We are the nation that has arguably pioneered diabetes. Managing to make a career out of sugar consumption is no mean feat, but we managed to do it. I never really even thought about it until the day I found out that I had the version that you control with pills (type 2).

I thought this would change my life, it did, but not as much as I had suspected. Even though I started eating a bit healthier; doing away with most of the local cuisine due to its not-so-secret love affair with oily cooking and most importantly cutting out all the sugar in my life.

You can get on without sugar, really.

I thought I was going to miss out on all the good sweet stuff, thankfully however, the world was prepared for this eventuality. The supermarkets in Pakistan have sugar free sodas and ice cream. I would be advised to use Weetabix as replacement for the biscuits in your sundaes — if you are used to them — and a liberal use of high fibre fruits. The high fibre keeps the sugar spikes from the fruit in check.

There is no reason to miss out on anything. There are even expensive cakes and biscuits made with artificial sweeteners – which unfortunately I definitely cannot afford.  So I got into baking. Some artificial sweeteners withstand high temperatures and can be used in baking recipes of all sorts. So I just learnt to make cakes and biscuits and threw in the appropriate amount of sweetener when the recipe asked for sugar.

Diabetics must be careful

The most important thing is eating at regular timings because there is some really complicated stuff related to sleep cycles and your bodies capability to deal with sugar intake. If you do not manage your diet then your sugar will start spiking, resulting in lower energy levels, a weak immune system – imagine getting a flu every other day, and a fever every week.

After being diagnosed with diabetes I learned to appreciate a healthy lifestyle and made additional effort to take care of myself.

The views expressed by the writer and the reader comments do not necessarily reflect the views and policies of The Express Tribune.