CHENNAI: On the occasion of World Diabetes Day, Apollo Sugar Clinics held a Diabetes Food Festival for the general public on Sunday morning bearing in mind the theme of the year ‘Eyes on Diabetes’. Conducting tests free of cost, the event was all about spreading awareness on beating diabetes. Doctors on duty had their kit ready as they conducted a variety of tests such as foot test, thyroid screening, lipid profile, bone mineral test, Hb1Ac test, cholesterol check, and body fat composition test,
among others.
“These tests are more extensive than the regular tests for diabetes because they’ll tell the person if he/she is diabetic or not today itself,” said Bijo Joseph, marketing head, Apollo. The fest also had interactive sessions with dietitians and endocrinologists, along with a zumba and yoga session for all. The idea behind the fest was to promote the notion that diabetes can be controlled if one keeps their food intake and lifestyle in check.
Chief guest of the fest, Prof Dr Shantaram, senior consultant diabetologist, Apollo Sugar, emphasised on inculcating precaution from the primary stages, especially among children, which is the need of the hour. “Diabetes is prevalent mostly in the Southern states due to the high intake of rice and carbohydrates. The eating pattern is a lot different from that of the Northern states. Moreover, when you look at it now, children seldom have their PT hours in school and choose to stay indoors and use computers. Pesticides and other synthetic products are used to grow plants. So parents need to identify this first, eliminate sedentary lifestyle and make children exercise to become active,” he said.
The fest also saw the launch of Apollo Sugar’s new recipe book D for Delicious, a compilation of around 20 vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes for diabetic patients, penned by dietitians from Apollo Clinics all over India. Chef Vellaisamy Ganesh S of Residency Hotel demonstrated some of the recipes from the book, including one main course, a health drink, and a salad.