9 Tips to counter Diabetes

Diabetes is a condition that hampers your body’s ability to respond to the insulin that eventually leads to abnormal metabolism of carbohydrates, leading to increase in blood sugar levels. Diabetes, according to the WHO is one of the most common problems in the world. It is often called the silent killer. This is because you would not even know when it sneaks up on you. If you have diabetes, lowering blood sugar isn’t just a short-term goal: Doctors believe that it consistently helps prevent or delay diabetes complications, including kidney, eye and nerve diseases, such as diabetic peripheral neuropathy.

Here are a few tips to help reduce your risk:

Get into more physical activity: Research shows that aerobic exercise and resistance training can help control diabetes. Becoming more active is one of the best things you can do to make diabetes less likely. If you have discontinued exercising, it is the right time to start building more activity into your routine by taking the stairs or doing some stretching. Physical activity helps lower blood glucose levels and decreases body fat.

Lower your weight: Carrying around extra pounds causes insulin resistance, keeping the blood sugar-lowering hormone from working. Working towards a healthy weight helps control blood sugars. Being more active can help you manage your diabetes and also reduce your risk of heart problems. It increases the amount of glucose used by your muscles and helps the body use insulin more efficiently.

Consume healthy food: You should load up on vegetables, especially the ones which are less starchy such as spinach and other leafy greens, broccoli, carrots and green beans. Add more high-fibre foods into your diet. Enjoy fruits in moderation. Choose whole-grain foods like brown rice instead of white rice. Drink skim milk rather than whole milk and eat a lower fat version of cheese, yogurt and salad dressings.

Make sleep your priority: Not getting enough sleep regularly makes losing weight harder and also makes it difficult for your body to use insulin effectively. Go to bed and wake up at the same time every day. Do not indulge in work before heading towards bed, rather listen to soft music and relax.

Ward off stress: When you’re stressed out, your body generates a lot of stored energy – glucose and fat – so cells can further utilise it when called into action. In people with diabetes, this extra energy doesn’t make it to the cells, so glucose stays in the blood and results in high reading. Yoga and meditation are one of the best ways to help lower don the level of sugar.

Never skip breakfast: We all know that breakfast is an important meal of the day. Breakfast is highly essential for a diabetic person to take. After a long night, your body needs food to balance blood sugar levels. A high-protein breakfast may help control glucose.

Hydrate yourself: Water contains no carbohydrate or calories; it is the perfect drink for people with diabetes. Studies have also shown that drinking water could help control blood sugar levels. People with diabetes require more fluid when glucose levels are high. Water does not raise the blood glucose levels; it enables more glucose to be flushed out of the blood.

Fill up on fibre: You should at least consume 8 grams of fibre, especially when you eat carbohydrate-rich foods. It will help manage your blood sugar, keep you feeling full and be good for your heart health. Add peas, beans, oats, barley, fruits and vegetables like apples, pears, citrus, sweet potatoes, broccoli and beet to your diet.

Add salads: Store a large spinach salad or vegetable-filled romaine lettuce salad in an airtight container without dressing. Or even you can make a fresh salad for your dinner or you can have it as a snack. Salad fills you up and provides essential nutrients, such as folate and vitamins A and K, without providing a lot of calories. Lettuce is a good choice for diabetes due to their low carbohydrate content and minimal effects on blood sugar levels.