Let's Chat: Type 2 Diabetes

I would like to chat about Type 2 Diabetes, as it’s the one health issue that has become pandemic all over the world.

Type 1 is an Autoimmune disease in which the immune system attacks the pancreatic cells causing the body to be unable to produce insulin, a hormone produced in the body that keeps blood sugar levels balanced. Chronic high blood sugar (hyperglycemia) if untreated leads to Type 2 Diabetes which is primarily a lifestyle disease.

Both conditions require treatment.

What are the main reasons for Type 2 occurring? The body becomes resistant or does not produce enough insulin. A major factor for this can be put down to economics, especially in low to middle income countries when people cannot afford healthy diets, and eat insufficient amounts of fruit and vegetables.

Some of the triggers leading to Type 2 are : obesity, sedentary lifestyle and a poor diet. Both types might also be genetic and both require separate management. What is common to both is the need to make positive lifestyle changes in diet and exercise.

How can one make positive change? Here are a few tips :

Cut down on SATURATED FATS (fatty animal fats, milk, cream, cheese) is a good place to start as the liver uses saturated fats to make cholesterol.

Slowly cut down and preferably eliminate SUGAR (sugar is known to be 8 times more addictive than cocaine).

One of the main culprits for sugar overuse is known in South Africa as cool drinks and in the USA as soda.

What they do :

Spike blood sugar, raise blood pressure, lower “good” cholesterol, mess with male and female hormones to name a few. Other than making every effort to cut out sugar and slow down on saturated fats, some more suggestions would be to :

*Increase green veggies for extra fiber

*Try to cut out anything made with white wheat flower…. Yes even those delicious cakes and pies!

*Stop nighttime eating

*Get enough sleep - aim for 8 hours. Lack of sleep increases inflammation, reduces LEPTIN which mimics starvation and hunger.

*Exercise more (walking, weight training, swimming, dancing, yoga, Pilates )

*Wait 20 minutes before ‘seconds’

*Drink plenty of water

*Practise the 80/20 rule

*Take the first step towards healthier eating

*Crowd out bad nutrition by introducing a positive nutrient. That way the changes are gradual but sure. It takes time and patience to set good new habits in place. For instance try replacing the junk snacks with a juicy apple!

*Eat fewer processed foods

Nutrition is such a broad subject and we have to bypass all the diets (they don’t work) and rather create more conscious, healthy eating habits.

As an end note, they say that Diabetes is a disease caused by nutritional neglect. Alarming as that sounds it is however true, and we all deserve the opportunity to change our eating habits by choosing healthy options. These I will be addressing in blogs to follow.

Stay well. Stay happy

Sat Nam

Atma O'Meara