Before we start following the right diet for controlling Type 2 diabetes, we have to understand what Kind 2 diabetes is.
Type 2 diabetes is that form of diabetes where we have almost 90% of cases of this type of diabetes.
We know that there is a hormone called ‘Insulin’ in our body which is very important to be found in the right amount in order to have a better and smoother functioning of the organs of our body.
But in Type 2 diabetes, body stops responding to insulin and it becomes insulin resistant. When the insulin which is produced in the body is not utilized well, blood glucose levels start rising and more and more insulin is released. In contrast, this impacts the pancreas in some people with Type 2 diabetes. In this situation body produces less insulin which is not sufficient for the body and it again causes high blood sugar levels.
What is the most impacted age group of Type 2 Diabetes?
Although Type 2 diabetes is generally found in older adults, it is now seen in children, teenagers and young adults. This change is encountered all because of other problems such as obesity, lack of physical activity and improper diet.
What is the best food for Type 2 Diabetes?
As we now know that diabetes has further categories. Type 2 Diabetes is the most common type of diabetes which is mostly triggered in adulthood in general. When we talk about the patients of diabetes type 2, we find that it is more likely to see cardiovascular problems in them because of this type of diabetes. This can even lead to heart attack.
But it is not the end of world for the people with diabetes. As there are solutions of this problem. First of all, the diabetes sufferers need to keep the track of the changing glucose levels in their body. Blood sugar in the body is the main cause of diabetes. There were people in the past who have proved that it is possible to beat diabetes by following a healthy lifestyle. So, work smartly on what you consume and how you keep your weight in control.
Include two servings of wholegrains in your diet daily
Low-GI Carbohydrates are good for people with diabetes
Many specialists suggest that including wholegrains in one’s diet in case of diabetes type 2 really helps a lot in overcoming this illness. But there is no supporting study to justify that. But according to studies in the past there is improvement in glucose metabolism which is associated to wholegrain in diet.
As we said that the exact reason of this help in glucose metabolism improvement is still not discovered, but it is thought that it is because there is insoluble fibre along with magnesium found in wholegrains.
Nowadays we even have wholegrain bread available in the market, so if we compare the wholegrain of a serve, then it is going to be equivalent to 2 slices of whole grain bread, 20 grams popcorn, half cup of natural muesli, one cup of cooked whole meal pasta, or one cup of brown rice which is cooked. After seeing this, now you can realize how nutritious and healthy 2 serves of wholegrains could be for anyone.
Only low-GI carbohydrates
We all know that we eat carbohydrates on daily basis. But there are also two types of carbohydrates, one is low-GI and another one is high-GI. One thing which diabetes sufferers of type 2 diabetes have to keep in mind is that they need to focus on the consumption of only low-GI carbohydrates as they do not gear up the glucose level in the body.
First of all, the low-GI carbohydrates are digested very slowly. This slows down the process of releasing glucose into bloodstream. We know that whatever type of food we consume includes some glucose in it. So, it is not at all possible to eliminate the glucose from food completely, but we can reduce it intake.
People with type 2 diabetes help a lot by consuming low-GI carbohydrates. The same is supported by the study which was done to check the impact of low-GI carbohydrates. This needs to be done because the body is not able to self-regulate insulin in body. Thus, some changes which are made in diet can make huge difference.
Low-GI carbohydrates include:
wholegrain bread
basmati rice
pasta
low-fat yoghurt
pears
apples
Vegetables are a yes for type 2 diabetes sufferers
Eat vegetables for improving glucose levels
Have two servings of vegetables daily. It is very healthy meal. You can include as much vegetables as you can by using them in baked dishes, soups or eat steamed green
vegetables. They are definitely going to be right choice for the people with diabetes.
List of vegetables to include:
Broccoli
Cauliflower
Carrot
Lettuce
Spinach
Tomato
capsicum
Some of these vegetables can also be eaten in the form of salad like lettuce and spinach.
Lean protein can be the right choice
The food items that has protein in them, they are low in GI because they have very less carbohydrates. One more good thing about protein intake is that it keeps you full for longer. The good examples of low protein food could be low fat dairy products and lean meat.
Can physical activity and reduction in weight help Type 2 diabetes patients?
We talked about weight problem in the beginning of this article. Sometimes weight is also associated with the problem of diabetes in many people. In that case it can only be fixed by reducing the weight. Weight reduction is a good way of burning calories. When you burn calories, it automatically reduces the blood sugar production in the body.
Lose more than 5 kg weight if you are fat
Weight loss is good for people with diabetes
You need to try to reduce fat if you are facing type 2 diabetes. In today’s era, every next person is not in good shape. It is because of the lifestyle and tough competition going around. But to be healthy should be your top most priority. You cannot increase your health risk. You can try to maintain your body weight as per your height. Of course, maintaining a right body weight is not an easy task. But in case of diabetes, you don’t have to reduce more pounds. You can just try to reduce 5 to 10 kg of weight. Reducing weight will definitely help you reduce the insulin resistance of body.
This way your body will become sensitive to insulin. Ultimately there will be less chances of developing the risk of heart problem. When your coronary health remains in place, you don’t generally face much of problem with your health. Reducing body weight help you control your blood pressure too. The problem of cholesterol is also quite common these days, but proportional reduction in weight can even solve that problem.
So, weight reduction is definitely a must for anyone with diabetes.
Increase your active time to 2.5 hours per week
Physical activity is equally important in life to lead a healthy life. One should know the benefit of being active in life, then only the person can make effort in that direction.
Of course, for the people with Type 2 diabetes, being active reduces metabolic risks. When you are active, your skeleton remains active too and this way skeleton muscles use glucose of the body.
Do aerobics
You need to also look for any physical activity like aerobic in which you can involve as per your own convenience. In addition, you can even go for resistance training which is equally helpful for the people with Type 2 diabetes. Why the resistance training is helpful because it increases the lean muscles in body which ultimately help in the decrease of glucose levels.
