Q: I am a senior citizen 75 yrs old. I have fairly healthy habits. I exercise daily for 20 minutes & take a brisk walk in the evening for 30 minutes. I am a vegetarian. I have a fasting blood glucose level of 126 & PP reading of 145. This is the first time it has been high. I am observing practical diet control and do not take sugar in coffee or tea. I have started taking roasted, powdered fenugreek (Methi) one spoon in the morning and one spoon at night. Does fenugreek help in increasing insulin secretion and does it help in keeping sugar level within limits? I would appreciate an answer and any other helpful suggestion, besides the usual diet recommendations.

A:Your regular walking would definitely be helping control your sugar levels. Methi also helps, perhaps by making the insulin work more efficiently. In fact, you do need to be careful that initially it does not bring the sugar too low. You should get the blood glucose tested at least every 15 days for the next couple of months, and especially when/if you have any symptoms of uneasiness, palpitations, etc, to rule out low blood sugar. You have not given details of your diet. Over the years we have realized that sugar content in the food is not the only important factor in controlling or preventing diabetes. The total calories, and therefore the fat content of your food, is also very important. If you are overweight, you would also benefit from reducing the fat in cooking and milk. In addition, you need to get some tests done: a. Glycosylated haemoglobin to give you the average blood glucose over the past 8-12 weeks: to be done now and every 4-6 months. b. Blood lipid levels: i.e. cholesterol, triglycerides, LDL and HDL cholesterol. c. Retina examination d. ECG.