Defeat Diabetes
This article is the last of our series of Diabetes related posts to close out Diabetes Awareness month this November.
A dose of prevention for you and your kids
Diabetes has become a full-blown epidemic in the U.S. and Canada. Twenty-six million people have been diagnosed with the disease; millions more unknowingly live with it. Among the newly diagnosed are children as young as age five.
The exponential rise of diabetes across North America is no mystery. It’s directly tied to our consumption of processed, refined foods, compounded by our increasingly sedentary lifestyle. If we return to a more natural way of eating and living, the vast majority of us need never worry about diabetes and its associated dangers — blindness, limb amputation, kidney failure, and premature death.
Switching to a healthier, more active lifestyle may pose an inconvenience. But it’s far outweighed by the inconvenience of having to live with a chronic disease.
What is diabetes?
Diabetes occurs when the pancreas doesn’t produce or doesn’t properly utilize insulin, the hormone that stores and releases blood sugar (glucose) for energy. It comes in two main forms: type 1 and type 2.
Type 1 diabetes (also known as juvenile or insulin-dependent diabetes) is the rarer form of the disease. In it, the beta cells of the pancreas are completely destroyed, requiring lifelong insulin injections. Experts still don’t know what causes type 1 diabetes.
Type 2 diabetes is far more common and, in some ways, more insidious. Experts agree on one of its main causes: over-consumption of simple carbohydrates, which are found in foods that contain refined sugar and refined grains such as white flour, rice, and bread.
How type 2 diabetes develops
One contributing factor to Type 2 Diabetes is the consumption of white bread. White bread is a byword for bland innocuousness. But ironically, it’s foods like white bread that give rise to type 2 diabetes.
When you eat a piece of white bread, it rapidly breaks down into blood sugar due to the dearth of fiber, protein, and essential fat. Your pancreas responds by secreting increased amounts of insulin. If you continue eating simple carbohydrates without sufficient fiber, protein, and essential fat, your body will keep secreting more and more insulin to cope with the surge in blood-sugar levels.
Too much insulin leads to two major health problems: it causes excess glucose to be stored as fat, contributing to weight gain; and it causes blood sugar to drop, a state known as hypoglycemia. To counter the symptoms of hypoglycemia — fatigue, moodiness, and mental fogginess — most people will consume sugary or starchy foods, prompting the vicious cycle to begin all over again.
The body gradually grows accustomed to these fluctuations in blood-sugar levels. As a result, the warning signs of impending disease may go unnoticed for months, even years.
Amid all the bad news, however, there is some good news: unlike type 1 diabetes, type 2 diabetes is preventable.
Help from whole foods
To keep blood sugar balanced, you should eat smaller meals that put less stress on your pancreas and, above all, reduce your daily intake of refined sugar and other simple carbohydrates.
Buy unprocessed, whole foods instead of packaged goods. Whole foods include unrefined grains, legumes, vegetables, fruit, nuts, and seeds. These are the most natural foods you can eat and contain an abundance of fiber and essential nutrients without refined sugar or any other unhealthy additives.
Eat as much fresh, raw food as possible. Vegetables contain more nutrients raw than cooked, since the heat of cooking destroys many vitamins and enzymes. Be sure to include fruit in your diet, as well: apples, pears, plums, peaches, cherries, and grapefruit are particularly beneficial. Given that fruit does contain natural sugars it’s important to consult your physician to understand how much fruit to eat on a daily basis.
Experiment with healthy foods
If eating this way is new to you, take the time to experiment with unfamiliar foods and recipes. Start your day with muesli made from raw oats instead of sugary breakfast cereals or baked goods. Try recipes with quinoa or kamut pasta, brown basmati rice, and bulgur wheat in place of the usual plain white rice and noodle dishes.
Read food labels to ascertain sugar content: some foods, such as pop, consist almost entirely of sugar. Use butter, nuts, seeds, fruits, and whole-grain snacks to replace baked goods and sweets.
If you must indulge your sweet tooth, small amounts of stevia and fructose are the best sugar substitutes. Artificial sugar substitutes, such as aspartame and saccharine, may actually promote weight gain and increase sugar cravings.
Get active
Along with eating well, exercise is also vital for preventing diabetes. Regular exercise stabilizes blood sugar levels and reduces the body’s need for insulin.
The best way to start an exercise regimen is slowly but regularly. Just 30 minutes of walking a day offers enormous health benefits and can help to balance blood-sugar levels.
By eating well and being active, you can avoid becoming another statistic and live the long, diabetes-free life you deserve.
Related Diabetes Awareness Month posts:
WalkingSpree’s 30 Days to ask “Why you should care about Diabetes” calendar.
For Diabetes Awareness Month, you can download WalkingSpree’s Diabetes Awareness calendar with walking tips for posting in your workplace or on your fridge as a reminder of the importance of every step you take.
