Patient guides
Patient guides
Plain-language guides on food, medicines and common hormone, thyroid and diabetes questions, written and reviewed by Dr. Santosha Mantha.
Food and nutrition
- Eating well with prediabetes: an Indian plate guideSimple, practical food changes for prediabetes using everyday Indian meals: the plate method, better carbohydrate choices and easy swaps.
- What to eat with diabetes: a practical Indian guideA practical guide to eating with diabetes using Indian foods: portions, carbohydrates, protein, snacks, sweets and drinks.
- Rice, roti or millets: choosing carbohydrates wiselyHow white rice, brown rice, wheat roti and millets compare for blood sugar, and why portion size matters more than the grain.
- Can people with diabetes eat fruit?Which fruits suit people with diabetes, how much to eat, the right time to have fruit and why juice is best avoided.
- Eating well with PCOSWhat helps when eating with PCOS: balanced meals, steady energy, and what to know about popular diets and supplements.
- Fasting with diabetes: how to stay safeHow to approach religious and festival fasts with diabetes: who should not fast, planning with your doctor, and when to break the fast.
- Thyroid and food: what matters and what is mythIodised salt, cabbage, soy, gluten and coffee: what food really matters for thyroid health and for people taking thyroid tablets.
- Eating for weight loss: a practical Indian guidePractical, sustainable food changes for weight loss using Indian meals: portions, protein, hidden calories and why crash diets fail.
- Food for strong bones: calcium, vitamin D and proteinEveryday Indian foods that provide calcium, why vitamin D and protein matter for bones, and when supplements are needed.
- Eating well on long-term steroid medicineHow long-term steroid tablets affect appetite, weight, blood sugar and bones, and the food choices that help limit these effects.
- Healthy eating for growing childrenWhat growing children need to eat, how to limit junk food without battles, and why height tonics and supplements do not increase height.
- Food, weight and testosteroneHow body weight, diet, alcohol and sleep affect testosterone, and why testosterone boosters and gym supplements can do more harm than good.
Diabetes and weight medicines
- GLP-1 and GIP medicines: how semaglutide and tirzepatide workHow GLP-1 and GIP medicines such as semaglutide and tirzepatide work, who they are for, what results to expect and how they are given.
- GLP-1 and GIP medicines: side effects and safetyCommon side effects of semaglutide and tirzepatide, how to reduce them, who should not take them, and the warning signs that need a doctor.
- Living with GLP-1 medicines: food, muscle and stopping treatmentHow to eat well, protect muscle and manage missed doses on semaglutide or tirzepatide, and what happens to weight when treatment stops.
Diabetes care
- What does your HbA1c mean?What HbA1c measures, what the numbers mean, what target is usual, and when the result can mislead. A plain-language guide from endocrinologist Dr. Santosha Mantha.
- Prediabetes: what it means and what to doPrediabetes means blood sugar is higher than normal but below the diabetes range. Learn the numbers, the risks and what helps.
- Type 1 and type 2 diabetes: what is the difference?Type 1 and type 2 diabetes have different causes and treatments. Learn how they differ and when the type needs checking.
- Low blood sugar (hypoglycaemia): causes and what to doWhat counts as low blood sugar, why it happens, how to treat it in the moment and when to see a specialist.
- Continuous glucose monitoring (CGM): who benefits?How a CGM sensor works, what the reports show, who benefits most and what its limits are.
Thyroid care
- Understanding your thyroid tests: TSH, T4, T3 and antibodiesWhat TSH, free T4, free T3 and thyroid antibodies show, and why a result needs repeating or reading in context.
- Underactive thyroid (hypothyroidism): signs and treatmentCommon symptoms of hypothyroidism, how it is diagnosed, and how thyroid hormone tablets are taken and monitored.
- Thyroid nodules: when do they need treatment?Most thyroid nodules are harmless. Learn how they are checked, what an ultrasound and needle test show, and when surgery is considered.
Obesity and metabolic care
- Why is weight loss so hard? The role of hormonesWhy the body resists weight loss, which medicines and conditions add weight, and what medically supervised treatment can offer.
- Insulin resistance explainedWhat insulin resistance is, the signs to look for, how it is assessed and the steps that improve it.
PCOS and women's hormonal health
Bone and calcium care
- Vitamin D deficiency: do you need a supplement?Why vitamin D deficiency is common in India, who should be tested, what the levels mean and why high doses need supervision.
- Osteoporosis: who should be tested?Osteoporosis is silent until a fracture. Learn the risk factors, how a bone density scan works and why causes are checked.
- High calcium and kidney stones: could it be your parathyroid?How an overactive parathyroid gland raises calcium, the symptoms to look for, the tests used and when surgery is advised.
Pituitary and adrenal care
- Too much or too little cortisol: signs of adrenal problemsSigns of too much cortisol (Cushing syndrome) or too little (adrenal insufficiency), how they are tested and why steroids must not stop suddenly.
- High prolactin: causes, symptoms and treatmentWhy prolactin may be raised, the symptoms in women and men, which tests are needed and how a prolactinoma is treated.
Endocrine care for children
- Short stature in children: when to worryMost short children are healthy. Learn the warning signs, why growth rate matters and what an assessment involves.
- Early puberty in girls and boys: what is normal?The normal age range for puberty, what counts as early, which signs need assessment and how early puberty is treated.
- Diabetes in children: warning signs parents should knowThe early signs of diabetes in children, the emergency signs of DKA and what care after diagnosis involves.
Men's hormonal health
These guides are general information and are not a substitute for a consultation.
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