OFTEN referred to as “the silent killer”, diabetes is a metabolic disorder that results in the inability of your body to either produce or use insulin properly.
According to the International Diabetes Federation (IDF), 415 million people currently live with diabetes, with this figure expected to grow to 642 million people by 2040 .
A further 318 million adults are estimated to have impaired glucose tolerance which puts them at high risk of progressing to diabetes, a disease that has already killed more people than HIV/Aids, TB and Malaria combined.
Diabetes is a leading cause of cardiovascular disease, blindness, renal failure and lower-limb amputation. More than a third of type 1 and type 2 diabetics will also develop some form of damage to their eyes that can lead to blindness.
Type 1 diabetes usually begins in childhood or adolescence and is caused by a faulty autoimmune response that causes the body to destroy the pancreatic cells that produce insulin, which subsequently leads to an insulin deficiency.
Approximately 90% of all cases of diabetes are Type 2 diabetes, where insulin is produced, but the body’s cells do not respond to it correctly. Instead, the body becomes resistant to insulin. It is most often, but not always, associated with obesity, poor diet, physical inactivity, advancing age, family history of diabetes, ethnicity and high blood glucose during pregnancy and can go undiagnosed for years. Due to the progressive nature of the disease, a majority will eventually need insulin to be added to their treatment.
The symptoms of type 2 diabetes are excessive thirst, frequent urination, persistently dry skin, always feeling hunger, blurred vision, drowsiness and nausea.
There is no cure for type 1 diabetes, although researchers are working on preventing the disease as well as the further destructive progression of the disease in people who are newly diagnosed. However, up to 80% of type 2 diabetes can be prevented by making simple changes in our everyday lives and knowing the risks.
How to reduce your risk
While some risk factors for diabetes such as age, ethnicity and family history can’t be changed, many other risk factors such as managing your weight, eating healthy foods in the right quantities and exercising regularly can be managed. According to Diabetes South Africa, there are various aspects to good diabetes management including:
– Education – Knowing about diabetes is an essential first step. All people with diabetes need to understand their condition in order to make healthy lifestyle choices and manage their diabetes well.
– Healthy eating – There is no such thing as a ‘diabetic diet’, only a healthy way of eating, which is recommended for everyone. However, what, when and how much you eat plays an important role in regulating how well your body manages blood glucose levels. It’s a good idea to visit a registered dietician who can help you work out a meal plan that is suitable for your lifestyle.
– Exercise – Regular exercise helps your body lower blood glucose levels, promotes weight loss, reduces stress and enhances overall fitness.
– Weight management – Maintaining a healthy weight is especially important in the control of type 2 diabetes.
– Medication – People with type 1 diabetes require daily insulin injections to survive. There are various types of insulin available in South Africa. Type 2 diabetes is controlled through exercise and meal planning and may require diabetes tablets and/or insulin to assist the body in making or using insulin more effectively. Talk to your doctor about the best treatment option for you, as well as the all-important cost considerations of different treatments.
– Lifestyle management – Learning to reduce stress levels in daily living can help people manage their blood glucose levels. Smoking is particularly dangerous for people with diabetes. (Source: Dr Ntsiki Molefe-Osman).
According to www.naturalmedicine.co.za, “a recent study in the journal of Diabetes Care suggests that people who drank two cups or less of water a day were 30 percent more likely to have high blood sugar than those who drank more than that daily. The reason for this is due to a hormone called vasopressin which helps the body regulate hydration. When a person is dehydrated, vasopressin stimulates the liver to produce more blood sugar.”
If you are one of those who struggles to get your daily quota of eight to ten glasses of water because it doesn’t appeal to you, there are ways to ease into staying hydrated by sprucing up your H2O with some sugarless options.
• Infuse water with fresh fruit such as lemon, lime or orange or herbs such as mint, basil or ginger.
• Carbonated water such as SodaStream can improve the taste as the bubbles bring to the surface the flavour and aroma of the drink. Scientists have also found an enzyme on the sour receptors of our tongues called Carbonic Anhydrase 4 (CA-IV). The bubbles stimulate the sour buds and the somatosensory system. The dual activation on the buds and the nerves creates a pleasurable sensation.
• Mash berries such as blueberries, raspberries or cranberries and add carbonated water.
• Refrigerate stock from boiling vegetables for a refreshing, vitamin-packed drink.
• Flavour with sugar-free mixes such as SodaStream Zero range of syrups or Lipton Green Tea.
• Caffeine-free teas such as Rooibos, Green, Chamomile or peppermint make for drinking pleasure both warm and iced.
Cucumber and lime sparkling water
Ingredients:
• Sparkling water
• Cucumber
• Lime
Instructions:
– Wash the cucumber and slice wide thin stripes (you can use a vegetable peeler)
– Pour the sparkling water into a big jug, add the cucumber slices and add some drops of lime for extra flavour. Serve cold.
Strawberry and mint sparkling water
Ingredients:
• Sparkling water
• 3 strawberries
• A few mint leaves
Instructions:
– Dice the strawberries and add to the glass with the sparkling water.
– Wash the mint leaves and add a few to the glass with sparkling water and strawberries.
– Let it sit for a few minutes to allow the extraction of flavours.
