21 DAY 10 STEP PROGRAM
(Disclaimer: The information provided in this article is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice. It is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified healthcare providers with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition or treatment and before undertaking a new healthcare regimen. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read in this article).
I am not suggesting any magic solution here. The listed 10 steps are probably your daily activity. Normal day-to-day activities done in order and consistently can bring magical results.
For this program, we are following 16:8 intermittent fasting, meaning, if we eat our dinner at 7.00 pm, we will not eat any food for the next 16 hours (other than the suggested food) until the next day at 11.00 am. We can eat during the 8 hours of 11.00 am to 7.00 pm—more details in Step 8.
By the end of 28 days, you can expect the following:
-
You will lose some weight - if you strictly follow the below ten steps, you will surely lose weight
-
You will feel more energetic - no need to avoid those extra climbing steps.
-
You could give up diabetes medication entirely or go on a reduced dosage. I was on diabetic medication for 20 years. In July 2020, I did this program and have been off the diabetic medication since then. My recent A1C was 5.9 (read my story). But consult your doctor before making any changes to your prescription.
BEFORE YOU START, CHECK YOUR AIC and BMI and RECORD IT
a. CHECK YOUR A1C _______________% (more more on A1C)
Talk to your doctor or a nearby blood testing lab if you do not know your A1C.
CHECK YOUR BMI ( for more on BMI, click here)
Check your weight _______ kg/lbs
Check your BMI _______ (normal, over /underweight)
You can check your BMI by inputting your height and weight on this website. https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/educational/lose_wt/BMI/bmicalc.htm
If your BMI is anything other than normal, please focus on working on it.
​
YOU WILL CONTINUE WITH YOUR MEDICATION DURING THE PROGRAM. AFTER THE PROGRAM, IF YOU FIND THAT YOUR BLOOD SUGAR READING IS LOW (below 100), WORK WITH YOUR DOCTOR IF REQUIRED TO REDUCE MEDICATION.
​
Step 1: Morning on wake up – still in bed – do the following simple stretching – 7 minutes
1.1 Extend your hands backward as much as possible, stiffen your body, stretch your ankle, and extend your feet forward. Do this seven times.
1.2 ​Bend your right knee and pull it towards your stomach, as much as you can, using both hands, and release it back. Now bend your left knee and pull it towards your stomach, as much as you can, using both hands, and release it back– it is one cycle. Repeat seven times.
1.3 Lift your right leg (with palms facing the bed), bring it towards your face as much as possible, and slowly release it back. Then lift your left leg, bring it towards your face as much as possible, and gradually get it back- one cycle. Repeat seven times.
1.4 With your palms on the bed, bring your legs up and cycle(like you would ride a bicycle)- a minimum of twenty cycles.
1.5 With palms on the bed, bring both legs up, move towards your face as much as possible, and bring both legs back slowly – seven times. (Also, check out the chapter on exercise)
​
Step 2: Drink warm water – Drink one cup of warm water- sit on a chair and drink slowly.
Step 3: Coffee/Tea: If drinking coffee/Tea - without sugar. Use sugar-free milk power. (If you can avoid coffee/tea, please do so). I drink coffee after water to get my gut system working.
​
Step 4: Finish bathroom activities (excluding shower)
Step 5: Exercise: Next 30 minutes, brisk walk, jog, combine walk and jog, ride a bicycle (strongly recommended), or do anything that brings up the heartbeat. Objective is to sweat out and increase heartbeat.
​
Step 6: Shower
​
Step 7: Yoga/meditation – 24 minutes - link to the video for each exercise is attached.
Needs to be done on an empty stomach - for more instructions, please click- yoga/meditation.
7.1 Butterfly / Titli – 2 min
7.2 Sisupala – right leg 2 min
7.3 Sisupala – left leg 2 min.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A7YQ_bkdUgo&t=263s
7.4 Cat stretch/ Nadi Vibha Jana – 3 min (3 cycles)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hbe0820DFaA&t=218s
7.5 Kapalbhati – 3 min
7.6 Bhastrika – 3 min
7.7 Alternate breathing – 3 min
7.8 Bramhamari – 3 min
7.9 Relax – 3 min
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZT-HDh7pjC4&t=115s
(Video courtesy: Namaste Yoga)
​
After yoga/ meditation, go about your daily work life. We want to follow 16:8 intermittent fasting. During work, try to stay on as much as possible on your feet (if you can get a standing desk, great). Your chair is not your best friend. If you have to sit and work every 30 minutes, get up and walk for a minimum of 5 minutes. We want you to get tired and hungry by lunchtime. If you are starving before lunch and need to eat, take two teaspoonfuls of overnight-soaked almonds, peanuts, beans, avocado, sprouted green gram, etc.
​
Check your blood sugar reading before lunch and record it on the sheet attached.
​
Step 8: Lunch 11-12 pm (if 11-12 is uncomfortable, you can choose 12-1 but stick to a consistent time).
The key is to eat freshly cooked food. Any food with low or zero carb, zero sugar, and high protein and fiber is preferred, like multi-grain bread, millet, and many freshly cooked vegetables, greens curry, DAL, GREEN GRAM, and other legumes (preferably organic). And foods that will not convert to glucose (sugar) immediately or food that delay the conversion. Fill your stomach 75% only. Immediately after food, don't sit and stroll for 10 minutes. Drink lots of WARM water, 10-15 cups daily – two to three liters. Cook what you can eat that day. Fresh cooked is always the best. Avoid any pre-packed or processed food or drink.
No food till dinner time. If you need to snack, take one or two spoons of soaked almond, peanut, beans, avocado, sprouted green, or other grams, or try a fruit – apple, avocado, berries, pear, all in moderation.
(Please also check the chapter on Food and intermittent fasting)
​
Step 9: Before dinner –
- Brisk walk, jog, run, or any exercise which increases your heart rate- 30 minutes
- Yoga/ Meditation – 24 minutes (required for 21-day program) - Keep your stomach empty for the Yoga/meditation.
Check your blood sugar reading before dinner and record it on the sheet attached.
​
Step 10: Ready for dinner –
Dinner before 7 pm. Try as much uncooked food as possible for dinner, like salad (zero dressings), soaked nuts, and steamed vegetables. If cooked, try steamed vegetables, gram/protein-based pancakes, chutneys, etc. Eat as light as you possibly can. Keep a 50%-70% full stomach. Sleep any time after 2/3 hours after dinner.
-----------------------------------------------------
Blood sugar chart for the next 28 days
This is your progress barometer for the next 28 days. Please check your blood sugar levels before lunch and before dinner every day for the next 28 days and record them to monitor your progress.
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
Your daily activity could look like this:
Your Daily routine would look like this. I have started the day at 6.00 am, and you can make up your schedule according to your convenience, but ensure that 16:8 intermittent fasting is followed:
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
Try to stick to the ten steps 21 day program for maximum results.
Let’s Work Together
Get in touch so we can start working together.