Here's an alarming new statistic – poor nutrition puts one-third of children on the path to diabetes. But it's not just kids who can develop diabetes from their diet; adults can too.
Why is there such a strong link between diet and diabetes? And how can you shake up your eating to avoid the condition
What is Diabetes?
Diabetes Australia defines diabetes as a "complex condition, which can affect the entire body". Incredibly, 280 Australians are diagnosed with diabetes every single day. And more than 100,000 of us have developed the condition in the past 12 months.
What these stats mean is that we probably all know someone who is living with diabetes – and that millions of us are in turn affected by it.
Managing Diabetes with Diet
It is possible to manage diabetes by changing your eating patterns. That doesn't mean you have to go on a diet, but rather make healthier choices and combine those with regular exercise. That way, you're much more likely to enjoy what you eat and the activity you do, rather than feeling deprived or like the "odd one out".
Eating Well with Diabetes
If you have diabetes, here are a few top tips to stay healthy:
- Eat plenty of colourful vegetables
- Add legumes and beans to your diet
- Eat high-fibre foods such as breads and fruit
- Limit full-fat and high-sugar dairy and processed foods
- Eat lean protein
- Eat smaller portions of food
- Avoid added salt and sugars
- Drink plenty of water and limit your alcohol intake
Above all, reduce the amount of fat that you eat. Too much fat can disrupt your blood glucose levels, but you also need a little fat in your diet to maintain good health.
Sugar is another item to limit, but you don't need to avoid it entirely. Diabetes Australia says an eating plan for diabetes can include a little sugar. Just limit processed foods, sweets and lollies as much as you can, and avoid adding sugar to your tea, coffee and cereal.
Of course, these are useful tips even if you don't have diabetes. By making a few small swaps today, you can look forward to a healthier life moving forward.
Originally published on Oct 20, 2014
