Handling diabetes under special situations
Exotic Diabetic Cooking-Book Review

Check out what the Marathoners are doing in Season #4 of the blogging marathon hosted by Srivalli

Diabetes Diet/Management: PJ[That's me]

Kid Friendly Recipes: Suma, Priya Suresh, Divya
Seven Days of Soup:Ila, Smita P
Seven Days of Indian Bread: Monika
Seven Days of Cakes:  Bhagyashri
30 Minutes Meals: Archana  
Seven days of Condiment: Kamalika, Srivalli

This Day That Year...

2008 - Garlic Rice


Bon Appetit...

Green Grapes Sorbet | Sugafree Diabetic Dessert

Here is a delicious, chilling and totally guilt free dessert that diabetics and weight watchers will love.This recipe is from Exotic Diabetic Cooking by Tarla Dalal.I am sure you remember this book that I reviewed a couple of days ago.

This sorbet makes use of green grapes.Ginger and lemon add a zing to the sorbet.The original recipe asks for sugar substitute but I did not add as the natural sweetness from the grapes was sufficient to make it delectable.

This sorbet is very low in calories and I am sure everyone will love this.This is such a refreshing change instead of eating the grapes as a fruit.

I used:

Green Grapes
Lemon juice to taste
A small piece of ginger
A pinch of salt[optional]
Mint to garnish

1. Blend all the ingredients adding a little water.
2. Pour into a shallow dish,cover and freeze till set.
3. Scrape out [use a fork] into serving bowls/ cups and serve with a sprig of mint.

I am sure you will agree that its so simple to prepare yet will be a treat for diabetics.Well its not only for them, I loved it to.The hint of ginger,lemon juice and salt was so refreshing and it has such a cooling effect in summer....

Check out what the Marathoners are doing in Season #4 of the blogging marathon hosted by Srivalli


Diabetes Diet/Management: PJ[That's me]

Kid Friendly Recipes: Suma, Priya Suresh, Divya
Seven Days of Soup:Ila, Smita P 
Seven Days of Indian Bread: Monika
Seven Days of Cakes:  Bhagyashri
30 Minutes Meals: Archana  
Seven days of Condiment: Kamalika, Srivalli

This Day That Year...

2009 - Orange flavored Gojju


Bon Appetit...