Healthy Diet and Lifestyle for Diabetic People
India has become the capital of diabetes in the whole world. It’s a sad truth but the good news is that we can work on it.
It is a lifestyle disorder which is due to your bad eating habits, poor lifestyle choices and sedentary routine.
In certain cases, medication is necessary but, in most cases, people are dependent on pills just for their own comforts. But by taking only pills you are just suppressing your symptoms. So, it is not okay to live with type 2 diabetes for life long.
You don’t need to follow any fad diets to reverse it, but you need to make small lifestyle and dietary changes.
First you need to understand that high blood sugar levels in the body is due to impaired functioning of pancreas, insulin resistance, digestion, and lot of metabolic disturbances.
Let’s understand what happens when you eat food. Our food gets digested to release glucose, it enters our blood. Pancreas secretes insulin hormone (a carrier) which carries sugar to various cells like muscle cells and fat cells.
Insulin knocks at the cells, cell open the door and let the insulin delivers sugar, then again close the door. It stores this energy for future use.
But in Type 2 Diabetics, the cell doesn’t open this door as it no longer hear the knock of insulin. In turn pancreas keep on producing more insulin. Our pancreas has certain life to produce insulin which after some time decreases. After a while it is unable to produce insulin.
That’s why it is important to start making lifestyle changes to reverse your high blood sugar levels-
- Fat loss/Inch loss- Even 1 inch of Fat reduction from your body can bring down your high blood sugar levels drastically. You should focus on losing your Inches.
- Sedentary lifestyle- Lack of proper movement and activity levels is the main cause of insulin resistance. You must have a desk job of 8-9 hrs., but still, you have much time to move out and do at least 30-40 min. of any activity as per your choice. Get up from your chair every 45 min., doing a little bit of twists, stretching, bringing a glass of water for yourself, climbing stairs, doing squats are very easy solutions.
- Stress- Due to High stress levels, insulin gets impacted. High level of chronic stress increases cortisol (stress hormone) which increases blood sugar levels. You need to destress yourself by keeping yourself busy, meditation and by changing your attitude towards life.
- Sleep- All kinds of hormonal balance happen inside our body only in the night time when we sleep and that too at proper time. Lack of proper sleep and good quality sleep is the big obstacle towards your healing.
- Bad Nutrition- Excess usage of processed and packed foods depletes micronutrients out of our body. You need to include certain superfoods in your diet to recover these nutrients and improve your insulin resistance.
Add these wonder foods which can boost insulin secretion naturally:
a). Flax seeds are believed to be good for health as they are rich source of antioxidants and are good at increasing production of insulin naturally.
b). Fenugreek seeds – Consume powder of fenugreek seeds soaked in hot water to reduce your fasting blood sugar levels.
c). Drink Plenty of Fluids is a simple tip to boost insulin production.
Drinking plenty of fluids enhance the functioning of pancreas. Due to consumption of fatty and sugar rich foods, pancreas gets soaked in acidic secretions and it interferes with usual state of its functions. Pancreas requires a moderately alkaline environment to be healthy. Being hydrated and taking more liquids will wash off the acidic secretions, enhancing the production of insulin and digestive juices from pancreas.
d). Add Apple Cider Vinegar to your Daily Routine.
Apple Cider Vinegar has been shown to have numerous benefits for insulin function and blood sugar levels.
e). Chewing 10 tulsi leaves along with ginger can prepare pancreas for producing insulin.
Take 10 leaves of tulsi and small piece of ginger, chew it slowly like a mouth exercise for 5 minutes. This juice reaches intestines and work as a signaling agent to stimulate pancreas to produces insulin naturally.