A

de Rai is Indonesia's most famous bodybuilder and a passionate advocate of good nutrition and a healthy lifestyle. As a big man with a lot to say, he enjoys going against stereotypes.

Every second week he will be offering professional advice through this column.

Hi Ade Rai,

I enjoy your column very much: It's eye-opening and you tell it like it is. I have type I diabetes, which makes me insulin dependent.

There is very little information about how to live a healthy lifestyle with this type of diabetes.

Could you give me some tips? I really appreciate your taking time to answer.

Ryan M, Jakarta

Hi Ryan,

Thank you for writing in. I am glad you enjoy this column. Before I answer, allow me to make it clear these are suggestions based on my own limited knowledge and analysis of your situation.

It should not serve as medical advice, and I urge you to consult your physician before starting any exercise or nutritional program.

Type I diabetes is a condition where pancreas produces large amounts of insulin to clear the blood of sugar from food. With the absence of food, blood sugar dips too low, causing hypoglycemia, which may lead to death if not properly treated with quick carbohydrate consumption.

However, on eating blood sugar can soar too high and may need a prescribed amount of insulin injection to control it. So it is a delicate condition that needs proper care and attention.

Type I diabetes accounts for 10 percent of diabetes cases, with the rest being the lifestyle-induced type II diabetes, often called diabetes mellitus.

I suggest the following tips:

1. Time your meals and adhere to the schedule carefully.

From my observations of other people in a similar position, eating a small meal every few hours to keep the blood sugar stable seems the best way to go.

Three square meals with two or three healthy snacks in between each meal may seem like a good start. With your condition in mind, I would go so far as to suggest you work your schedule around your meal plan, not the other way around.

2. Choose complex and fiber-rich carbohydrates over fast-acting simple ones.

You need to also consume ample amount of complex carbohydrates from brown rice, oatmeal, whole grains and seeds, bran and colorful vegetables. These carbohydrates provide a slow release of sugar into the blood, hence keeping it more stable than quickly absorbed carbohydrates such as sweets. Your carbohydrate intake at every meal should be about the size of your fist, and as for vegetables, aim for a bowl of salad with every meal.

3. Have some lean protein with every meal.

You also need a good portion of protein to go with your carbohydrates. Protein is known to slow down the release of sugar (from carbohydrates) into the blood, hence further helping to stabilize your blood sugar. The protein portion for each meal should be about the size of your palm.

4. Exercise regularly by doing resistance training followed by aerobics training.

Resistance training uses blood sugar as energy, so could put you into hypoglycemic state quickly. However, if you do it after at least two meals, you should be fine for a 30-40-minute session. With the large amount of insulin circulating in your body, over time your insulin may lose sensitivity, meaning the dosage of your insulin shot may need periodic adjustments.

Resistance training is a great way to keep your insulin sensitive, hence it is my speculation that resistance training may keep your insulin dosage to a minimum. Insulin is also the mother hormone that instructs our body to store fat, which is where the aerobics training comes in.

Aerobics training, especially when done immediately after a good resistance-training session, is a great way to burn stored body fat and keep it in the healthy range, around 10 to 20 percent for adult men or 20 to 30 percent for adult women. The added benefits of doing aerobics training are a stronger heart and better function of the lungs.

There you have it, Ryan. Hope you can take these suggestions to your physician and ask for his or her recommendations according to your physique. I wish you all the best with the cards you have been dealt in life. Stay strong and healthy.

Hi Ade,

I am a fan of yours. I would like to know what you have been up to lately. Could you kindly shed some light on your activities and where I can catch up with you, please? Thank so much for a wonderful column.

Bella, Jakarta

Hi Bella,

Thank you very much for your kind words. I am currently keeping myself busy setting up my new gym in Bandung, RAI Fitness Premier. It is scheduled to open in October and we are planning to open with a special promotional package for all who register for membership before opening.

I am also launching my first book and CD package Tingkatkan Fitness IQ Anda - Rahasia Tuntas Bakar Lemak dan Gaya Hidup Sehat (Increase Your Fitness IQ - The Complete Guide to Burning Fat and Healthy Living).

A full-day seminar with the same title will take place on the day of the book launch, with gym membership pre-sales also available.

These will take place on Sunday, Aug. 2, from 9.30 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Hotel Aston Tropicana, Jl. Cihampelas no. 125-129. Please drop by and say "hello" at the seminar or the book launch. Hope to see you all there.