SUGAR BEYOND
There’s
more to preventing diabetes than ditching cupcakes and the couch. We arm you
with five lesser known weapons
On World Diabetes Day, you may have been force-fed with scary statistics and ominous probabilities of falling prey to the growing epidemic. But type 2 diabetes also happens to be one of the most preventable diseases. Unless you’ve been living under a rock, it’s unlikely you have missed the routine preventive tips — eat healthy, watch your weight, shun sugary and fried foods, have fish instead of red meat, ditch a sedentary lifestyle for an active one, avoid stress, quit smoking, cut down on drinking, and sleep better.
All of the above certainly are rules to live by. But there are some lesserknown yet wise ways to fuel your long term diabetes-resistance journey. Here are five simple ways.
FIBRE IS FAB
Fibre regulates blood sugar levels. A diet high in fibre and low in glycemic load is what secures you against diabetes. Fibre-rich whole grains give digestive enzymes a tough time in breaking down starch into glucose. The slowdown means a consistently lower blood sugar and insulin level, which in turn takes the pressure off the insulin-making mechanism. With their slowly digestible starch, beans are an even better option, and so are leafy veggies.
Diabetologist Dr Sonali Patange recommends oats for breakfast. “High-fibre foods improve your body’s insulin sensitivity. If your body can’t process the carbs in rice or wheat efficiently, turn to millets. Make flour of nachni, jowar and bajra in equal parts, mix it and make chapatis out of it to keep your blood sugar levels under control,” she says.
MUFA OVER PUFA
Dr Anil Bhoraskar, honor ary diabetologist with Raheja Fortis Hospital and Asian Heart Institute, says our nutrition choices have gone terribly wrong in the last few decades. “With the growing popularity of fast foods, energy drinks, colas and fried snacks, we have been ingesting a lot of polyunsaturated (PUFA) and saturated fats, which raise bad cholesterol levels. Not only should you ditch junk food, it’s time you get back to using traditional cooking mediums like mustard oil, ghee and homemade butter instead of unhealthy vegetable seed cooking oils like corn, sunflower and safflower,” he says.
On the contrary, foods packed with monounsaturated fatty acids, or MUFA — like olives, nuts, seeds, avocados and dark chocolates — can ward off diabetes even if you are tethering on the pre-diabetic stage.
Patange says, “Since pistachios bring down the glycemic load, it’s nice to pop in five-six pieces after lunch and dinner. At other times, almonds and walnuts will work wonders.” Research shows that MUFA has great blood sugar-controlling properties and can fight belly fat.
SPICE SECRETS
Cinnamon sits on top of the spices pile that can fight diabetes. This spicy-sweet flavouring favourite is believed to activate enzymes that stimulate insulin receptors. Moreover, it helps lower triglycerides and cholesterol, which up the risk of diabetes. Patange recommends having a teaspoon of cinnamon mixed with your coffee twice a day — morning and evening.
“Sprouted fenugreek (methi) and flax seeds, roasted or grounded, should be had thrice a day. As the flavonoids in green tea help prevent diabetes, you should have it thrice a day. But I recommend using green tea leaves than the dips, for better results,” Patange says. The curcumin in turmeric is proven to fight oxidative damage and inflammation, which prevents diabetes from setting in.
GET D TO FIGHT D
Alarmingly, 80 per cent of Indians are vitamin D-deficient. Research shows that vitamin D improves the body’s sensitivity to insulin, and thereby prevents diabetes. “The need to take in the morning sunlight can’t be stressed enough. In any case, this is one vitamin supplement you need to take regularly, after consulting your physician,” Bhoraskar says.
CATCH CHROMIUM
Chromium is special in how it revives the body’s insulin production, and improves the body’s insulin sensitivity. Patange recommends the chromium-rich brown rice for the same reason. But you can also get this vital trace mineral from foods like mushrooms, broccoli, eggs, chicken, dairy products and corn.
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