Life style
Sedantary lifestyles and diabetes
Increasingly sedentary lifestyle, and high carbohydrate diets are leading to not just diabetes but also obesity and hypertension says Dr. Shyama Subasinghe MBBS (Colombo) Hon MD (SL) Consultant Physician Sri Jayewardenepura General Hospital . She obtained her overseas training at Redland hospital Brisbane Australia. She has presented her research in several national and international fora and authored the book SUwabara Mahluviyak
What is Diabetes?
Diabetes is a disease condition where the living being can’t maintain the blood sugar levels within the normal range and it remains elevated. Usually this is due to insulin deficiency or insulin resistance.
Sedentary lifestyles and High Carbohydrate diets are leading to diabetes obesity, hypertension explain?
There is a disease entity called metabolic syndrome. In this condition an individual has several or all the below mentioned conditions Obesity, Hypertension, diabetes, fatty liver, polycystic ovarian syndrome. A sedentary lifestyle pre-disposes to this by increasing insulin resistance in the body.
Can Type 2 diabetes be reversed?
Dr. Shyama Subasinghe
Type 2 Diabetes is usually not curable but controllable. In a newly diagnosed patient, there can be a temporary remission, and this is called honeymoon period, but careful regular monitoring of blood sugar is needed because majority of these people again develop high blood sugar values which needs to be controlled promptly. With good lifestyle modification, Diabetic diet, regular exercises and weight reduction certain individuals will be able to reduce or stop their diabetic medication altogether. This is not a true cure for diabetes because these individuals also develop high blood sugar levels with time.
How has the prevalence been evolving over the years and how do you explain the continuous growth?
Yes, unfortunately diabetes prevalence and incidence both are increasing despite all the measures we have taken up to date. Non adherence to health advice is the major reason. The percentage of people who are doing regular exercises is very low. And most of the people still live a sedentary lifestyle and the majority are consuming unhealthy diets. The stress level of the community has gone up with the very competitive lifestyle. Maternal obesity is identified as the independent risk factor for future development of diabetes in the offspring. Usage of certain medications like steroids and antipsychotics also contribute to increasing prevalence.
Any new innovations in the field of diabetes treatment?
Diabetic medications are divided into two major categories. Insulins and non-insulin hypoglycemic drugs. There are modern recombinant insulins available. Rangers from ultra short acting to intermediate, long and very long-acting ones making the diabetic control easier. We still do have very old oral medications like metformin, Gliclazide and acarbose. Newer medications (GLP-1 agonist, DPP-4 inhibitors, SGLT-p2 Inhibitors) has become the groundbreaking drugs due to its effect on the diabetic control and their favourable effects on the cardiovascular and renal function.
What are diabetic complications?
Diabetic complications can be divided into acute and long-term complications. DKA (Diabetes keto acidosis), HHS (Hyperglycemic hyperosmolar state) and hypoglycemic coma are some of the common acute complications. Long term diabetic complications can be divided into macro vascular or micro vascular complications. Ischemic heart disease, Stroke (CVA) and peripheral arterial disease (PAD) are the macro vascular complications of diabetes. Retinopathy, Neuropathy and nephropathy are micro vascular complications. Diabetic retinopathy is sight threatening. Therefore, every individual with diabetes should visit their eye surgeon annually. Diabetic neuropathy can affect the central as well as the peripheral nervous system. Meticulous blood sugar control is essential to prevent this complication. Diabetic nephropathy can lead to end stage renal failure requiring dialysis.
Yes, depending on the blood sugar fluctuations, escalations and de-escalation of the treatment is needed. Depending on other comorbidities, treatment changes need to be made. depending on the renal and liver functions drugs need to be changed accordingly.Now we have very long-acting insulin which needs to be injected once a week. It is good for people like travellers, mountain climbers and pilots. Insulin pumps that can detect patient own blood sugar and adjust the insulin rate accordingly are available now. They switch off the insulin delivery when the blood sugars are low there by preventing hypoglycemic coma. Nasal and oral insulins are on the way to making a happy life for patients with needle phobia. Isolated pancreatic transplant or combined pancreatic and renal transplant is the way forward for certain individuals with diabetes.
Stress causes diabetic ?
Long term stress is a well-recognized risk factor for the development of diabetes. Even short-term stress associated with acute medical conditions are known to elevate blood sugar levels.
Difference between adult diabetes and Juvenile diabetes ?
Adult diabetes is type 2 diabetes. It is due to insulin resistance. It can be managed with oral hypoglycemic drugs initially, eventually they also develop insulin deficiency requiring insulin treatment. Young Diabetes is type 1 diabetes. It is due to insulin deficiency. They need insulin from the beginning. Certain young individuals develop MODY (Maturity onset diabetes in young.) They behave like adult type 2 diabetes and can be managed with oral diabetic drugs. Rarely adults can develop type 1 diabetes then it is called LADA (Late onset Autoimmune Diabetes in Adults.). They need insulin from the beginning.
Do people with diabetes need to change their medicines over time?
Diabetic medications should go hand in hand with regular exercises, good diet control and stress reduction.Have your meals and medicines on time .Eat equal amounts every day. If you eat more and larger quantities, sugar will go up, if you eat less sugar will go down this will lead to derangement of human body’s metabolism,then your eyes and nerves get affected. Relax all the time. Consult your doctor immediately if you feel ill or discomfort any time.
Institute of Hospitality Sri Lanka
The 32nd Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the UK-based Institute of Hospitality’s Sri Lanka Chapter was held recently at the Ramada Hotel Colombo,.The event provided an evening of camaraderie , reflection of the past and present achievements,setting new benchmarks for the future
The AGM had the presence of two distinguished guests, the Chief Guest Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa, and the Guest of Honour British High Commissioner to Sri Lanka, Andrew Patrick. Their inspiring speeches were lauded by all hoteliers who were present at the occasion
A special thanks was extended to Robert Richardson, CEO of the Institute of Hospitality UK, along with his team, sponsors, committee members, and all attendees for making the event memorable.
Dr. Harsha Jayasingh, Past President of the Institute of Hospitality (UK) Sri Lanka Chapter, emphasised the Institute’s longstanding history and the strength of its Sri Lankan branch. “The Institute of Hospitality (IH) UK has a history of 86 years, and we are proud to be the Sri Lanka Branch. IH Sri Lanka is much stronger now with many members from all areas of the hospitality industry,” he stated.
Dr. Jayasingh highlighted the significant role of tourism in Sri Lanka’s economy,. He said tourism it is the third-largest source of revenue for the country. “Tourism accounts for about 13.3% of total foreign exchange earnings and employs 450,000 people directly and indirectly. The hospitality industry in this island of pearl holds tremendous potential for economic growth, job creations, and cultural exchange,” he added.
He also pointed out more women should be attracted to the industry and advocated for the use of technology in hospitality sector to attract the younger generation.
The newly appointed Chairman Ramesh Dassanayake spoke about the challenges faced by the industry, including the reluctance of youth to join the sector. . Dassanayake expressed concerns over the migration of staff between hotels and the overall ‘brain drain’ in the sector. ” We must maintain high standards in the hotel We must try to attract tourists to Sri Lanka, we must have with many facilities Hence, hotel schools and other professional institutions involved in skills development mustincrease their intakes,” he pointed out.
Chief Guest Sajith Premadasa emphasised the importance of eco tourism and said “We need to have an environmental policy related to tourism in place,” . .
The 32nd AGM of the Institute of Hospitality UK, Sri Lanka Chapter, was a testament to the strength and potential of Sri Lanka’s hospitality industry. The insights and commitments shared during the event set a new benchmark for the future.(ZC)
Pix by Thushara Attapathu
Life style
He recognizes human identity beyond boundaries of gender, race, nationality and religion.
Visit of Sri Gurudev to Sri Lanka
Humanitarian, spiritual leader and Global Ambassador of Peace Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar (Sri Gurudev) was in Sri Lanka on a three day tour on the invitation of the Prime Minister of Sri Lanka Dinesh Gunewardene. Gurudev who inspired a wave of volunteerism and service to moot one of the largest volunteer-based organisations in the world – The Art of Living – visited the various projects under the aegis of the foundation and launched twelve vocational and technical centers around the island. He was accompanied by thousands of followers from Sri Lanka and around the world.
Gurudev who visited Sri Lanka for the sixth time also had a first day cover launched in honour of his visit. He is a strong proponent of spreading happiness, using the unique Sudarshan Kriya, yoga, meditation and practical wisdom to unite people, empower individuals and transform communities. His programmes provide techniques and tools to live a deeper, more joyous life, while his non-profit organisations recognize the human identity beyond the boundaries of gender, race, nationality and religion.
The Art of Living which has more than 30,000 teachers and over one million volunteers across 180 countries has touched in excess of five hundred million people around the world. CNN called it “Life Changing” and The Washington Post headlined it, “Fresh air to millions”.
In Trincomalee, Gurudev met with war victims and had a heartwarming engagement with the children from the children’s homes run by the Foundation. He also visited the Koneswara Temple in Trincomalee and graced the Kumbhabhishekam at Seetha ecogPnize the human identity beyond the boundaries of gender, race, nationality and religion. Amman temple at Nuwara Eliya. He held discussions with the trustees on the progress of the foundation’s social service projects, while also holding a special event – Ekamuthuwa – attended by a large number of dignitaries and his devotees from around the world.
His time with the Prime Minister was spent discussing the prospects of unity in diversity and uniting Sri Lanka by adding happiness into the formula of living. In addition he had discussions with the Speaker of the Parliament of Sri Lanka Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena, prominent business stewards and civil society leaders.
by Zanita Careem
Envison your dream wedding day come to life at the Epitome Hotel, a prestigious city hotel in Kurunegala offering an unrivalled luxury rendors experience for weddings.
The venue is designed to embody opulence and luxury from all quarters for a spectacular wedding in kurunegala,Thier ballroom is the largest banquet facility in Sri Lanka It can be divided into six luxurious pillarless wedding halls on the ground floor and 25pax smaller banquet halls.
It can be easily named as a five star heaven in the heart of the city contributing to a myriad of immense experiences tailored to inspire and delight wedding experiences.
From opulent décor set up to exquisite table decor, lavish food, every detail is meticulously curated to spark your imagination and ignite creativity for a perfect wedding. The previous prestigious wedding shows season one and season two attracted large crowds
were unique events which gave the wedding vendors and potential clients had an opportunity to connect and interact with each other. Beyond being a showcase it was a chance for the wedding vendors to unite and contribute to the vibrancy of the wedding industry. The wedding show covered all area of the bridal industry providing a comprehensive variety of bridal supplies from Sri lanka and became the most popular bridal exhibitions in Kurunegala.This bridal exhibitions allowed brides and grooms to experience first hand the products and services available from suppliers in Sri Lanka
These wedding shows held at The Epitome created a benchmark and gave an opportunity for vendors to create connections to the utmost satisfaction said Harshan Lakshita Executive Director. of the magnificent Hotel
Our wedding shows featured experts and professionals in every field‘ It covered all areas of the bridal industry provided a comprehensive variety of bridal supplies from Sri lanka and became most popular bridal exhibition in this region.We are always open to everyone to join us at our wedding shows in the future. It is an opportunity to discover the incredible talent within our local wedding and bridal vendors to make meaningful relationships and plan thier special day at our breathtaking hotel The Epitome said General Manager Kavinda Caldera
The Epitome Hotel’s bridal show which will be held end of June will buzz with great ideas,advice and inspiration for all those who plan thier dream wedding
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The Hotel Epitome’s Wedding Season 3 will marked excellence, celebration and inspiration for those in the wedding industry. The exhibition halls will resonate with ideas on exquisite bridal wear to decor, florists , photography etc and showshowcase the rich tapestry of talent within the local wedding industry. .
