Tag: blood sugar

Can Drinking Milk and Yogurt Regularly Help Prevent Type 2 Diabetes?

Glass of milk and bowl of yogurt with fresh fruit on a white kitchen table, representing healthy dairy options for reducing the risk of type 2 diabetes.



A growing body of research suggests that incorporating certain dairy products into your daily diet may offer significant health benefits—including a reduced risk of developing type 2 diabetes. A new study, highlighted in international and local health news, found that regular consumption of milk and yogurt can help guard against this increasingly common disease.

What is Type 2 Diabetes?

Type 2 diabetes is a chronic condition that affects the way your body metabolizes sugar (glucose), which is a crucial source of energy. If left undiagnosed or untreated, diabetes can cause serious complications including vision loss, kidney failure, heart disease, and nerve damage. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), type 2 diabetes accounts for over 90% of all diabetes cases worldwide.

Risk Factors for Type 2 Diabetes

People who are overweight, do not maintain a healthy diet, or lead sedentary lifestyles are at a higher risk for developing type 2 diabetes. Genetics, age, and certain medical conditions can also increase risk.

The Role of Dairy in Preventing Diabetes

A recent study cited in the British publication ‘Times’ and discussed by health experts in Dawn News found that consuming milk and yogurt regularly can help reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes. The study, carried out by Italian specialists, explored the relationship between animal-derived foods and diabetes, revealing that daily intake of milk, yogurt, and low-fat cheese can be beneficial.

The findings recommend choosing low-fat dairy options, which have been associated with a lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes. On the other hand, high consumption of red meat, processed meats, and certain high-fat cheeses may increase the risk.

Expert Recommendations

  • Eat more low-fat dairy: Incorporate milk, yogurt, and low-fat cheese into your daily meals.
  • Limit red and processed meat: Opt for fish and eggs instead, as they are associated with a lower diabetes risk, though moderation is still key.
  • Reduce high-fat cheese and butter intake: Choose healthier fat sources when possible.
  • Maintain a healthy lifestyle: Combine dietary choices with regular physical activity and weight management to further reduce your risk.

Authoritative Sources and Further Reading

Key Takeaway

Making small changes in your diet, such as regularly consuming milk and yogurt, can play a significant role in preventing type 2 diabetes. For those at higher risk or looking to boost their general health, these foods are a simple, evidence-backed addition to a balanced diet.

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Please consult a healthcare professional before making dietary changes.

How I Reclaimed My Morning Energy with One Change After 60

[It didn’t start with sugar.]
It started with fatigue. With blaming Karachi’s heat. With saying, “Thori si thakan toh hoti hai sab ko.”
And then — slowly — I began skipping stairs. I’d lose my breath after fajr. I’d forget things mid-sentence.

But when the diagnosis came, I didn’t cry. I did what many South Asian men do: I minimized it.
Took the pills. Skipped the follow-ups. Lied to myself.

The Invisible Enemy in the Mirror

In your 40s, you still feel invincible. You eat biryani like you’re 25. You drink chai like it’s medicine. Your body doesn’t scream at you — not yet.

And so, when the doctor said, “You’re prediabetic,” I shrugged. He handed me a printout. Told me to walk more. Maybe lose 5 kilos. It didn’t sound urgent.

Nobody said:

“This is a slow war, and you’re losing ground every single day.”

No one told me about nerve damage. Or the buzzing in my feet at night. Or how my blood pressure would climb in silence. Or the fear of going blind while reading to my grandson someday.

My Daughters Changed the Game

What the doctors didn’t say, my daughters did.

Fareha — the scientist, working at BioNTech in Germany — broke it down for me. She called it a metabolic storm. Showed me how my insulin resistance was wrecking my body from the inside out.

Maryam — the future doctor — softened the blow. She didn’t scold. She brought me a bowl of soaked methi seeds, told me about sleep cycles, taught me to look at food like fuel, not reward.

They didn’t treat me like a patient. They treated me like a man who could still take charge.

I Thought It Was Too Late. I Was Wrong.

At 60, I started lifting 2kg dumbbells.
At 61, I stopped drinking chai after 10pm.
At 62, I gave up white bread.
At 63, I walked my first 10,000-step day since the 1990s.

And here’s the secret: Your body wants to heal. It just needs you to get out of its way.

The meters, the medicine, the numbers — they all matter. But what matters more is the mindset.
You either act like you’re fighting for your life, or you’re slowly giving it away.

What I Now Tell Every 40-Year-Old Man I Meet

  • Don’t ignore the warning signs. Fatigue is not “just age.”
  • Refined carbs are poison in slow motion.
  • Sleep fixes more than you think.
  • Walking is not optional. It’s survival.
  • The earlier you take control, the less control this disease will take from you.

I’m still not perfect. I still crave paratha on Sunday mornings. But now I pair it with eggs, fiber, a walk — and gratitude.

Not for the disease. But for the wake-up call.

If you’re in your 40s, this is your warning.
Don’t wait until your body screams. Listen now — while it’s whispering.

What Diabetes Taught Me at 60 That Doctors Never Said at 40

The smell of fresh naan still makes me pause.
It reminds me of mornings in my childhood — the warmth of a tandoor, the first bite of aloo bhujia, and my father reading the newspaper out loud. Back then, diabetes was a distant word. Something old people whispered about. Something that “others” got. Not me.

But here I am. 63. Diabetic. On medication. Watching every grain of rice like it’s a grenade. And somehow — I’m still learning things that no doctor ever told me in my 40s.

Nobody Warns You About the “Creep”

Diabetes doesn’t knock like a burglar. It seeps in. A little more tired than usual. A bit of belly that doesn’t go away. Frequent trips to the bathroom. And yet — most doctors I saw just said, “Lose weight. Cut sugar.”

I wish one of them had sat me down and said, “This is going to take your time. Your attention. Your courage. And if you’re not careful, it might take your sight, your nerves, your kidneys.”

But they didn’t.

So I coasted through my 40s and 50s thinking a walk after dinner was enough. It wasn’t.

The Day My Numbers Scared Me

The turning point wasn’t dramatic. No ER visit. No fainting. Just a glucometer reading after breakfast that hit 300. I looked at it like it was someone else’s body. I felt fine. But my daughter, Fareha — a Doctor of Pharmacy working in Germany — saw the number and froze.

She didn’t yell. She just said, “Abu, this is how people go blind and don’t feel their feet anymore.”

That sentence lodged in my brain like a bullet.

I realized then: diabetes isn’t about sugar. It’s about denial.

What I Wish They’d Told Me in My 40s

So here it is — from one Pakistani uncle to anyone who’ll listen.

  • Cutting sugar isn’t enough. Refined carbs are just as bad. That roti you love? It’s a sugar bomb in disguise.
  • You need muscle. No one told me muscle helps regulate blood sugar. Lifting small weights three times a week changed everything.
  • Sleep matters more than meds. One bad night and your glucose goes wild. I learned this tracking my sleep and sugar levels side-by-side.
  • Stress spikes insulin. Family drama, inflation worries, even traffic — they all mess with your hormones.
  • Walk after every meal. Not just dinner. Even 10 minutes. Especially after breakfast and lunch.

But the Biggest Lesson?

You can’t outsource this. Not to doctors. Not to pills. Not even to your children.

You have to own it. Monitor it. Respect it — even when it’s invisible.

I still eat rice sometimes. I still enjoy mango season. But I cool the rice, add beans, and eat mangoes with protein. Fareha explained the science. Maryam, my younger daughter (a med student), showed me how it affects insulin curves.

Together, they saved me from blindness I never saw coming.

So no — I don’t hate diabetes. I hate the silence around it. The lazy advice. The “take metformin and forget it” approach.

If you’re in your 40s, listen to an old man who’s been there:
Don’t wait for fear to teach you. Learn now — while your body is still listening.

Maybe that’s the one thing I wish a doctor had said to me all those years ago.

Most doctors fail to warn diabetics that their blood sugar level could drop and be dangerous:

 Most doctors fail to warn diabetics that their blood sugar level could drop and be dangerous.

 While we frequently discuss the alarming increase in high blood sugar , low blood sugar appears to be a neglected issue.

Dangers of low sugar

 High blood sugar levels are frequently discussed because, according to what we’ve been told, they can lead to complications like kidney damage, nerve damage, eye damage, cardiac disease, stroke, neuropathy, and retinopathy.

 But the majority of us are unaware of how serious a hyperglycemia can be. Low sugar levels have the potential to be catastrophic. We don’t discuss it because the majority of us are unaware of its importance. The other problem is that we tend to believe that the lower, the better. If we keep our blood sugar levels extremely low, we may be able to avoid complications, but it’s also crucial to remember that hyperglycemia should not be disregarded.

 People with diabetes who take sulphonylureas, which increase insulin, or insulin itself frequently experience hypoglycemia. If medication, food, and exercise are not balanced in these patients, hypoglycemia may result.

 First, because most doctors don’t explain this , they are unaware that this condition even exists. The second is that if the patient’s blood sugar is consistently low, the body becomes accustomed to those low sugars and may not recognize a slight decrease in glucose levels, such as 65 or 60 mg percent, because it is accustomed to the 75s and 80s. This is known as hypoglycemia unawareness.

 Yes, certain hormones may become low with long-term diabetes. These hormones are responsible for the hypoglycemia symptoms. Therefore, if those hormones are low, hypoglycemia symptoms may not be obvious and this may occur. Therefore, there are three possible causes: the patient’s lack of education, low blood sugar, and a deficiency in hormones that cause hypoglycemia symptoms.

 All diabetic patients need to be much more vigilant about low blood sugar levels. Because low blood sugar can result in extremely dangerous circumstances, there needs to be more awareness of hypoglycemia.

 Even when blood sugar levels in type II diabetes patients are high, there is typically no immediate threat to health or life, but if hypoglycemia falls dangerously low, it can cause unconsciousness and have serious repercussions. So it seems essential to be aware of hypoglycemia.

 All diabetics should be aware that if their food is delayed or they skip a meal while receiving treatment for their diabetes with either tablets or oral hypoglycemic agents, it is quite likely that their blood sugar will drop a little.