Diabetes is a widespread condition that affects millions worldwide, often starting with subtle symptoms like increased thirst and fatigue. If left unmanaged, it can lead to serious complications such as nerve damage, heart disease, and vision problems. Understanding these signs early is crucial for effective care and prevention.
Table of Contents
Types of Diabetes
Here are the main types of diabetes in brief:
- Type 1 Diabetes: An autoimmune condition where the body attacks insulin-producing cells, leading to little or no insulin production. It usually develops in childhood or adolescence.
- Type 2 Diabetes: The most common form, where the body becomes resistant to insulin or doesn’t produce enough. It’s often linked to lifestyle factors and typically develops in adults.
- Gestational Diabetes: Occurs during pregnancy when the body can’t produce enough insulin to meet increased needs, affecting both mother and baby if not managed properly.
There are also some rarer types, but these are the primary ones.
Reversing Diabetes
Reversing diabetes, especially Type 2 diabetes, is possible for many people through a combination of lifestyle changes, although it should always be done under medical supervision. Here are the most effective strategies:
🥗1. Check Your Diet
a. Cut Sugar and Refined Carbohydrates
Foods like white bread, white rice, pasta, sweets, sodas, and processed snacks cause rapid spikes in blood sugar. Over time, this leads to insulin resistance. Eliminating or drastically reducing these foods helps improve insulin sensitivity.
b. Eat Whole Grains and Fiber-Rich Foods
Foods like millet, brown rice, oats, vegetables, and legumes are rich in fiber, which slows down digestion and prevents sudden blood sugar spikes. Fiber also improves gut health, which is linked to better glucose metabolism.
Consider a Millet-Based Diet (Dr. Khadar Vali’s Method)
Dr. Khadar Vali recommends a shift from modern cereals like rice and wheat to traditional Siridhanya millets such as:
- Foxtail Millet
- Little Millet
- Kodo Millet
- Barnyard Millet
- Browntop Millet
These millets are rich in fiber, low on the glycemic index, and help detoxify the body. People following this diet often report reversal of Type 2 diabetes, improved digestion, and enhanced energy. He suggests rotating millets daily and avoiding polished grains, sugar, and processed food.
Reversing Diabetes Naturally: Dr. Khader’s Millet-Based Lifestyle Approach
In today’s fast-paced world, our lifestyles have disrupted three crucial aspects of health: microbial balance, glucose balance, and hormonal balance. According to Dr. Khadar Vali, unless we correct all three, achieving lasting health is impossible. Fortunately, a return to natural, traditional food—especially millets—can help restore this balance.
🌿 The Power of Microbes and Fermented Foods
A healthy gut is foundational to well-being. To improve gut health, Dr. Khader recommends including fermented foods, which naturally encourage the growth of beneficial microbes. Fermentation begins when carbohydrates or fiber are left in a moist environment, promoting the growth of good bacteria.
To do this at home:
- Cook your chosen millet grain.
- Transfer it to a mud pot and cover it with a clean cotton or muslin cloth.
- Soak the grain in water at a ratio of 1:5 or 1:6 (grain to water).
- Let it sit overnight or longer.
This simple practice enriches the microbial profile in your gut and aids digestion.
🌾 Why Soaking Millet Matters
Unlike refined grains like rice and wheat, millets contain a high amount of fiber—often 50–70%. This fiber is tightly wound and interlinked with glucose molecules, making it harder for water to penetrate and release the nutrients unless properly soaked.
Soaking softens the grain and helps release soluble fiber, making the nutrients easier for the body to digest and absorb. This slow digestion results in gradual glucose release, helping maintain stable blood sugar levels.
How to Reverse Diabetes? What is RTT? Can we eat Neutral millet like Ragi in Diabetes?
💉 How Millet Help Reverse Diabetes
Dr. Khadar has helped thousands of patients reverse Type 2 diabetes by replacing modern staples (like rice, wheat, sugar, milk, and eggs) with a millet-based diet. He emphasizes five specific millets, known as Siridhanya millets:
- Foxtail Millet
- Kodo Millet
- Little Millet
- Barnyard Millet
- Browntop Millet
When patients make this dietary switch, they often experience dramatic improvements in blood sugar. Many have seen their HbA1c (average blood glucose over 3 months) drop from 12 or 13 to normal levels (5 or 6) in just 3 to 6 months—a transformation backed by both science and real-life evidence.
🔬 The Renal Tolerance Test: Proof Behind the Method
To scientifically verify his approach, Dr. Khadar conducted a Renal Tolerance Test. Diabetic patients were given 100–150 grams of gruel made from different grains (rice, wheat, finger millet, pearl millet, etc.), and their urine was tested for glucose levels.
Results showed that within 1 to 2 hours, grains like rice, wheat, and finger millet led to high glucose in the blood—and subsequently, in the urine. This indicates a rapid spike in blood sugar, which the kidneys attempt to flush out.
In contrast, patients who consumed the five Siridhanya millets did not show such spikes. Their glucose levels rose slowly over 5–6 hours, offering gentle and sustained energy without burdening the system.
📊 Classifying Grains: Positive, Neutral, and Negative
Dr. Khadar has created a system that classifies grains into three categories:
- Positive Grains (the 5 Siridhanya millets)
- Neutral Grains
- Negative Grains (rice, wheat, corn, pearl millet, etc.)
This classification is based not only on fiber-to-carbohydrate ratios but also on broader nutritional and metabolic impacts. However, he emphasizes that nutrition is not about counting nutrients—it’s about consuming food in its natural, whole form, and ensuring your body is in a condition to absorb it.
Final Thoughts:
Dr. Khadar’s approach is a holistic return to nature. By embracing traditional millets, natural fermentation, and mindful eating, we can reverse chronic diseases like diabetes and restore our health from the inside out.
If you’re inspired by this method, begin your journey today—swap refined grains for millets, soak them properly, and nourish your gut. As always, consult with a healthcare professional before making major changes to your diet.
Video
Watch this video from Dr. Khader Vali on his suggestion for reversing Diabetes –
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Book by Dr.Khader Vali -Check on Amazon
c. Increase Healthy Fats
Good fats such as nuts, seeds, avocados, olive oil, and coconut oil help keep you full, reduce inflammation, and don’t cause blood sugar spikes. They support energy levels and aid in weight loss, which is crucial for reversing diabetes.
d. Control Portion Sizes
Eating large portions, even of healthy food, can lead to high blood sugar. Use smaller plates, chew slowly, and stop eating when you feel about 80% full. This prevents overeating and helps manage weight and glucose levels.
🏃2. Add Physical Activity
a. Exercise Regularly
Aim for at least 30–60 minutes of moderate activity per day. Walking, jogging, cycling, yoga, and strength training improve how your body uses insulin and helps reduce blood sugar levels naturally.
b. Be Consistent
Even light activities like walking after meals, climbing stairs, or doing home chores regularly can make a big difference. Exercise also helps reduce belly fat, which is closely linked to insulin resistance.
🧍3. Lose Excess Weight
Extra fat, especially around the belly, reduces the body’s ability to use insulin effectively. Losing even 5–10% of body weight can have a significant impact on blood sugar levels, blood pressure, and cholesterol. A healthy weight enhances insulin sensitivity and may lead to remission of diabetes.
🧘4. Manage Stress and Sleep
a. Reduce Stress
Chronic stress increases cortisol levels, which raises blood sugar. Stress-reducing practices like meditation, deep breathing, yoga, prayer, hobbies, or spending time in nature help lower stress hormones and support better glucose control.
b. Get Quality Sleep
Lack of sleep affects hormone balance, increases hunger, and raises blood sugar levels. Aim for 7–8 hours of uninterrupted sleep each night. Good sleep hygiene includes avoiding screens before bed, sleeping in a dark room, and going to bed at the same time every night.
🩺5. Monitor and Adjust with Medical Support
- Regularly check fasting and post-meal blood sugar.
- Track HbA1c (average 3-month blood glucose) every few months.
- As your sugar levels improve, your doctor may reduce or stop your medications.
- Do not stop medication on your own; tapering should be guided by a healthcare professional.
✅ Note: Not everyone can reverse diabetes completely, but these steps can help reduce dependence on medication and improve quality of life dramatically. Always consult your doctor before making major lifestyle changes.
🗣️ Patient Testimony: How 5 Positive Millet Changed My Life
How a 68 year old diabetes patient was able to control & reverse her diabetes with 5 positive millet –
Video in Hindi
Highlights in English –
Introduction
- Host Himanshu Bhatt introduces Lata Ramaswamy (Amma Ji), who reversed her 30-year-old diabetes without medication.
Amma Ji’s Diabetes Journey
- Diagnosed with diabetes at 35; now 68.
- Took Metformin for decades.
- Later diagnosed with high blood pressure.
- Believed medicines would keep her stable, but long-term side effects emerged.
Turning Point
- Four years ago, while playing with her grandson in Bangalore, she experienced sudden vision loss in the right eye.
- Diagnosed with diabetic retinopathy.
- Underwent treatment and regained eyesight, but it was a wake-up call.
Discovery of Millet
- Learned that millets can heal chronic conditions and decided to switch to a millet-based diet.
- Stopped all diabetes medication over time with consistent dietary changes.
The 5 Positive Millets (Unpolished)
- Kodo (Kodrah) – Purifies blood.
- Little Millet (Kutki) – Supports reproductive health in women.
- Barnyard Millet (Sanwa or Sama) – Heals internal soft organs like liver, pancreas, kidney.
- Foxtail Millet (Kangni) – Supports digestive health.
- Browntop Millet (Hari Kangni) – Detoxifies body from head to toe.
- Key rule: Must be soaked for 8 hours before cooking to avoid digestive issues.
How Amma Ji Prepares the Millets
- Soak for 8 hours, dry for 3 days, roast lightly, then grind.
- Adjust grinding coarseness for flour, semolina, or porridge.
- Uses a traditional wooden-and-stone mill for grinding.
Recipes and Usage
- As rice: Make pulao, biryani, lemon rice, tamarind rice.
- As flour: Prepare roti, paratha, puri, and pizza bases.
- As poha: Lightly rinse millet flakes and cook like traditional poha.
- Other ideas: Millet-based cookies using jaggery syrup, dosa, idli, uttapam.
Daily Quantity
- Only ~25 grams millet per person per meal (compared to 100g rice) due to high fiber.
- Combine with lots of vegetables, salads, lentils, and buttermilk for a complete meal.
Final Message
- Millet is not just food—it’s medicine.
- Anyone can reverse lifestyle diseases like diabetes with correct food habits.
- Encouragement to viewers: “Go to your kitchen, fix your diet, and take charge of your health.”
Conclusion
In a world where chronic illness often feels like a life sentence, stories like Ammaji’s are powerful reminders that healing is still possible — not from a pill, but from our plate.
Millets aren’t just grains. They are nature’s quiet miracle — ancient, humble, and waiting patiently to return to our kitchens. Through small changes, consistency, and a return to mindful, traditional eating, Ammaji not only reversed 30 years of diabetes but also reclaimed her freedom, her energy, and her vision — quite literally.
Her journey is a beacon of hope for anyone who feels trapped in the cycle of medicines and doctor visits. It tells us that health is not something to be managed, but something to be nurtured — with knowledge, courage, and a little bit of faith in the power of what we eat.
This isn’t just about millets. It’s about believing that your body can heal. It’s about choosing nourishment over convenience, roots over shortcuts, and resilience over resignation.
Let this be your beginning. Let this be your story.
You, too, can heal. One grain, one meal, one mindful choice at a time.
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