When you go shopping for food items and edibles at the supermarket, which of the aisle do you spend time in? Fresh food aisle, canned food aisle, soft drinks/alcohol aisle or bread and baked food aisle?
At the end of this article, you should be able to tell if your food choices and lifestyle is damaging or putting you at risk of developing avoidable diseases.
Let’s talk about diabetes for a bit. The general knowledge or myth out there is that you only get diabetes when you consume too much-refined sugar and processed food. I’m sorry to burst that myth. There are a couple of things that cause diabetes and you may have unconsciously put yourself at risk of getting it.
What is diabetes?
Diabetes Miletus is a group of disease that affects how your body uses blood sugar. Diabetes occurs when your blood sugar (glucose) is too high. Glucose is the body’s main source of energy, which means glucose is essential as it is also responsible for powering cells that grow muscles and enhance brain function. Some individuals are naturally predisposed to this disease while some others slowly develop it from prediabetes until it becomes full-blown diabetes.
Types of diabetes
There are basically 2 types of diabetes. Type 1 and type 2 diabetes but there is also gestational diabetes and this is associated with pregnancy and goes away after pregnancy.
Type 1 diabetes
About 10 per cent of people with diabetes have type 1 diabetes and this has nothing to do with lifestyle, it just happens. in Type 1 diabetes your immune system attacks the insulin-producing cells in your body so you can’t produce insulin anymore. Insulin is very essential because it allows the glucose in the blood to get into the cells and other areas where it’s needed. So, when you hear high blood sugar it means you are either consuming too many carbs than your body needs for fuel and so it stays in your blood or the glucose isn’t just entering the cells because your body isn’t producing insulin.
Type 2 diabetes
Type 2 diabetes accounts for 90 per cent of diabetes cases. Here, the insulin does not work properly or your pancreas is not producing enough insulin. And this is caused by genes and several lifestyle factors.
Habits that puts you at risk
Obesity: a large percentage of diabetics are overweight, when a person has too much abdominal fat, the pancreas will have a hard time releasing insulin and may also become insulin resistant. We know how important insulin is. So, control your body weight or make efforts to drop a few pounds, this will reduce your risk of having diabetes.
Too much soda: although too much consumption of sugar may not directly cause diabetes, The sugar in sodas easily gets digested in the body and may cause the blood sugar level to spike as well as lead to insulin resistance. Soda and carbonated drinks also lead to more sugar cravings which is not only a risk factor for diabetes. It causes weight gain and visceral fat in the midsection.
Excessive drinking of alcohol: Beer and wine contain carbohydrates that can cause your blood sugar to rise and alcohol stimulates your appetite, it makes you hungry and may cause you to make poor unhealthy food choices.
Excess starch and refined carbs: starch is mostly from carbs and carbs contain sugar that is then converted into glucose which provides the primary source of energy for your body. Diabetes occurs when your blood glucose is high, this means that you need to cut down on your carbs consumption and monitor your sugar level regularly. Refined carbs should be avoided as much as possible. Instead go for whole grains and complex carbs. Refined carbs will spike your insulin level and make you hungry very quick but complex carbs take time to digest and so, your body can properly use it for energy.
Midnight munching: you need to stop late-night snacking because every time you eat, your insulin level goes high and you need to correct this especially if you are pre-diabetic or insulin-resistant, eat only 3 or 2 regular meals with no snack in-between or later at night. Also note that snacking doesn’t necessarily mean unhealthy foods, avoid anything that is not a proper meal. This will help your weight and health generally.
Not eating vegetables: it is always advised that you eat a balanced diet and incorporate fruits and vegetables into your diet. Vegetables contain certain vitamins and properties that can improve your well being and overall health. There are certain fruits and vegetables with low sugar content and high antioxidants that you should eat regularly which are also good for diabetics.
Not hydrating enough: dehydration can lead to a high blood sugar level, when your sugar level is high your kidneys will naturally try to excrete the excess glucose through urine and taking enough water makes this process easier. But when you don’t take enough water the urination process will still take place but you can get so dehydrated and may even go into a coma from the dehydration and your sugar level will spike even further. Make drinking of water a habit from this moment on.
You don’t manage stress well: although stress is not directly linked to diabetes, but when you are stressed, your body releases cortisol which is a stress hormone and cortisol counterbalances the activity of insulin which in turn leads to the production of more glucose than your body needs at a time. You are also likely to reach out for comfort food when you are stressed, thereby making you eat more junk food. Learn to manage your stress levels either by exercising or doing other activities to take your mind off the stress.
Takeaway
Diabetes is a life-threatening disease as it can also lead to other health complications involving the nerves, cardiovascular system, kidneys etc. it is also difficult and expensive to manage, that is why it is important you know the risk factors and how to prevent them.
Make it a habit to check your blood sugar often especially if you have a family member who already has diabetes, chances are you may be predisposed to having it as well.
If you have a bad eating habit, you also need to monitor your sugar level because you may be walking around with an extremely high sugar level in the prediabetic stage and not know until symptoms begin to show. One of the symptoms is fatigue but Don’t wait for the symptoms to show, diabetes can be reversed when caught at the prediabetic stage.
The best way to handle prediabetes is exercise and dieting, very simple steps that require self-motivation as no drug or doctor will be able to do this for you.
If you are having unusual frequent urination, fatigue, dizziness and blurry vision which are signs of diabetes, please make an appointment with your doctor. Take your health seriously and live a happy life.