[Exclusive Interview] This Health Startup Is Determined To Eradicate Diabetes In India

Recently, we interacted with Mr. Lokendra Tomar, Diet Educator & Founder, of Diabexy – a health startup that offers food and advisory for treating diabetes.

Here are the interview highlights:

1. What is the motivation behind Diabexy?

I found a job in a big pharmaceutical firm after graduating from college, where I received training on diabetes and its medications. My job there was to sell Antidiabetic medicines to doctors.

There, was a saying in the medical fraternity that ‘ONCE A DIABETIC, ALWAYS A DIABETIC” this means that a person with diabetes can never get rid of the disease, despite all efforts. Over and above there is another sentence that really made me feel jittery “DIABETES IS A PROGRESSIVE DISEASE; IT WILL GET WORST WITH TIME. This really bothered me, and I began to find an easy solution to get rid of diabetes. Since statistics indicate that the prevalence of diabetes due to genetics is only 5-10%, whereas due to lifestyle it is 90%, I was confident that I can find a solution since it is all about lifestyle. After extensive research of medical literature, I discovered that insulin resistance is the real cause of diabetes not a deficiency of insulin and an amazing fact is that Insulin resistance is reversible hence diabetes is also reversible. Any long-term disease has a lot of financial burden on people so much so that they have sold their houses to pay the hospital bills. I wanted to help them, so I started Diabexy to develop a low-glycemic load food product to help all diabetics.

2. The negative effects of diabetes on people’s health

Diabetes is like termites in the body. It will eat up the person from the inside without him knowing. The person will not know until some severe illness shows up 10 to 15 years later. Diabetes can destroy the very vital organs of our body, like the kidneys, liver, eyes, and brain. Diabetes is a blood-related problem, and it destroys all the organs wherever blood goes, which means everywhere all the organs. Therefore, we ought to protect ourselves from such a damaging disease.

3. How do sugar-free treats aid with weight balance?

Sugar-free products are good as long as they are made with low glycemic load ingredients like polyols and oligofructose, hence knowing the right ingredients, and reading the label is crucial. Foods that raise blood sugar levels also raise insulin levels, so consuming food with a low glycemic load is essential for diabetes management and weight loss. In the presence of an excess amount of insulin, all the excess sugar present in the blood will get converted into fat for future use, causing obesity. 

Healthy sugar-free products are those that contain dietary fibers, polyols, oligofructose, sucralose, or stevia and should not contain maltodextrin and dextrose because they have an extremely high glycemic load.

4. What dietary habits should you adopt if you have a family history of diabetes?

Instead of lamenting diabetes to all genetic and family history, people should take responsibility for it and focus on dietary habits and nutritional needs. There are 3 major macronutrients in food, they are fat, protein, and carbs. As carbohydrates after digestion get converted into sugar whereas fats and proteins are converted into fatty acids and amino acids respectively. Hence lowering one’s intake of carbohydrates and sugary foods will help in lowering one’s chance of developing diabetes. A diabetic patient will benefit from consuming more vegetables and rich sources of proteins, and lipids.

5. Explanations for the popularity of sugar-free sweets

Sugar-free sweets are becoming more and more popular because they have some real health benefits and help people lose weight if the right ingredients are used then, they are beneficial for balancing insulin resistance and diabetes as well. They also have no calories hence healthy for all. Since people are eating more sugar-free goods and associating that with modernity, sugar-free sweets have become a social trend. Another factor that is contributing to the popularity of sugar-free sweets is health awareness created by the media. 

6. List three foods to eat to assist manage diabetes.

If you’re trying to manage your diabetes, then these 3 foods are crucial. Number one among all is Vegetables, one must eat at least 50% of his diet should be vegetables whether it is cooked or uncooked, Salads are full of nutrients like vitamins, minerals, fibers, and other micronutrients which are important for regulating blood sugar levels. The second most important food item is Nuts and seeds, oil seeds have a 50% fat content, a 25% protein content, a 10% fiber content, and a 10% carbohydrate content; they have a negligible effect on blood sugar levels. The third main type of food that aids in the treatment of diabetes is the source of proteins, such as dairy products, eggs, soya beans, and non-vegetarian foods. These are the top 3 important food every diabetic should use. 

7. What are your company’s intentions for the future?

Diabexy’s mission is to eradicate diabetes from India like polio, and only knowledge and discipline can make this happen. As a result, Diabexy is working tirelessly to spread knowledge about diabetes. We are spreading awareness about a new theory of diabetes, which says that diabetes is caused by insulin resistance and not by deficiency of insulin.  Insulin resistance is a temporary problem hence diabetes is a temporary problem for the majority, only 8–10% of diabetes cases are due to a lack of insulin. 

We have launched a full-force campaign to educate individuals about diabetes and its complication and solution. People who are enlightened with new theories of diabetes want to change their diet; they need diabetic-friendly food items that can be included in their way of life. We help them to get the right kind of food products for them so that they can lead a healthier life. Diabexy has developed tasty low glycemic load food products for Indian taste. People can easily order them online hence they are accessible globally. We also provide consultancy from certified dieticians and doctors to help them. We also help and train healthcare professionals to help their clients. 

Since diabetes is a big problem for our nation and the healthcare cost of our country is going high, sick people are not able to work hence this is affecting our national productivity also. Imagine a situation when no one is sick in our country, how much we contribute to national growth? We are confident that raising awareness about diabetes will help our government and the citizens of our country. By raising awareness of diabetes, we can make people more productive, cut healthcare costs, feel better, and maintain a good outlook on life.