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HowToPreventHeartDisease.com |
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What Can Be Done To Prevent Diabetes? Basically, there are 2 main types of diabetes, namely Type-1 and Type-2 diabetes. Type-1 diabetes occurs when the pancreas does not make insulin, which is a condition that cannot be prevented. But for Type-2 diabetes, which develops when the body fails to produce sufficient insulin or is unable to use it properly, is preventable. Diabetes can have long-term complications related to damage to blood vessels. It doubles the risk of cardiovascular disease (heart disease and stroke) and about 75 percent of deaths in diabetes are due to coronary artery disease. Quoting what an endocrinologist said: if a human body is an engine, then the food consumed every day, including what is stored inside the liver, muscles and fatty tissues, is the fuel that powers the engine. In order to turn the food into energy, the body must rely on a complex system driven by hormones, particularly insulin that transports glucose from the blood into the cells. For patients with diabetes, this system could go awry and a poor diet can only worsen it. Weight is the single most contributing environmental factor in the development of Type-2 diabetes, and a person’s weight can always be controlled. For Asians to be of healthy weight, their BMI (body mass index) must fall within the range between 18.5 and 22.9. A person is said to be overweight when the BMI falls in the range of 23 to 27.4, and is said to be obese when the BMI reaches 27.5 and above.
Intentional weight loss could not only prevent or control Type-2 diabetes but also improve other obesity-related risk factors of coronary artery disease, including dyslipidaemia (unhealthy blood cholesterol levels) and hypertension.
Theoretically, simply raising one’s physical
activity and lowering one’s calorie intake could achieve weight loss. When it comes to diet, dietitians advise diabetics to eat healthily by having sufficient fiber, choosing low glycemic index food that does not cause blood sugar levels to spike. The amount of saturated fat, trans fat, cholesterol, sodium and added sugars should also be reduced since these increase a person's risk of cardiovascular diseases. For patients requiring insulin injections should schedule their meal timings and frequency according to their insulin regimen, with the help of a dietitian. To avoid overeating, patients should spread out evenly the total volume of carbohydrates in a day by having a meal or snack every 4 to 5 hours. A meal should have between 45 and 60 grams of carbohydrates while a snack should contain about 15 grams. A typical meal should comprise vegetables that fill half of the plate, a palm-sized portion of protein like chicken without skin or fish, and about a fist-sized portion of rice. A healthy bedtime snack can be 3 pieces of wholemeal crackers with a slice of reduced fat cheese or a thin spread of peanut butter, or just a glass of low-fat milk. Occasionally, diabetics can have small portion of sweet food items. These items should, however, substitute for other carbohydrate-containing food in the diet. For instance, replace 1/3 cup of cooked rice or noodles (15 grams of carbohydrates) with 15 grams of sweets that could be 2 small cookies, 1/2 cup of vanilla ice cream or 1 fun-sized chocolate bar. Nevertheless, diabetics should not choose extreme diets that exclude whole food groups because this could increase their risk of nutritional deficiencies.
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