Remembering November: Our behaviours and the chances of Diabetes.

This article is designed to mark the World Diabetes Day (November 14) and therefore I would like to highlight a few things especially the behavioural attributes that increase the risk of getting diabetes. Permit me to ask this: what is diabetes?  Diabetes is a disease that sets in when the blood sugar level in the body is high. This is mostly because the body is either unable to produce enough insulin or in some cases, the body does not effectively utilise the insulin it produces. So basically, Diabetes is regulated when the blood sugar levels are effectively controlled and this can be either through medical intervention or through dietary intervention or both.

Soft Drinks for quenching thirst.

In often times, one of the unhealthy eating behaviours that increases the risk of diabetes is the frequent intake of soft drinks. These sugar-sweetened beverages are usually high in sugar in the form of glucose or fructose or sucrose and other forms of added sugars which are mostly synthetic. Let me explain; what happens when you take in a lot of the sugar is that, the body is not able to assimilate all of it completely and therefore most of it is kept within the blood and this eventually becomes very dangerous to your health. Although soft drinks provide readily available energy for the body to utilise, unfortunately most people are unaware that the prolonged frequent intakes of soft drinks can increases their risk of getting Diabetes.

So what do you do when you crave for soft drinks? The reality is, there are times that one feels so thirsty that it is like ‘you need a drink”.  I will advise that moderation is key. You don’t have to take in too much of everything. Another question cropping up is, so how much is too much? In answering this, let’s look at some dietary recommendations.  A number of countries have researched and come up sugar intake limits per day. It will be helpful for you to find out the sugar limit intake in your country and bear that in mind. Also, it is worthy to note that some of these of drinks contain caffeine, preservatives and other synthetic additives that are not necessarily good for your health.

Carbohydrate-rich foods in diet

There has been a growing controversy on whether carbohydrate-rich foods are associated with increased onset of Diabetes. It is worthy to note that there are starchy and no-starchy carbohydrates. Starchy carbohydrates include fresh potatoes, bread, rice and yam (an African staple).  On the other hand, fruits, vegetables, pulses and seeds are considered non-starchy. Therefore, having the right combinations of such foods to accompany adequate portions of the starchy foods are much more helpful for the body.

It is advisable to consume a combination of the starchy with the non-starchy carbohydrate foods. This will help reduce the quantity of starch consumed and in effect, will help in controlling blood sugar levels in the body. Also, it is much healthier to consume unpolished grains instead of polished ones. Unpolished grains are rich in dietary fibre and these are very helpful in aiding digestive processes.

Useful tips to help you reduce your risk of Diabetes

Bear in mind that your dietary lifestyle is an important factor in helping you guard against Diabetes onset. Also, it is important to maintain a healthy bodyweight. Furthermore, you are reminded that physical activity is vital for good health; pursue it daily.

Reduce your intakes of sugary foods, opt for low glycemic index starchy carbohydrate which include: vegetables, fruits, unpolished grains, plant-based milk products such as almond milk and soy milk, lentils and quinoa seeds.  Practice portion control; reducing your portion sizes is very helpful in effective body weight management and this is also very helpful in Diabetes management.

Eat right, live in a healthy manner.

#Pearlie.