While the statistics show that diabetes is more of a health concern than ever, there is plenty of breakthrough research into preventive and treatment methods, so you can protect your wellbeing against the disease. We’ve rounded up the latest diabetes advice that wellness experts and researchers have to offer:
1. Let’s Get Together: In a recent study carried out by the University of Pittsburgh, diabetics managed better success with their control of the disease by gathering a great support team. Teaming up with family members, the doctor, and the doctor’s staff helped people with diabetes improved their blood sugar, cholesterol, and blood pressure by a whopping 40% or more.
2. Do Dairy: According to research of 2,000 women, which appeared in the Journal of Nutrition, eating low-fat dairy products lowers your risk of type 2 diabetes. The researchers surmised that certain proteins in milk support beneficial insulin secretion, while dairy’s content of vitamin D, calcium, and magnesium may also lower the risk of diabetes. Alternately, dairy might be good for diabetes prevention because it stops you eating unhealthy foods like sweetened beverages or snacks, which can raise diabetes risk. Either way, pass the cheese, please.
3. Pack your diet with plenty of produce: Among the many benefits that come with eating lots of fruit and veg, a produce-rich diet can be a powerful way to reduce your diabetes risk. This is according to a new study from the Institute of Metabolic Science in Cambridge, who investigated the eating habits of over 3,700 adults between the ages of 40 and 79. After an 11-year follow-up, the researchers found that those who at the most fruits and vegetables (about six servings every day) were 21% less likely to develop type 2 diabetes than those who had the lowest produce intake (about two servings a day).
4. Your Individuality Matters: If you already have diabetes, it’s vital that you stay current on the latest recommendations, as the American Diabetes Association have recently release new guidelines on blood sugar levels. The Association recommend basing your blood sugar goals on individual risk factors, such as your age, health status, complications etc. If you’re older than 65 and have certain issues, you may have less rigid numbers to hit. This is partly because of concerns about the side effects of too many medications, as well as low blood sugar levels.
5. Rice, Rice, Baby: Harvard researchers recently discovered a correlation between your white rice intake and your diabetes risk; the greater your intake, the higher your risk for developing type 2 diabetes. This finding was based on data from more than 350,000 participants over the course of four to 22 years. It’s not hard to see why white rice isn’t good for your diabetes risk, as it is a high glycaemic food, meaning you digest it quickly and it spikes your blood sugar. Plus, compared to its brown rice counterpart, white rice has fewer vitamins and lower levels of fibre and magnesium.
6. Plastic ain’t fantastic: Phthalates, found in such wide-ranging products as building materials, clothing, cosmetics and personal-care products, food packaging, toys, perfumes, and vinyl products, could double your risk of diabetes if found in high levels in your blood. Swedish researchers, who published their findings in the journal Diabetes Care, studied over 1,000 older men and women to come to this conclusion, and suspect that the common chemicals may disrupt your insulin production.
7. Change Your Self-Image: A study from the Technical University of Lisbon in Portugal gave overweight women classes about body image and emotional eating, whilst others received typical diet advice. The women in the self-image group lose 3.5 times more weight in a year than those in the other group, as well as shedding their worries about body shape and size.
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