Stevia, Cinnamon, Chana Dahl, and other Food Choices for Low Blood Sugar Maintenance

“Dear Vaidya Mishra,

Thank you so much for holding the seminar today them for allowing me to connect from Australia. Unfortunately, I was not able to hear a lot of the precious knowledge that you gave out. But fortunately, I was able to follow along somewhat because you have given so much knowledge in the past. But there is that saying a little knowledge is a dangerous thing and I am afraid that I might not have gotten all your recommendations and recipes correctly.

Thank you Dr. Melina for giving the opportunity to e-mail Vaidya questions about today’s talk.  I have listed some of my questions below.

 1) Are the dietary recommendations that you gave today, is the theme for healthy people who are trying to manage sugar and fat metabolism, pre-diabetics and those who already have problems with high blood sugar?  Specifically, are chana dahl, barley, rice, berries, pears, apples, soaked sunflower seeds with dried fruit okay in small amounts for those who already have high blood sugar problems?

Vaidya responds: I designed this workshop for two groups of people. Those who are currently pre-diabetic, or do have blood sugar problems; and those who do not have any imbalances, but are trying to be careful in terms of sugar metabolism. With this workshop, you will learn how you can incorporate foods and some ayurvedic herbs to help control blood sugar levels, and/or maintain it at normal levels. When you have blood sugar levels, it is of course a medical condition and you should work with your medical doctor to address it; however, even the medical doctor will recommend that your reduce/eliminate foods that have high sugar content. Because you need to do 2 things to help your body that is unable to metabolize the sugar. Number one: you need to see why it has gotten to that point, what has caused it, and try to address/correct that. But number two, and this is very essential, you need to stop putting more sugar containing foods into your body, since your body is already unable to process and digest the sugar, so that you can help maintain optimal levels of blood sugar. This is where this workshop comes in. It can help, in terms of diet, those who already are struggling with a diabetic condition, by giving them informed choices; but it is also for those who want a healther, less-sugar containing diet for any other personal non-medical reasons.

However, the energy and nourishment that we get from glucose is necessary. That is why we crave it. Some glucose in your diet is necessary. That’s why it is essential NOT to completely eliminate ALL sugar containing food items (grains, lentils, fruits, etc), but to choose right, to choose the ones that have less, rather than more, glycemic indices or content. In this workshop, you learn to cook them properly – how much cooking, in what method, and with what spices. The trick is to make your food easily digestible so that your stomach can digest it faster, your colon can absorb it faster, and the liver and the pancreas can transform the sugar into energy fully and faster!

So this program is tailored for ll. For those who do have concerns, and for those who are trying to adopt a healthier diet.

Only precaution I would give is that if you have a tendency to low blood sugar levels, hypoglycemia, then you should follow the recommendations in this workshop with caution. You should probably supplement your diet with some higher GI foods and fruits. And that’s an altogether different topic.

 2) Are quinoa and the finger millet better grains for those who already have high blood sugar problems?

Vaidya responds: quinoa and finger millet have medium to high GI – 50 plus. So they are not ideal,except in moderate consumption, and: cooked with spices such as MedAgni Masala; any of my Garcinia masalas; cinnamon stick; and cooked with some ghee – ghee carries the properties of the spices deeper into the blood and fat tissues for better faster results. When cooked properly, the GI of these foods items will be lower, and the body will better be able to process them. However, pearled Barley and rye are your best choices for low GI grains.

3) Is channa dahl is same as kala channa?  Does it matter whether it is cooked using split or whole beans?  I understand it is not the large chickpeas. Is channa dahl okay to be eaten every day or just once or twice a week? When cooking channa dahl, I understood that it should be soaked overnight and then cooked by itself without spices.  I thought you said the tumeric, cumin seeds, ginger, etc. spices should be added in the end I was not able to hear whether the spices should be fried in ghee or olive oil — and I thought I heard something about the dahl being cooked with the cinnamon -or is the 2 also be added in the end?

Vaidya respons: Channa dahl is the same as kala channa, in terms of properties, one is the split version of the other, making it somewhat easier to process. On an ongoing regular basis, it is best to consume channa dahl, the split channa, instead of whole channa. When well, fully cooked, the dahl version is better to use, because it can be very good for the digestive system. I recommend you cook it with cinnamon. Yes, do soak it overnight. Any/all other spices you may want to add to further perfect your dahl dish, you should toast in ghee, and add to your cooked dahl at the very end. I also recommend you try to use any of my Garcinia Masalas (for Vata, Pitta, or Kapha) because Garcinia helps with breaking down the protein molecules of the kala chana, or the chana dahl.

You can eat the channa dahl up to 3/weeks, on alternate days. Whole kala channa is best to avoid, as its skin is not good for daily frequent use. I suggest you avoid eating whole channa, as it is heavy.

 4) Should the yellow mung dahl be prepared the same way or should it be cooked with turmeric instead of adding it in the end?

Vaidya responds: Yellow mung dahl can be toasted with all the spices and ghee – you can also add masoor dahl in 50/50 ration as they go together well. You may add turmeric to the dahl and water mixture from the beginning, as well as salt, and then bring it to a boil. You can then, do a final addition of spices for added flavor. Saute your cumin, ginger/chili, etc in ghee and add on top. You can also garnish with fresh chopped cilantro if desired.

5) What is the best kind of cinnamon?  I see a lot of cinnamon cassia bark available.  Is that the same as cinnamon or is there a special name for the kind that should be used for sugar metabolism? Is it okay to use a drop or 2 of cinnamon oil or grape fruit oil in place of cinnamon sticks and grapefruit juice?

Vaidya responds: the best kind of cinnamon is in fact Cassia bark. There are many different varieties of cinnamon. Most of them are good to use. But Cassia bark is the best. It is not ok to use the essential oils instead of the actual raw materials. For one, you will not get the same benefits, because the final product is not the same. The raw molecules are more beneficial. You need the actual physical molecules of the cinnamon to diffuse the glucose molecules. Essential oils are good to use for flavoring, but I do not recommend them for supporting the body to metabolize glucose molecules.

 6) Is bitter melon soup with arrowroot powder and spices and vegetables okay to have every day for those who already have high blood sugar problems? Or should it be made without the arrowroot powder?

Vaidya responds: Yes, it is ok to have Arrowroot everyday. Arrowroot is necessary for 2 reasons. Number 1: it gives your soup a little slimy, thicker texture. But more than that, I have added Arrowroot powder for a specific reason: when karela and coriander are activated to bind and flush out the toxins in your body, Arrowroot serves to bind them. In SVA, we are very aware of the virulent nature of acidic toxins being evacuated from your physiology, and we know that they can cause harm on their way out, rupturing the channels and detox pathways. That’s why it is important to escort these aggressive inflammatory toxins out without allowing them to even remotely harm the microcirculatory detox pathways. Arrowroot plays this crucial role in this context. Through its slimy nature, it coats the toxins on their way out. So yes, it is not only ok to have everyday with or without added vegetables, but it is necessary. But a little caution for those of you who will be using the Instant Karela Soup: if you are on an anti-diabetic medicine, your should monitor your blood glucose at least 3 times or more a day; otherwise, the action of the karela can put you in hypoglycemia. If you are trying to wean yourself off of diabetic medication by trying alternative food items, do so only and with the help of your medical doctor.

7) I thought I heard something about side effects and the use of the Stevia and almond milk but I could not understand what was being said.

Vaidya responds: I do not recommend the consumption of milk if one is having concerns about sugar metabolism, because the glucose content in cow’s milk make shoot up the sugar levels high and quickly so. Instead, home-made almond milk is a great alternative (soak overnight, then blanche, then blend with some water; may add a tsp of Arrowroot powder to thicken, but it’s not necessary). In terms of sugar substitutes, Stevia is, in many ways, safer than other sugar substitutes available on the market. But I would have one caution. Sugar substitutes in general, and Stevia amongst them, sends signals to the brain when consumed, signals that the body is ingesting sugar. In fact, this is a false signal because Stevia tastes like sugar but is not a sugar molecule. So this is a false alarm to the brain centers that sugar is being ingested. The brain is led to think that the body is ingesting sugar and it send the signal to the pancreas to release insulin. You can understand how with long term usage, this can create problems. This is mostly the case if you are using Stevia as a stand-alone sweetener in drinks etc. A good way to avert this is to use Stevia along with other carbohydrates, some glucose, that way the signal that the brain will send will not be a misleading signal and the insulin produced by the pancreas will be properly used up. So best to avoid using Stevia as a sweetener in plain water, or with ginger tea, etc. Fructose would be my alternative sweetener of choice.

8) The gymnema / jamun berry seed drinks, must they be taken before or after meals?  I thought I heard it should be taken 1st thing in the morning and then I thought I heard it should also be taken about 45 minutes after meals.  Please clarify with which it was correct.

Vaidya responds: gymnema brew always should be taken after breakfast, lunch, or dinner, because this herbal mix of Gymnema, Indian kino, and Jamun will certainly enhance glucose metabolism, and if your stomach is empty, if there is nothing there to metabolize, you can go into hypoglycemia. On the other hand, if you drink it after breakfast, lunch, or dinner, whatever glucose is there will be addressed and transformed by the brew into energy. This may help with post-lunch fatigue conditions. Transformed glucose can give physical and mental energy.

 9)I have tried taking the gymnema / jamun berry seed recipe you gave me similar to the one you describe today.

Vaidya responds: This recipe is different. This Gymnema Brew has those three (Gymnema, Indian kino, Jamun seeds) ingredients for glucose metabolism, but in addition it has also the following: date seeds – a very good nutrient for the bone tissue, gives stability to the physiology. In addition, in order to make this brew further balancing for hypo and hyper glucose conditions, I have added chickory, not just for flavor, but chickory relaxes the microcirculatory channels and so it helps the body oxygenate better. I have added Fenugreek as it supports the digestive system, as well as the pancreas in metabolizing sugar. Finally, I have added Sweet cinnamon as it not only gives a pleasant sweet flavor, but as you know, it helps transform sugar molecules into energy in the blood tissue.

 10)  Is it possible that it is a bad reaction if I have had green protein, cheese, yogurt, paneer or dairy during the meal? effects?

Vaidya responds: Paneer (or any other proteinous dish, including SVA Green Protein) is ok to consume before drinking the Gynmenma Brew. BUT don’t mix this drink with yoghurt. If your meal includes yoghurt along with other items, then that is ok, it is ok to drink the brew 10-15 minutes later after completing your meal.

 11) Is doda paneer ok to take in the morning – 7 buds soaked overnight?  Does it have any side effects or it’s ok?

Vaidya responds: Yes, this is ok, however, with the addition of the Gymnema Brew and other protocols you may be adding or your dietary changes, you will have to monitor your sugar levels very closely to see what is going on, how your body is responding, so that you avoid extreme high or low levels.

Thank you again for all that you do and the beautiful knowledge that you so generously share with all of us.

Kind regards and Namaste,

Judi Sommer”