If you have diabetes or are at risk, consider making lifestyle changes your first line of defence, rather than pharmaceuticals.
Last week Food Network cooking show host and butter enthusiast Paula Deen announced that she was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes three years ago. For those of us familiar with this no-nonsense cook, the diagnosis comes as no surprise.
Boasting dishes such as the Lady’s Brunch Sandwich, which takes a beef patty, two slices of bacon, and a fried egg and slaps it all between two glazed doughnuts, it’s more surprising that Deen has continued to promote her notoriously fattening and sugar-laden dishes since her diagnosis.
Even more of a shocker is Deen’s recent endorsement deal with Novo Nordisk. This Danish pharmaceutical company makes Victoza, an injectable, non-insulin diabetes drug that Deen is currently using to manage her diabetes. As for lifestyle changes, Deen will make few besides reducing portion sizes of unhealthy foods, according to news sources.
While pharmaceuticals may prove effective in treating diabetes, most, if not all, can have serious side effects, and they don’t combat the real issues, which are often (at least 92 percent of the time) related to poor diet and lack of physical activity.
If you have diabetes or are at risk, consider making lifestyle changes your first line of defence, rather than pharmaceuticals. In addition to exercise, implement the following diet tips to reduce your risk of diabetes.
- Season your food with blood glucose-levelling spices such as cinnamon and cloves.
- Increase your fibre intake. Swap out white rice for brown, choose bread made with whole grains, and consume more legumes such as chickpeas, lentils, and black beans.
- Eliminate refined white sugar and flour and ditch products made with high fructose corn syrup.
- Opt for a Mediterranean-style diet that features fresh vegetables and fruits, whole grains, fish, lean meats, and extra-virgin olive oil.
