CASE STUDY & SUCCESS STORIES
Name: Dr Siddharth
Age: 50
Gender: Male
Profession: Ophthalmologist
Case History: Dr Siddharth is a bustling ophthalmologist who struggled with hypoglycaemia, which used to cause anxiety and restlessness especially before surgeries. It was a necessity for him to have a sugary snack right before any operation to avoid a hypoglycaemic episode.
Analysis by top nutritionist in Hyderabad, India: Based upon his dietary history, we found out that he was consuming quick digesting foods with a high glycaemic load that gave him instant energy & sugar spikes and thereafter subsequent dip in energy. His morning intake had multiple episodes of small meals which included quick digesting carbs like sandwiches, small bites, tea, etc. The whole dependency of energy giving foods to help him maintain blood sugar levels during the day would lead to anxiety and restlessness. Furthermore, he needed quick digesting carbs before surgery to avoid hypoglycaemia.
Approach: We limited his numerous episodes of food & caloric drink consumption into 3 wholesome balanced meals and a snack with each meal designed to take care of his busy schedule & professional requirements. We prescribed him a diet that had a 50:20:30 composition with complex carbs, adequate protein & healthy fats in the whole day, however higher composition of protein and fats in the first meal so that we reduce his hypoglycaemic episodes in the first half of the day. We gave him a quick to-go meal at lunch with balance of complex carbs, proteins, and fats. Since his dinners are late usually, we gave him a small but sumptuous snack at 6 pm that included nuts and some protein so that he would not be overtly hungry when he goes back home and be able to make conscious food choices at the dinner table. Dinner being mostly a family meal, we gave him the same family meal that he always had as it was a pleasure meal for him. As a comfort food, we included white rice with lots of vegetables and curry. To make the lifestyle change more sustainable for him, we provided him with recipes that took care of his health and satisfied his cravings at the same time.
This meal plan kept him going without any drop in energy levels and helped in eliminating hypoglycaemia attacks through the day. This reduced his dependency on constant snacking and the nagging fear of getting into hypoglycaemia.
