The destructive impact of diabetes on individuals, families and communities is so serious that communities and individuals should be getting a clear message to take action, says Diabetes New Zealand.
Rangiputa resident, author, educationalist and nutritionist Faye Whittaker says although it’s not easy to alter a regular and familiar diet, attention to the nutritional value of the food we eat can make a huge difference when it comes to diabetes.
Diabetes is closely linked to obesity, as well as being genetically predisposed within families.
The modern tendency to consume large quantities of calorie-filled nutritionally empty fast foods, swilled down with copious quantities of sugary, fizzy drinks makes matters worse.
For those diagnosed with diabetes, the news isn’t all bad.
Making some easy changes can immediately help normalise glucose and insulin in the body.
Diet changes should be introduced by initially cutting down, and then cutting out, undesirable foodstuffs over a period of weeks. It is also advisable to eat less meat – chicken should be skinless, and all fat from meat should be carefully trimmed before cooking. No food should be fried in fat or oil.
For those who are diabetic, or have a predisposition to the disease, there are several spices one could say nature has tailored especially to help stabilise insulin levels in the blood. They include cinnamon, allspice, bay leaves, cloves, and nutmeg.
Cinnamon has long been known as an energising spice and it is likely that increasing the intake of this common and cheaply available spice will benefit even non-diabetics, if used as a daily energising tonic. The insulin resistance that leads to type II diabetes develops relatively slowly as the body ages and even those who have not yet experienced severe symptoms may have some degree of elevated insulin resistance.
Cinnamon is a rich source of magnesium, which beside being essential for maintaining bone density, electrolyte balance, certain enzyme functions and many other crucial bio-chemical processes, is also linked to the more dramatic forms of diabetes that occur earlier in life. Much research has been carried out to establish a metabolic defect in diabetics that prevents the absorption of magnesium. As cinnamon provides a readily available source of magnesium and possibly other beneficial substances it seems like a very cost-effective way of offsetting possible health problems related to glucose and insulin imbalances as we grow older. Cinnamon can be bought in a convenient powdered form at almost any food shop and taking it couldn’t be easier; just stir up to a teaspoon a day into yoghurt or fruit juice.
Increasing your consumption of tea (green or black) can also improve insulin activity. (Unfortunately what are referred to as ‘herbal teas’ don’t have any effect). The active compounds in tea don’t last long in the body, so one would have to drink a cup or more of tea every few hours to maintain the benefit. The catch is that tea needs to be drunk without milk (even soy milk), because milk seems to interact with the necessary chemicals and render them unavailable to the body.
don’t eat
- All refined carbohydrates – including sugar
- All animal fat – including dairy products except sugar-free natural yoghurt
- All saturated fats
- As much bread as possible – If at all, eat whole grain products only
- All cookies
- All store bought crackers
eat
In tandem with cutting down and/or cutting out regular diabetes worsening components of one’s diet, why not load up each day on high levels of favourite foods from the following alphabetical list? Each of these foods contain properties that help maintain insulin levels in the blood.
- Allspice
- Almonds
- Avocado
- Bay Leaves
- Broccoli
- Brewers Yeast
- Cabbage
- Celery
- Cinnamon
- Cloves
- Corn
- Fenugreek
- Flaxseed
- Garlic
- Grapes
- Green Vegetables
- Hazelnuts
- Mushrooms
- Nutmeg
- Olive Oil
- Onions
- Pumpkin
- Pumpkin Seeds
- Salmon
- Soy Products
- Strawberries
- Tea
- Tomatoes
- Tuna
- Turmeric
- Walnuts
- An increase in Omega-3 is essential Fish, fish oil capsules, walnuts, flaxseed (fresh ground – not just the oil)
- An increase in water is essential
- Drink at least 6-8 glasses per day
- Cut down on coffee
- Drink tea instead – black and green tea have positive bioactive properties that affect diabetes
- Use turmeric in meat dishes as it reduces blood sugar and protects kidneys – reducing blood cholesterol
- Use only monounsaturated fats Including avocados and extra virgin olive oil Soy products
- The property genistein in soy, helps (in diabetes) to prevent heart disease
