This week is Diabetes Week. Did you know that there’s an increase in the number of South Asians being diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes?
I’ve had family members diagnosed with it and am sure you most likely know someone who is either diabetic or pre diabetic.
If you are concerned about your risk of diabetes, I’m sharing what my clients are doing to improve their sugar levels.
What causes an increase in diabetes risk.
– Genetic predisposition
As South Asians, we have a higher genetic susceptibility to insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes.
The good news is that dietary and lifestyle changes can help reduce this risk.
– Being overweight/ High body fat
If you are overweight or obese, or have a higher body fat percentage, especially around the abdomen, your risk of diabetes increases.
If you do nothing, you keep gaining more weight. You’ve got to make changes to to get to a healthier weight and body fat levels.
– Sedentary Lifestyles
Many of us lead busy lives with little physical activity.
Include some movement into your daily routine. Highly recommend going for a walk, even 20 to 30 minutes daily makes a difference. Then slowly, over time, increase your activity.
– Refined Grains
Eating refined grains like white rice,white bread or rotis made with refined wheat flour can spike blood sugar levels.
A simple change is to have whole grains like brown rice, brown bread or roti made with whole wheat.
– High Sugar Intake
Are you adding sugar in cooking, such as in your daals or curries? Or are you adding sugar to your tea or coffee? Or having too many sweet treats likes cookies, cakes or traditional Indian sweets like jalebis or gulab jamuns?
You need to reduce your sugar intake and replace the refined sugars with honey or jaggery.
– Cooking Methods
Using too much oil or ghee, or consuming too many fried foods like pakoras and samosas, can contribute to insulin resistance.
Instead of frying, can you bake or use an air fryer? I’ve been guidong my clients on how to still enjoy your favourite treats without having them deep fried.
– Low Fibre
Did you know that a low fibre diet can lead to rapid spikes in blood sugar levels?
Include fibre-rich foods like beans, lentils, vegetables, and whole grains in your meals. For instance, add a serving of chickpeas or lentils.
– Low Protein Diet
A common problem I see is not having sufficient protein, and instead having too many refined grains.
Always include protein foods such as beans, lentils, tofu, yogurt, and eggs. If you are non vegetarian, can have fish, seafood, chicken, turkey, etc.
There may be some misunderstanding about the key role that diet and lifestyle play in preventing diabetes.
Please take the first step and begin to educate yourself about healthy dietary choices and lifestyle changes. And do also get regular medical checkups to monitor blood sugar levels and other health markers.
Early detection can help manage and even prevent diabetes.
This is something you shouldn’t ignore.
Understand what factors are increasing the risk of type 2 diabetes amongst South Asians. Then take proactive steps to reduce these risks.
Do this because diabetes can lead to complications with kidneys, eyesight, nerves and many other issues.
If you would like to have a call with me to discuss how to reduce your risk of diabetes, do set up a free discovery call.