By
Aidan Bertie
Diabetes is a growing cause of concern amongst the people in the
world today. About 347 million people in the world suffer from this
disease. Diagnosis of the same is on the rise, especially in developing
countries owing to increasingly high levels of obesity and physical
inactivity in many of the individuals. By the year 2030, diabetes could
be the seventh leading cause of global deaths, while, as per the World
Health Organization, the next ten years could see a rise in the number
of deaths due to diabetes by fifty percent and above.
Diabetes is known as a silent killer, with some patients exhibiting absolutely no signs or any sort of weakness, until the last stage. Therefore it becomes highly important that you consult your doctor on a regular basis and undergo health check-ups to examine if you have diabetes or if your body is prone to high sugar levels. Once it is detected, it makes sense to take a lot of care and pay yourself extra attention; especially by changing your lifestyle and food habits and by devoting ample time for doing body exercises and going for long walks so that you can control the high glucose levels within your body. Do remember that carbohydrates play a major role in affecting those sugar levels.
Diabetes and Healthy Food Choices
The first thing that you must do is to drink sufficient quantities of water and flush out the toxins from your body. If you are a habitual alcoholic, restrain yourself from hard drinks on an urgent basis. Very sweet drinks are to be avoided (for example, sweet liqueurs), as they are more likely to be rapidly absorbed in the body and it is therefore best to avoid the same.
Alcohol can not only lower but also increase the glucose levels in the body. It all depends upon whether it is consumed along with food; how much of the alcohol is consumed by the human body and whether drinking it is a daily habit. Also, fruits are recommended instead of juices as they have fibers in them and aid in the digestion process. Avoid sugar-sweetened drinks if you have diabetes.
Try to eat small meals after every four hours. Each time, do consume very minute portions of carbohydrates. Completely resist eating high sugar or calorie foods. Choose those foods that are low in their fat-content.
Your ideal one-time-meal should contain:
1. Non-starchy vegetables.
2. Carbohydrates to the tune of one- fourth of your plate. (Eating a lot of carbohydrates can shoot up your blood glucose levels).
3. Proteins to the tune of one- fourth of your plate
Vegetables and fruits of different colors and varieties should be eaten. Whole grain foods, non-starchy vegetables, dried beans and lentils are recommended. While cooking, liquid oils in low proportions should be given preference over solid fats. Wherever possible, eat fruits/ vegetables with their skins.
Cakes, biscuits, all sugars and sweet drinks can contribute to the rise in your blood- glucose levels.
In short, you can lower your diabetes risk by consuming black tea, turmeric, going for brisk walks lasting for about 45 minutes to one hour and by exercising on a daily basis. Inclusion of aerobic exercises and resistance- training also helps a lot to increase insulin sensitivity. Aim for a small weight loss; this could be about 7% of your present body- weight to reduce your obesity. This will also lower the risk of high- sugar levels. Eat foods that are high in fibers like fruits, vegetables, beans, seeds and nuts. Consuming fish two to three times a week is recommended. Avoid smoking.
Some recent studies advocate that Vitamin K helps in the reduction of systemic inflammation in the body and this may increase the capacity of the body to use insulin. This Vitamin is found in dark green leafy vegetables, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, etc.
Diabetes is known as a silent killer, with some patients exhibiting absolutely no signs or any sort of weakness, until the last stage. Therefore it becomes highly important that you consult your doctor on a regular basis and undergo health check-ups to examine if you have diabetes or if your body is prone to high sugar levels. Once it is detected, it makes sense to take a lot of care and pay yourself extra attention; especially by changing your lifestyle and food habits and by devoting ample time for doing body exercises and going for long walks so that you can control the high glucose levels within your body. Do remember that carbohydrates play a major role in affecting those sugar levels.
Diabetes and Healthy Food Choices
The first thing that you must do is to drink sufficient quantities of water and flush out the toxins from your body. If you are a habitual alcoholic, restrain yourself from hard drinks on an urgent basis. Very sweet drinks are to be avoided (for example, sweet liqueurs), as they are more likely to be rapidly absorbed in the body and it is therefore best to avoid the same.
Alcohol can not only lower but also increase the glucose levels in the body. It all depends upon whether it is consumed along with food; how much of the alcohol is consumed by the human body and whether drinking it is a daily habit. Also, fruits are recommended instead of juices as they have fibers in them and aid in the digestion process. Avoid sugar-sweetened drinks if you have diabetes.
Try to eat small meals after every four hours. Each time, do consume very minute portions of carbohydrates. Completely resist eating high sugar or calorie foods. Choose those foods that are low in their fat-content.
Your ideal one-time-meal should contain:
1. Non-starchy vegetables.
2. Carbohydrates to the tune of one- fourth of your plate. (Eating a lot of carbohydrates can shoot up your blood glucose levels).
3. Proteins to the tune of one- fourth of your plate
Vegetables and fruits of different colors and varieties should be eaten. Whole grain foods, non-starchy vegetables, dried beans and lentils are recommended. While cooking, liquid oils in low proportions should be given preference over solid fats. Wherever possible, eat fruits/ vegetables with their skins.
Cakes, biscuits, all sugars and sweet drinks can contribute to the rise in your blood- glucose levels.
In short, you can lower your diabetes risk by consuming black tea, turmeric, going for brisk walks lasting for about 45 minutes to one hour and by exercising on a daily basis. Inclusion of aerobic exercises and resistance- training also helps a lot to increase insulin sensitivity. Aim for a small weight loss; this could be about 7% of your present body- weight to reduce your obesity. This will also lower the risk of high- sugar levels. Eat foods that are high in fibers like fruits, vegetables, beans, seeds and nuts. Consuming fish two to three times a week is recommended. Avoid smoking.
Some recent studies advocate that Vitamin K helps in the reduction of systemic inflammation in the body and this may increase the capacity of the body to use insulin. This Vitamin is found in dark green leafy vegetables, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, etc.
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