Preventing Diabetes
Diabetes is a widespread and persistent problem that affects millions of people worldwide. India for that matter is considered as the world capital of diabetes. There are two main types of diabetes - type 1 diabetes, in which the body does not produce insulin at all, and type 2 diabetes - in which the body does not produce enough insulin or the insulin that is produced, does not work properly to absorb sugar from our blood.
The scary fact is, one-fourth of people don’t know they have diabetes, given the complications of chronically high blood sugar: heart attack, stroke, sight-robbing eye disease, kidney failure, and foot amputation. Worse, millions of people suffer from pre-diabetes. Before diabetes is diagnosed, there is a period where blood sugar levels are high but not high enough to be diagnosed as diabetes. This is known as pre-diabetes.
Although there are certain factors you cannot change like your genes, age or past behaviour, you can take action by changing your lifestyle to reduce the risk of diabetes. Here a few things to keep in mind to reduce your risk of diabetes:
Exercise regularly
Exercise increases the insulin sensitivity of your cells. So when you exercise, less insulin is required to keep your blood sugar levels under control. Exercise can help you lose weight, lower your blood sugar, and boost your sensitivity to insulin, which helps keep your blood sugar within a normal range. Research shows that aerobic exercise and resistance training can help control diabetes. The greatest benefit comes from a fitness program that includes both.[1] However, it is best to choose the physical activity that you enjoy, and can engage in regularly.
Cut those sugars and refined carbs
Eating sugary foods and refined carbs can put at-risk individuals on the fast track to developing diabetes. In people with pre-diabetes, the body's cells are resistant to insulin's action, so sugar remains high in the blood. To compensate, the pancreas produces more insulin, attempting to bring blood sugar down to a healthy level.
This can lead to progressively higher blood sugar and insulin levels, until the condition eventually turns into type 2 diabetes. Replacing sugary and refined carbs food with foods that have less of an effect on blood sugar may help reduce your risk. Eating a plant-based, low-calorie diet by which includes fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and nuts & seeds will help you get on track to cutting out processed sugar and refined carbs.
Get plenty of fibre
Fibre can be divided into two broad categories: soluble and insoluble. Soluble fibre absorbs water, whereas insoluble fibre does not. In the digestive tract, soluble fibre and water form a gel that slows down the rate at which food is absorbed. This leads to a more gradual rise in blood sugar levels. However, insoluble fibre has also been linked to reductions in blood sugar levels and a decreased risk of diabetes. [2] Foods high in fibre include fruits, vegetables, beans, whole grains and nuts. As an added bonus, you may be able to stay full longer on the correct portion sizes than you would if you were eating more refined foods. What is crucial is choosing the more suitable source for fibre from the available options. What can be a better choice than a wholesome high fibre soup or even a fruit that tastes and feels just like meat? Check out our Fybur All-Natural Instant Soup & Vegan Meat.
Take natural herbs
There are a few herbs that may help increase insulin sensitivity and reduce the likelihood of diabetes progression one of which is curcumin. Curcumin is a component of turmeric. Research has shown that curcumin can be very effective against arthritis and may help reduce inflammatory markers in people with pre-diabetes. There is also impressive evidence that it may decrease insulin resistance and reduce the risk of diabetes progression. Curcumin is widely available in a supplement form which makes it easier for us to gain benefits of this powerful herb. You can try our vegan Curcu-Free, curcumin supplement.
Optimize Vitamin D levels
Vitamin D is a fat-soluble and plays many important roles in the body, and helps you maintain healthy bones, joints, and teeth, as well as a well-functioning immune system. Apart from that, it may help with everything from athletic performance to heart disease, and may even help protect against type 2 diabetes. Indeed, studies have found that people who do not get enough vitamin D, or whose blood levels are too low, have a greater risk of all types of diabetes.[3] Due to the high pollution rate, decrease in quality of environment and our urban surroundings, the availability of this vitamin has decreased or almost nullified. Supplementing essential vitamins has become more of a necessity in today’s time. For an all-natural supplement form of vitamin D3, you can read more about our D-veg Caps & B12-D3 Caps.
Drink more water
Water is by far the most natural beverage you can drink. Drinking water most of the time helps you avoid beverages that are high in sugar, preservatives and other questionable ingredients. Cut them out of your diet and the risk of diabetes as well as obesity, will fall. For people with diabetes, the risk of dehydration is greater, because higher than normal blood glucose levels depletes fluids. To get rid of the glucose, the kidneys will try to pass it out through urine, but that takes water. So the higher your blood glucose, the more fluids you should drink, which is why thirst is one of the main symptoms of diabetes.
Rather than viewing pre-diabetes as a stepping stone to diabetes, it may be helpful to see it as a motivator for making changes that can help reduce your risk.
Our lifestyle and food choices can either prevent or promote the risk of diabetes.
References:
2. https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/prevent-diabetes#section9
3. https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/prevent-diabetes#section10