Diet and diabetes: Defensive eating

The prevalence of type 2 diabetes is hitting epidemic levels in Arab countries. Poor awareness of the disease combined with the rising prevalence of obesity, smoking and poor dietary habits are all helping diabetes become a leading public health issue.

But it doesn’t have to be. Type 2 diabetes is, in most cases, a preventable disease. A healthy lifestyle – a good diet, exercise and not smoking - can ensure it doesn’t affect you.

The lifestyle you lead greatly affects your risk of a acquiring a chronic disease like diabetes. Research has shown that a diet high in refined carbohydrates and saturated fats combined with little physical activity causes weight gain and often obesity - which immediately puts a person at risk of acquiring type 2 diabetes.

The types of foods we eat play a lead role in our health, and in the maintenance of normal blood sugar levels. Blood sugar levels are important because they dictate our eating patterns- when your blood sugar is low, you feel hungry.

If you eat a meal high in saturated fat and sugar – say, fast food – it causes a surge of blood sugar, and then of insulin, a hormone which controls the amount of sugar in the blood.

Your blood sugar then comes crashing down 45min to one hour later, making you feel hungry again. These peaks and troughs in our blood sugar levels affect our eating patterns, and can eventually cause damage to our blood vessels.

Living with a continually higher than normal blood sugar level for many years puts you at risk of diabetes. Maintaining a normal blood sugar level comes with eating the correct types and quantities of foods.

Most people find it difficult to know what foods are good for them and what foods aren't. An easy way to find out is to rate your food’s glycemic index.

A food’s glycemic index (GI) is a good indicator of how it will affect your blood sugar, because it ranks the type and quality of carbohydrate the food contains. Foods with a high GI such as sweets and chocolate contain carbohydrates that are rapidly digested, causing blood sugar to spike.

Foods with a low GI, like wholegrains and vegetables, release their carbs more slowly, giving your body a steady supply of blood sugar. The GI ranking of most foods is freely available on the internet.

Eating regularly also helps to keep blood sugar levels stable. Aim for three small meals and three snacks everyday. These meals should contain low GI foods like vegetables, wholegrain breads, rye flours, fat-free yoghurts, berries, seeds, vegetable soups, fatty fish, skinless chicken and fruits. Be aware that high GI foods will push up your weight as well as your blood sugar.

Exercise is equally important to prevent diabetes. Exercising for at least 30-40 minutes, three to four times a week will help ensure you burn any excess calories taken in through your diet.

Exercise also increases the sensitivity of your cells to insulin, which naturally lowers your blood sugar and helps you to lose weight. Weight loss has been linked to improved insulin sensitivity and blood sugar control, which can help prevent the onset of diabetes or improve insulin control in those diagnosed with the disease.

It’s never too late to take control of your health by eating the correct foods and being physically active. When it comes to diabetes, prevention is better than cure – not least because there isn’t one.

On the level – GI-friendly food examples

Breakfast:
1 cup of All Bran flakes, 1 tablespoon of raisins, 1 tub of small unsweetened yoghurt, a banana and a spoon of honey
Or
1 slice of seed loaf bread with a boiled egg, grated/whole apple and a handful of almonds

Lunch:
One seed loaf sandwich with lean meat (chicken, turkey), low fat cheese with lettuce and tomato and 2 tablespoons of olive oil, with a fruit of your choice.
Or
A small bowl of wholewheat pasta, a tomato based sauce, with fresh coriander/rocket sprinkled on top, with a side salad

Dinner:
1 grilled fish/chicken fillet, with boiled baby potatoes (with the skin) and a mixed green salad with olive oil and balsamic vinegar.
Or
A stir fry with 2 tablespoons of olive oil, mixed fresh vegetables, with strips of chicken or beef on brown/basmati rice/wholewheat pasta.

Snacks:
One light health bar and a small tub of unsweetened yoghurt
1 slice of seeded bread with a table spoon of peanut butter / low fat cottage cheese
A small bag of mixed nuts and a fruit of your choice
Chopped up carrots and cucumber dipped into low fat cottage cheese/hummus

Kelly Lynch is a clinical dietician, in practice at The City Hospital, Dubai.

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