“To sum my lifestyle up - I’m a Punjabi. We are so fond of eating and enjoying life to the fullest that I really struggled to find discipline in my life. But slowly I’ve come to realize that the easy-going attitude does not fly when health is concerned. I finally have learnt how to live my life with healthier choices with Zyla’s help.”

Mr Beenu Bhalla is a 52-year-old working man with 2 sons and a working wife. He is employed as a Sales Director in a publishing company. His life has been an emotional rollercoaster with some highs and lows, but he has emerged victorious despite it all with a little help from Zyla.

In his former days, he was a star cricketer all ready to shine on the field. He was a part of the under 19 cricket team in Haryana and had joined many clubs. This obviously required a person to stay in top shape so Mr Bhalla was quite the athlete.

“At that time I was very athletic so I was in good shape. But after I started my job, life became more sedentary - Initially, I used to travel on a scooter, then with promotions, I got a car and then I used to travel by flights. I believe as you climb up the professional ladder in life and experience luxuries and comforts, it furthers makes you more inactive and you forget to look after yourself or what your body needs.”

Gradually with some help, he has changed his ways. Despite all the comforts in life, he makes sure to push himself the extra mile for his health now.

Beginning of diabetes

4 and a half years ago Mr Bhalla got the news that he was in the prediabetic stage and had to buckle up with his lifestyle. But he wasn’t shocked or surprised by this.

“I have a long family history of diabetes on my father’s side. My grandfather, who was also a doctor, would always warn me that despite being a doctor he is diabetic and I should look after my health. Even my 68-year-old father has diabetes but he has kept a very strict control as he has more discipline than I do so his sugar levels are controlled.”

Even with such a serious diagnosis, Mr Bhalla did not lose his happy-go-lucky attitude. There were not many things that could easily affect his mood and strong demeanour. But the lowest low in his life came in 2013 which was enough to break our mighty superhero.

Losing his support system

“Whether you are a child or a grown-up, there is only one person in your life who checks up on you, asks you regularly what you have eaten, what you did instead of asking how much money you made today - that is your mother. I lost my mother in 2013, and it was a very tough time. She had a 3 year-long battle with multiple organ cancer.”

After this loss, he had completely lost sight of his own well being in this situation, as is expected. Losing a mother is never easy. No matter how old you get, you are still your mother’s baby and she keeps the child in you alive. She’s the go-to person for everyone in all our happy as well as sad times. With a heavy heart, Mr Bhalla had to say goodbye to his mother. And given that she was the one who was his caretaker, he lost his way of how to look after himself.

“It was in those in 3 years that my entire routine went haywire - I constantly fought between looking after myself or running around for my mother’s care. My mother was the one who pushed me to look after my health, she would constantly check up on my sugar levels, BP, cholesterol etc. When she passed, I had no idea what to do and how to live my life in a healthy way anymore. I wanted to honour her memories and make her efforts count and be healthy but I was too lost to understand how.”

Finding someone to lean on

After losing his biggest supporter, Mr Bhalla was lost. He had forgotten to look after his health and immersed himself in work. His sugar levels were increasing day by day but he was not aware.

“I was in the prediabetic stage initially. My family doctor strictly told me that if now I don’t take control of my sugar levels he will have to put me on insulin. Along with this I also had a lot of knee pain. It was painful for me to climb stairs but again, I was just ignoring all of these signs my body was giving me. I did not want to fight this disease alone.”

Although nobody can replace a mother’s care, Mr Bhalla came across a friend that could guide and motivate him in the right direction. That friend was Zyla. He came across Zyla and decided to give it a try for his health. But it was not all roses and blooms even then. He had a long and difficult journey ahead of him, but his trust in the team finally showed results and now he’s completely fit and fine.

“The first 6 months with Zyla were definitely tough - my sugar levels were fluctuating and it took me some time to get the hang of things. But I did not lose faith. Slowly but surely things have gotten better - the team worked with me through each step. They are very supportive and professional. With the constraints of a sales job, I often missed follow-ups or rescheduled but they made sure I gave time to my health and followed-up.”

He has brought his sugar levels down from 330 to below 120 and even his weight went from 105 kg to 90 kg. All of this while working a full-time job! But more than Zyla, his family has supported him. They have made it possible for him to follow through with all the advice and guidance provided to him. His lifestyle modifications wouldn’t have been possible without them.

“My family is my biggest strength. Even though my wife is working she ensures that I take all my meals on time including salads. I wouldn’t have been able to follow my health plan. All that I need is prepared for me in advance. If my mother was here, she would be so happy to know that I am doing so well and have finally learnt to take care of myself with my wife’s support.”

His wife, Anita Bhalla also shares her delight seeing his health transformation. She is extremely proud of the hard work he has put in.

His hacks for working professionals

Here are some important things Mr Bhalla has learned throughout his diabetes journey:

• Medicines are not the solution. Along with that, I need to push myself to work harder on my health. The team guided me that I needed a more intense exercise routine with my weight and sugars. With the lockdown and Covid, it was difficult to go to a gym and workout so I took up cycling which has helped me gain tight control and has become an activity that I thoroughly enjoy now.

• With my work travels, I cannot depend solely on cycling. So now I carry my tracksuit and shoes in all my travels and ensure that I do a brisk walk and exercise no matter where I am. I have seen similar results from walking to when I am cycling.

• I used to be scared to have fruits since it is a common myth that diabetics must avoid fruits. Now, I have them without any fright with proper guidance.

• I have learnt portion control and healthier alternatives for foods I consume during my travels. Instead of naan made of maida, I ask for missi roti made of besan. I ask people to make tea in a separate pan to ensure no sugar is left behind in the pan or I take coffee since it is usually always brewed separately. There should be no shame in asking for these things and one just needs to be confident enough.

Message to fellow diabetics

“One thing that I live by now is - We should not live to eat food, but eat to stay healthy. This is true not just for diabetics but for everyone. We should keep a check on what we’re eating and when. Taking medicines on time and physical activity is equally important. I’m aware of how difficult it is for working professionals but you should make time for your health in your busy schedule. Make time for exercises, make time for walks. Always be on top of your health and don’t let loose.”