From the-sun.com
As it stands, upwards of 4.9 million in the UK have diabetes, a disease involving high blood sugar levels.
This figure is set to rise, with the charity Diabetes UK predicting that 5.5 million people in the UK will have diabetes by the year 2030 if we don’t take steps to avoid it.
While ten per cent of those with diabetes have type 1 diabetes - a genetic condition - the remaining 90 per cent have type 2 diabetes.
This develops over time and is predominantly lifestyle-related.
While both are serious, type 2 can often be avoided.
Worryingly, 13.6 million people in the UK are now at risk of developing type 2 diabetes, according to Diabetes UK, and 850,000 people currently living with it but are yet to be diagnosed.
Diabetes in a nutshell
“Type 1 diabetes occurs when the body destroys its own insulin-making cells, so eventually you cannot make insulin, which is needed to control blood glucose (sugar),” explains Dr Paul McArdle, Dietitian for the BSDA.
“Currently, the only treatment is insulin injections or insulin through a pump.”
In type 2 diabetes, “the body is still making insulin but is not very sensitive to it or needs more than the body can make”.
“Type 2 diabetes runs in families, so your risk of it can be inherited, but whether you develop type 2 diabetes is very strongly linked to your lifestyle,” explains Dr McArdle.
In fact, type 2 diabetes is preventable in 60 to 90 per cent of cases, and it can also be reversed, for those who have already been diagnosed.
This can occur within a few weeks or up to a few months of making the correct changes.
It’s worth noting though that diabetes can return later, so lifestyle changes often need to remain permanent.
Whether you’ve been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, have been warned that you may be at risk, or simply want to take precautions to stay free from type 2 diabetes, these are some of the lifestyle adjustments you need to be making…
1. Make carbs, complex
Dr Caitlin Hall, Chief Dietitian and Head of Clinical Research at myota, says it’s wise to avoid simple carbohydrates such as sweets, chocolate, soft drinks, white bread and white rice.
“These are examples of ‘simple’ carbohydrates that give you a spike in blood sugar and cause insulin to be released.
“A rapid rush of energy is followed by a crash.
“If you tend to eat a lot of sugary foods and refined carbohydrates across the day, it’s likely that you experience the extremes of both high and low blood glucose, also known as blood sugar spikes and crashes.
“This can affect things like energy, sleep quality, hunger, appetite, and exercise in the short-term.”
However, in the long-term, our bodies can become resistant to insulin, or the pancreas loses the ability to produce insulin. This is type 2 diabetes.
“People with type 2 diabetes experience uncontrollably high blood sugar levels after consuming high-carbohydrate meals.
“High blood sugar can damage organs and tissues over time, leading to a range of complications such as heart disease, kidney disease, nerve damage, and eye problems.”
Switch to complex carbs such as whole grain breads, wholemeal pasta and brown rice.
2. Avoid trans fats
Saturated and trans fats are best avoided according to Dr Hall.
“A diet high in saturated and trans fats can lead to inflammation, which can contribute to insulin resistance and the development of type 2 diabetes.
“They can also contribute to the accumulation of fat in and around organs like the liver and pancreas, which can interfere with the organs' ability to produce and respond to insulin.”
These fats are often found in fried foods, processed baked goods such as cakes and pastries, the meat of skin and high fat dairy foods like cream and butter.
3. Fill up on fibre
“Foods that are high in prebiotic fibre can play a big role in reducing the risk of, and reversing, type 2 diabetes,” says Dr Hall.
“Fibre absorbs water in the gut and delays emptying, which in turn slows down the absorption of sugar into the bloodstream and prevents ‘spikes’ in blood sugar levels.”
She recommends oats, rye, barley, chicory, onion, asparagus, artichokes, beans and parsnips, which are all good sources of prebiotic fibre.
Dr Hall also adds that prebiotic fibre is an excellent fuel for the good bacteria in our guts, also known as our gut microbiome.
“Properly fuelling the microbiome increases its production of short-chain fatty acid molecules (SCFAs) which help reduce diabetes risk.”
4. Get moving
You don’t need to exercise intensely, but research has found that exercise is helpful in preventing and potentially reversing type 2 diabetes, as it can help to improve insulin sensitivity.
Aim to incorporate more movement into your day by walking when possible, swapping the lift for the stairs, and adding some resistance-based exercise into your week, either using weights, or your own bodyweight.
5. Eat a Mediterranean diet
“Following a Mediterranean style diet has good evidence for reducing the risk of developing type 2 diabetes,” says Dr McArdle.
“This is a diet that includes lots of vegetables, salad and fruit; very few processed foods; less red and processed meat; more fish and shellfish; olive oil as the main source of dietary fat and few foods high in sugar. “
6. Lose weight
“The best way to put type 2 diabetes into remission is to lose weight if you are overweight or obese,” says Dr McArdle.
“The research shows that as little as 5kg weight loss could help but losing 15kg is likely to put type 2 diabetes into remission for a lot of people living with obesity, especially if the weight is lost as soon as possible after diagnosis.”
He adds that various dietary approaches to lose weight, supported by a healthcare professional, can help with type 2 diabetes remission.
“The first is to follow a low-calorie diet of roughly 850 calories for about 12 weeks.
“This is based on meal replacements of shakes, soups and bars and is followed by a staged reintroduction of normal food and education about portion sizes.”
“Two other diets can lead to remission: the Mediterranean style diet and a low-carb diet.
“Making use of low or no calorie sweeteners may be helpful in maintaining a low carb diet, which can otherwise be hard to follow.”
https://www.the-sun.com/health/7827563/dietitian-reverse-type-2-diabetes-diet-exercise/
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