If you a person living with diabetes or are diagnosed as being pre-diabetic, eating right can go a long way towards staying healthy and keeping your energy constant throughout the day. Here are some pointers on what, when and how much to eat, that'll help put a leash on fluctuating blood sugar levels.
Did you know that not smoking, following a balanced diet, and maintaining a healthy weight reduces risk of diabetes by 90%? That's a hefty percentage - and shows how far implementing healthy lifestyle habits can go to help you manage your condition.
As you likely already know, there are two types of diabetes:
- In type 1 diabetes, the body directly attacks insulin-producing cells.
- In type 2, the body's tissues gradually become less sensitive to insulin. This causes beta cells in the pancreas to work harder and eventually break down.
Type 1 diabetes affects about 5% to 10% of the population with diabetes, but most people with this condition have type 2 diabetes. While type 2 diabetes is also genetic, it's often triggered by lifestyle factors, making it preventable. In particular, if a person is inactive or overweight, the pancreas battles to produce enough insulin to control rising blood sugar levels.
Three components that affect blood sugar levels
There are three basic nutrition components that affect blood glucose levels:
- The types of foods we eat and what we drink: High-fibre foods with a low glycaemic index (GI), such as whole grains, fresh fruit and vegetables, should make up the bulk of your diet. A quarter of your plate should be filled with whole grains, a quarter with lean proteins and half with a variety of vegetables. At least five portions of fruit and vegetables are recommended daily.
- The timing of meals and snacks: Three meals a day with snacks in between is the best way to keep blood glucose (sugar) levels steady.
- The quantities consumed: Portion sizes depend on a person's weight, activity levels, the type of medication used, gender, age, and level of glycaemic control (blood sugar control). A dietitian can calculate a practical, nutritionally balanced eating plan for you by considering all these factors.
Losing weight can help manage rising sugar levels
Having a healthy eating plan is especially important, as being overweight is a major risk factor for developing type 2 diabetes. The World Health Organization defines these body mass index (BMI) ranges for adults:
- Healthy weight a BMI of 18.5 to 24.9
- Overweight is a BMI greater than or equal to 25 to 29.9
- Obesity is a BMI of 30 or higher
The main cause of obesity and being overweight is an energy imbalance between the kilojoules consumed and kilojoules spent - so, to lose weight, you need to stay active and use up more kilojoules than you consume. It's well worth the effort: Studies show that losing just 7% of your body weight can increase insulin sensitivity by 57%!
But not all diabetes cases are linked to weight. As mentioned earlier, genetics also comes into play. If you have family members who live with diabetes, you are at higher risk. For them, even two or three extra kilograms of body weight can start a dangerous cycle leading to the disease. This makes weight loss (or maintenance when the ideal weight is reached) an important goal for those with type 2 diabetes.
Getting your sugar intake down can work wonders
Globally, there has been an increased intake of fizzy drinks and fruit juice. These drinks are energy-dense (high in kilojoules) and low in nutrition, so it's easy to have too much. This is dangerous to your health, because a 330 ml can of carbonated, sweetened soft drink contains about 40 g of sugar, and the same size container of sweetened fruit juice close to 45 g of sugar!
A review of research published in the journal Diabetes Care indicated that people who had one to two servings of soft drinks a day had a 26% greater risk of developing type 2 diabetes than those who had no soft drinks or less than one a month. So - less sugar, smaller portions and healthy meals at well-timed intervals all play a part in maintaining steady blood glucose levels. Managing diabetes takes more than measuring your blood glucose; the condition comes with many challenges. To make sure you can meet these challenges, the Scheme offers a Diabetes Care Programme. This programme gives members with diabetes who join the programme more benefits and tools than only registering for diabetes on the Chronic Illness Benefit.
The Diabetes Care Programme
The Diabetes Care Programme, together with your Premier Plus doctor, will help you actively manage your diabetes. The programme gives you and your Premier Plus doctor access to various tools to monitor and manage your condition, and to ensure you get high-quality coordinated healthcare for the best outcomes.
You and your doctor can track progress on a personalised dashboard, displaying your unique Diabetes Management Score. This will help to identify the steps you should take to manage your condition and stay healthy over time. The programme also unlocks cover for valuable healthcare services from healthcare providers like dietitians and biokineticists.
How to register on the Diabetes Care Programme
If you are registered on the Chronic Illness Benefit for diabetes, you can join the Diabetes Care Programme.
To access the Diabetes Care Programme:
- Book a consultation with your Premier Plus doctor, and ask to be registered on the programme. Access the Find a Provider tool on www.discovery.co.za to find a Premier Plus doctor in your area. You must consult with a Premier Plus doctor for the management of your diabetes to avoid a 20% co-payment.
- For more information, call us on 0860 100 421.