Access to Diabetes Care: Addressing Issues and Nutritional Solutions

Diabetes is a condition that impairs the body’s ability to process blood glucose, also known as blood sugar (glucose). Glucose is crucial for your health because it’s an important source of energy for the cells that make up your muscles and tissues. It is also a major source of fuel for your brain. Some common signs and symptoms of diabetes include frequent urination, extreme hunger, fatigue, irritability, unexplained weight loss, and blurred vision.

The underlying cause of diabetes varies by type. But, no matter what type of diabetes you have, it can lead to excess blood sugar. Too much sugar in your blood can lead to serious health problems including stroke and heart disease.

Managing diabetes is not easy and is often a physical and mental challenge. Not only are there feelings of stress, anxiety, or difficulty motivating to exercise, but there are also unexpected blood glucose spikes and often, feelings of isolation. But with proper care and guidance, it can be managed effectively.

Nutritional solutions to manage Diabetes!

Eating a diet high in fresh and nutritious foods, including whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and lean proteins, low-fat dairy and healthy fat sources, such as nuts would be beneficial while managing diabetes.

• Fibre-rich foods: Dietary fibre includes all parts of the plant foods that your body can’t digest or absorb. Fibre moderates how your body digests and also helps to control blood sugar levels. Foods high in fibre include fruits, vegetables, nuts, legumes (beans, peas), and whole grains.
• Consume healthy fats: Foods containing monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats can help to lower your cholesterol levels. These include avocado, nuts, canola, olive, and peanut oils. Always remember ‘do not consume fats in high quantities as all fats have high calories.’
• Increase intake of healthy carbohydrates: During digestion, sugars (simple carbohydrates) and starches (complex carbohydrates) break down into blood glucose. Focus on eating healthy carbohydrates, such as vegetables, fruits, whole grains, low-fat dairy products (milk and cheese).
• Avoid high-sugary foods: They provide empty calories which have no nutritional benefits, such as sweetened sodas, fried foods, and high-sugar desserts, so it’s better to avoid them when you have diabetes.
• Reduce consumption of high cholesterol foods: Cholesterol sources include high-fat dairy products and high-fat animal proteins, egg yolks, liver, and other organ meats. These foods can increase the risk of heart diseases and stroke by accelerating the development of clogged arteries. Aim for no more than 200 milligrams of cholesterol in your diet a day.
• Refraining from drinking high amounts of alcohol: Stop or keep alcohol intake to less than one drink a day for women or two drinks a day for men.
• Keep yourself moving: Engaging in at least 30 minutes of exercise a day on at least 5 days of the week, such as walking, aerobics, riding a bike, yoga, or swimming. Recognize signs of low blood sugar levels when exercising, including dizziness, confusion, weakness, and profuse sweating, and take rest immediately.

Over to you:

Along with the above-mentioned points, it is important to note that the more fatty tissue you have, the more resistant your cells become to insulin. Physical activity helps in weight management, uses up glucose as energy, and makes your cells more sensitive to insulin. Eat foods rich in healthy fats, fibre content, whole grains & Vitamin-C and low in sugar to control your diabetes well.