Diabetes, Diet Myths & Indian Nutrition: Smarter Blood Sugar

Diabetes and weight management are surrounded by confusion, cultural challenges, and diet myths. In this episode of the ANEW Insight Podcast, Dr. Supatra Tovar sits down with Vandana Sheth—registered dietitian, nutritionist, certified diabetes care and education specialist, seasoned media contributor, and author of My Indian Table—to explore practical, culturally sensitive strategies for preventing and managing diabetes.

Drawing on nearly three decades of clinical experience, Vandana shares how traditional foods, plant-based proteins, and balanced plates can help stabilize blood sugar, support sustainable weight goals, and promote lifelong wellness. Growing up in India, Vandana saw firsthand how food is more than fuel—it’s love, tradition, and identity. But with India now called the “diabetes capital of the world,” she unpacks the lifestyle and genetic factors that place South Asians at higher risk, even at lower body weights.

Together, Dr. Tovar and Vandana cut through common misconceptions:

• Is diabetes really about “too many carbs”?
• Can saturated fat and excess protein worsen insulin resistance?
• What role do traditional spices, lentils, and vegetables play in blood sugar management?
• How should people balance protein, fiber, and whole grains while still enjoying cultural favorites?
  
  

This conversation also dives into plant-based proteins like tofu, lentils, beans, and edamame, revealing why they provide not only complete amino acids but also fiber, gut health benefits, and cholesterol-free nutrition. Vandana addresses the risks of over-consuming protein, the hidden dangers of “skinny fat,” and why stress management is just as important as dietary change in preventing metabolic disease.

🔑 What You’ll Learn in This Episode

• The cultural and genetic factors behind rising diabetes rates in South Asian communities.
• Why saturated fat—not just carbs—plays a major role in insulin resistance.
• How to build a simple “balanced plate” for blood sugar control and sustainable weight loss.
• Plant-based protein sources that rival (and often outperform) animal protein.
• Common diet myths about carbs, fat, and protein—and what the science really shows.
• Small lifestyle shifts that lower blood sugar: colorful vegetables, short walks, and stress reduction.

🕒 Timestamps
 00:00 – Welcome & introduction to Vandana Sheth
 02:00 – Growing up in India and discovering the power of food
 05:00 – Why diabetes rates are rising in South Asian communities
 08:00 – Fat, insulin resistance, and the “skinny fat” problem
 12:00 – Balanced plates for blood sugar & weight management
 14:00 – Plant-based proteins explained: tofu, edamame, lentils
 18:00 – How much protein do you really need? Debunking the 100g myth
 20:00 – Dangers of protein overconsumption: kidney strain, gout, missing nutrients
 23:00 – Simple changes: colorful veggies, post-meal walks, stress relief
 26:00 – Tr

Thank you for joining us on this journey to wellness. Remember, the insights and advice shared on the ANEW Body Insight Podcast are for educational and informational purposes only and do not constitute medical advice. Always consult with a healthcare professional before making any changes to your health routine. To learn more about the podcast and stay updated on new episodes, visit ANEW Body Insight Podcast at anew-insight.com. To watch this episode on YouTube, visit @my.anew.insight. Follow us on social media at @my.anew.insight on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and Threads for more updates and insights. Thank you for tuning in! Stay connected with us for more empowering stories and expert guidance. Until next time, stay well and keep evolving with ANEW Body Insight!

Transcript

dr--supatra-tovar_3_06-30-2025_132404: 0:00

Hi, I am so excited to have registered dietician, nutritionist, and certified diabetes care and education specialist, seasoned media contributor and author Vandana Sheth with us today, Vandana, welcome. Me too. I cannot wait to pick your brain, especially on all things diabetes, weight management kind of debunking certain diet myths, things like that. I just cannot wait to pick your brain. Before that, I'm gonna read a little bit about Vandana, and then we're gonna get into our questions. Vandana Sheth is a Los Angeles based registered dietician, nutritionist, and certified diabetes care and education specialist with nearly three decades of experience, she specializes in vegetarian and intuitive eating. Family nutrition and culturally sensitive diabetes management. Van Vandana passionately integrates her Indian heritage into her practice, empowering clients with dietary strategies rooted in traditional foods to help manage blood sugar, support, weight goals, and promote lifelong wellness. She is a seasoned media contributor and is the author of My Indian Table, Quick and Tasty Vegetarian Recipes. Wanda welcome. That's exactly, these are all my favorite things. So I love to delve into people's inspiration, what brought them into their field, what was the kind of the defining moment, and then what led you to, you know, really focus on diabetes and weight management? Oh, I love it. I mean, I, I can relate, although my mom is Thai, my dad is American. I grew up with that same just passion and love for food, for cooking, um, for how food makes me feel in my body, especially, you know, when it is homemade and, you know, just full of amazing ingredients and oh my goodness, Indian food is one of my favorites.

vandana-sheth_1_06-30-2025_132404: 0:04

Yeah, so it almost was a natural progression. Um. I saw a lot of family members dealing with diabetes. Diabetes is a huge concern for people of the South Asian community. Um, India, unfortunately now is the diabetes capital of the world, so it's a staggering statistic. And so seeing how people were, sort of eating healthy, being vegetarian, but having this huge risk for diabetes, it almost didn't make sense. And so that was one of my driving forces and desire to help people in the community. And heart disease is another huge risk factor, uh, with the South Asian community. So those were the two. specific conditions that drew me in. It's overall metabolic health and more and more research is showing that really, um, food can play a huge role in how we can prevent certain conditions as well as manage them without necessarily going on medications or cutting back on medications. Can you gimme a picture of why, what is it in Indian cuisine itself that's contributing to diabetes? Especially, you know, when you are more of a vegetarian community and vegetarians, you know, kind of more on the whole don't tend to develop diabetes. So more added salt, added sugar into food products, less fiber. Um. on the go. So it's just lifestyle factors that have changed. Stress has gone up significantly. Um, many Indian families used to have multiple generations live close together, and now it's not the case, so you don't have that support as well. Um, so those are all, you know, environmental lifestyle factors, but also genetically there's a predisposition. We are now understanding that the way, um, the Indian body processes food, there are different theories as to why that might be the case. But Indian clients or Indian American clients often tend to have a higher risk of insulin resistance at a lower body size. You know, they might look healthy on the, um, outside, but when we look at their panel, they might be at higher risk for insulin resistance at an earlier stage, at a lower BMI. So some of the guidelines are changing. There's a lot of, uh, research being done. There are some huge studies being done with Indian Americans that are definitely pulling some of this data together. So more added salt, added sugar into food products, less fiber. Um. on the go. So it's just lifestyle factors that have changed. Stress has gone up significantly. Um, many Indian families used to have multiple generations live close together, and now it's not the case, so you don't have that support as well. Um, so those are all, you know, environmental lifestyle factors, but also genetically there's a predisposition. We are now understanding that the way, um, the Indian body processes food, there are different theories as to why that might be the case. But Indian clients or Indian American clients often tend to have a higher risk of insulin resistance at a lower body size. You know, they might look healthy on the, um, outside, but when we look at their panel, they might be at higher risk for insulin resistance at an earlier stage, at a lower BMI. So some of the guidelines are changing. There's a lot of, uh, research being done. There are some huge studies being done with Indian Americans that are definitely pulling some of this data together. And when we have that, what they've been showing is that the fat itself kind of leaks out of the bloodstream and towards the muscle cells where the insulin receptors are, and they start to gum up the insulin receptors. So then glucose can't be delivered to the cells. So when we're seeing that we're, you know, I think a lot of doctors are telling their clients, stop eating carbs, eat more protein, So that's why it's really important for anyone in the South Asian community if you have a strong family history to actually get tested earlier, get some of those baseline numbers so that we know where we need to make a difference. And then you see people really struggling on these diets, especially having low energy, you know, having way too much fat in their diet, gaining weight, having to stay on these medications. So let's clear the air, what would be your recommendations, whatever culture we're in. And we definitely want to be culturally sensitive and, you know, not, not, um, whitewash, uh, people's dietary preferences. So when it comes to anyone pre-diabetes or diabetes, the plate can be a simple visual fill half your plate with colorful vegetables. Let's get lots of fiber in there. And we all tend to get stuck in a, you know, sort of rut where we eat the same vegetables every week, but let's vary it up. Let's get different colors on your plate and you can do a combination of cooked and raw.

dr--supatra-tovar_3_06-30-2025_132404: 0:12

between vegetarian or vegan, nutrition and some are not nutritious at all. Um, talk about. I, I hear so many people like, where am I gonna get my protein if I can't get it from animal sources?

vandana-sheth_1_06-30-2025_132404: 0:13

it's not that difficult. All plants have amino acids that give us protein in different levels. So when we think of higher protein sources with plant-based foods, soy. So, tofu, Tempe, um, soy milk can be great options. Just one. Um, when you look at the block of tofu that you buy, that can have about five servings, and each serving can have eight to 14 grams of protein. So that's a huge, like, so one block can have anywhere from 60 or more grams of protein, Or you can have dry roasted edamame. Just a third of a cup can give you 14 grams protein, which is more than two eggs.

dr--supatra-tovar_3_06-30-2025_132404: 0:15

Absolutely. And to note too, um, the fiber that you see from a lot of these, uh, you know, beans and legumes and other kinds of whole grains too, um, provide, uh, butyrate, which is really helpful for our mental health and our mood. So you get that, you get the vitamins, you get the minerals, you kind of getting the complete package. Especially if you're not, I mean, and many of these people do not have energy. I think probably because they're not ingesting enough carbohydrate to give them energy. So let's help people out there, especially if you are on one of these medications, how much protein do you actually need? And. What can we do to help people and support people who are on these medications, who are experiencing a wide variety of, you know, symptoms, especially low energy, poor mood, um, hair falling out, all of these kinds of things.

vandana-sheth_1_06-30-2025_132404: 0:17

I love when a client comes to me with a medication that they're on so that we can pair that medication with the educations that customized for them. Generally speaking, yes. I do recommend more protein for my clients who are on these medications because that is important. I do see a lot of, um, muscle loss weakness in my clients, and so that's why I do emphasize protein. As far as how much goes, uh, into your diet, again, it depends on you as an individual, but I would say if you can average it out to about 20 grams, 20 to 30 grams. Per meal. If you can get even 20 grams per meal three times a day, that right there is close to 60 grams. And we know the guidelines are where an average, um, woman needs about 42 to 46 grams of protein a day.

dr--supatra-tovar_3_06-30-2025_132404: 0:18

Absolutely, and I think people aren't counting the protein that they're getting from plants, so they think that they're not getting enough, but they might be getting more than enough. Um, and I, you know, I think the blanket 100 grams. I'm not sure where that came from, but generally the guidelines are 0.8 grams per kilogram of body weight.

vandana-sheth_1_06-30-2025_132404: 0:19

So first of all, if you're eating an abundance of protein, uh, depends on which source, right? Plant-based protein is still going to give you the fiber and the carbs and fiber. One of the positives is that fiber that comes from plant-based foods is actually great food for your gut bacteria. So it can actually do good things for your gut health as well. Um, so I'm not as concerned when it comes from whole foods, from plant-based foods, but when we are talking about animal protein, it can be higher in fat, higher in cholesterol. Um. That can be, you know, it can have an effect, not just in terms of your overall calories. You might not realize you're actually getting more calories than you need. Any excess calorie is going to eventually affect your weight, so keep that in mind. Second is, if you're over consuming protein, animal protein, you're cutting back on some of the key nutrients we need from vegetables and fruits and whole grains, so you're missing out on some of those nutrients. And third is potentially there's a chance on risk for your kidneys if your kidney is starting to feel overstrained. If you're healthy, most likely your body's gonna be able to process it. But still, it's nice to get a balanced way of eating so that your body gets excited with all these different nutrients that your body needs to break down, especially when it comes from whole foods. So first of all, if you're eating an abundance of protein, uh, depends on which source, right? Plant-based protein is still going to give you the fiber and the carbs and fiber. One of the positives is that fiber that comes from plant-based foods is actually great food for your gut bacteria. So it can actually do good things for your gut health as well. Um, so I'm not as concerned when it comes from whole foods, from plant-based foods, but when we are talking about animal protein, it can be higher in fat, higher in cholesterol. Um. That can be, you know, it can have an effect, not just in terms of your overall calories. You might not realize you're actually getting more calories than you need. Any excess calorie is going to eventually affect your weight, so keep that in mind. Second is, if you're over consuming protein, animal protein, you're cutting back on some of the key nutrients we need from vegetables and fruits and whole grains, so you're missing out on some of those nutrients. And third is potentially there's a chance on risk for your kidneys if your kidney is starting to feel overstrained. If you're healthy, most likely your body's gonna be able to process it. But still, it's nice to get a balanced way of eating so that your body gets excited with all these different nutrients that your body needs to break down, especially when it comes from whole foods. And a big part of that is, you know, if you look at the standard American plate, half, if not more. Is usually your main or your animal protein. And this is where we're seeing a lot of problems. And if you look at different cultures that don't have that emphasis or uh, more plant forward, you see fewer incidences of disease. You can reverse diabetes with it as well, which I think is just absolutely amazing. So I just wanna get the word out. Um, okay, so let's pivot a little. I have more. When you're working with somebody with type two diabetes. Um, or that they have been diagnosed with pre-diabetes, what are the first very small, meaningful changes that they can make in their eating habits? when we can the more colorful, the better, right? That's one easy step. They can remember that. is, let's make sure we are going for a walk after we eat. It doesn't have to be a mile. It can be even five to 10 minutes just moving your body. Right after you eat can be a great way for your body, for your muscles to absorb that food that's converting to sugar and help your insulin be more sensitive. And when that is continued over time, that's when you also see a lot more propensity towards disease. So. I talk about this all the time, and this is a big reason why I went on to study clinical psychology, is that a lot of people have thought in the past that mental health and physical health are separate, and they're absolutely 100% not how we think what we do, how we handle stress directly affects our health. Actually they're the same. They're not that different. Um, when you think about it, if. Again, it's not necessarily connected all the time because I do have clients who think if their physician tells them, okay, just lose some weight, so your A1C improves, it's not always the case. Weight loss is not the only to measure progress.

dr--supatra-tovar_3_06-30-2025_132404: 0:26

Absolutely. Um, so what are some examples of some traditional foods that people often overlook, but actually can help stabilize blood sugar and support their health.

vandana-sheth_1_06-30-2025_132404: 0:27

I see clients who come to me and say, oh, I, I know I can't have that anymore. And that's absolutely not true. There are so many traditional Indian foods that can be both delicious and good for your management of blood sugar. So for example, lentils and beans are a big part of Indian culture. The spices we use, turmeric, coriander, cumin, um, the Garam masala. Many of these warming spices have been looked at through research as positive for blood sugar management. Traditional vegetables like bitter melon, fenugreek leaves, these again have been looked at and more and more data is showing that they can help with blood sugar management. Vegetables like okra are very common in Indian cooking. Eggplant, another vegetable that's very common, both of these have a lot of that soluble fiber. That can help with feeling satisfied, improving your lipid panel, your cholesterol, as well as blood sugar. So easy ways to incorporate your traditional foods. That can also be good for you. It's meant to ha like white jasmine rice. You got, I mean. I'm sorry, mom, you can't give me brown rice with my curry. But if you are incorporating so many vegetables, which, which, you know, curries tend to have, you can help balance that out and you don't have to, you know. Say no to all of your favorite cultural foods.