Posted on June 10, 2020 by Jenny Cromack
Its Diabetes Week! The aim of Diabetes Week is to spread awareness, increase knowledge and help diabetes prevention across the UK!
It’s likely that we know at least one person who suffers or has experienced a life with diabetes but it also likely that we have a lack an understanding of what it actually is and what we can do to prevent or manage it! So we thought we would help and look at what is diabetes during this blog.
What Is Diabetes?
Diabetes can be known as either Type 1 or Type 2 and the differences can often get confused. Type 1 and 2 diabetes do have common factors, but they also have many differences too. However, it’s important to remember that they are both, in fact, just as serious as each other.
Let’s Talk About The Differences
Statistically, Type 1 diabetes affects around 8% of people with diabetes, whereas Type 2 affects around 90%. Around 2.5 million people in the UK have diabetes, most of which is Type 2.
People with Type 1 diabetes show symptoms pretty quickly, whereas symptoms of Type 2 often present slower over time and can often be missed!
Type 1 diabetes is where you cannot make any insulin meaning glucose cannot be broken down. Type 2 is where your body can’t make enough insulin to break down the glucose in your body. Both result in high blood sugar levels.
The cause of Type 1 diabetes is currently unknown, but Type 2 is associated with weight and poor diet as well as ethnicity, reductions in physical activity and increases in weight and obesity.
How Do We Manage Diabetes?
Type 1 is managed by taking insulin to help control blood sugar levels. Type 2 on the other hand can be managed in more ways and some being, exercise, diet and medication (including insulin).
So although diabetes cannot be cured exactly, Type 2 can be prevented and actually put into remission with appropriate management. It is proven to be prevented or have the onset delayed by a healthy diet with regular physical activity and maintenance of a normal body weight.
What Is A Healthy Diet?
Well as far as the British Nutrition Foundation are concerned a healthy diet is having a diet pattern which is based on including plenty of fruit and vegetables, moderate amounts of meat and fish or protein and dairy products. As well as consuming starchy foods such as wholegrain varieties.
A healthy diet is all about having VARIETY!
Managing Diabetes
Diet modification and physical activity are the two main approaches used to treat Type 2 diabetes. However, for the management of both types of diabetes it is important to try and maintain blood glucose levels. Following a low GI (Glycemic Index) diet is advised to help control blood glucose levels. Different carbohydrates are digested or absorbed at different rates so by monitoring or having the knowledge of the GI number will allow diabetics to manage their blood glucose levels more effectively. Slowly absorbed carbohydrates have a low GI which is known as 55 or below. These include most fruit and vegetables, nuts and some wholegrains.
Including a wide range of fruits and vegetables in your diet is also recommended to protect against health conditions such as heart disease, high blood pressure and strokes, which people who suffer with diabetes are unfortunately at more risk of developing.
For the prevention of diabetes, Diabetic Med advise to reduce total and saturated fat intake and to increase fibre intake (think more vegetables!) Try to also reduce the amount of sugary and sweetened beverages, processed meat and foods and refined carbohydrates.
So now we know some facts and tips on how to manage and prevent diabetes, it’s clear that exercise and nutrition plays a big part!
Hopefully this blog is another great example of why we should have a well-balanced healthy diet along with completing regular exercise.