How moving homes led to erratic blood sugar levels
Khalid Mahmoud, Egyptian, 43
Khalid Mahmoud, 43, knows the difference between managing diabetes and letting oneself go. Diagnosed with type 2 diabetes since the age of 32, Mahmoud, the father of two sons recently stopped exercises and his healthy diet routine.
in 2007 when Mahmoud was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, he weighed over 90kg and immediately set to work. “I was prescribed two doses of insulin. I lived in Saudi Arabia where I joined a gym and underwent personal training. My weight came down to 80kg and the doctor stopped my insulin and put me on new-age diabetes drugs and one dose of insulin post dinner,” he recalled.
After relocating to Sharjah from Saudi Arabia six months ago, Mahmoud’s health suffered as he was unable to exercise or regularise his meal patterns.
Mahmoud gets up at 7am, checks his blood sugar and gets ready for work. For breakfast, he has a lettuce sandwich with wholemeal bread and walks to his workplace located 30 minutes from home.
For lunch, he has two wholemeal sandwiches with some vegetables and occasionally chicken.
His main meal is dinner which includes rice, chicken, vegetables and occasional grilled meat which is usually at 8pm.
He takes a new age diabetes medication three times a day with every meal and also an insulin injection post-dinner, but is facing erratic blood sugar levels because of neglecting regular exercise and proper nutrition.
“I know I am going wrong as I must have this meal for lunch. But since my relocation, I have neither been able to find a gym nor been able to balance nutrition for all three meals.”
As a result Mahmoud’s HbA1c levels reached 8 and his weight has slowly crept up.