Mayo Clinic, a nonprofit organization dedicated to clinical practice, education and research, explains that it is important to have a healthy weight to reduce the risk of diabetes. “People in a large study reduced their risk of developing diabetes by almost 60% following losing regarding 7% of their body weight with changes in physical activity and diet,” she details.
Also, the American Diabetes Association advises people with prediabetes to lose at least 7% or 10% of their weight to avoid developing the disease.
In the case of people who already have a diagnosis of diabetes, it is very valuable to follow medical recommendations to avoid health complications, especially those related to diet.
According to Medline Plus, the website of the National Library of Medicine of the United States, it is essential to eat a variety of healthy foods from all food groups.
- Fruits and vegetables.
- Whole grains like whole wheat, brown rice, barley, quinoa, and oatmeal.
- Proteins, such as lean meats, chicken, turkey, fish, eggs, nuts, beans, lentils, and tofu.
- Fat-free or low-fat dairy products such as milk, yogurt, and cheese.
Having a healthy diet contributes over time to fighting obesity naturally. “Changing eating habits is critical to losing weight and maintaining a healthy weight. To lose weight, you need to consume fewer calories and use more calories than you consume,” explains the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Medline Plus, the website of the United States National Library of Medicine, provides some tips to keep in mind when preparing meals for people with type 2 diabetes. It should be noted that you must see a nutritionist to receive a meal plan specific, according to the condition of each individual.
- Include foods from all the food groups at each meal.
- Consume around 550 grams per day of vegetables. Choose fresh and do not add sauces or salt.
- Regarding fruits, it recommends eating up to 320 grams a day, not eating them with added sugar or syrups. “Try apples, bananas, berries, cherries, fruit cocktail, grapes, cantaloupe, oranges, peaches, pears, papaya, pineapple, and raisins. Drink juices that are 100% fruit with no added sweeteners or syrups”, indica Medline Plus.
- Include up to 184 grams of protein foods daily (meat, poultry, seafood, eggs, beans and peas, nuts, seeds, and processed soy foods). “Select lean cuts of beef, veal, pork, or wild game. Trim all visible fat from meat. Bake, roast, grill, boil instead of fry,” the Library says.
Diabetes
Diabetes is a disease characterized by high levels of glucose in the blood. This occurs because the pancreas does not produce insulin, the hormone responsible for transporting glucose to the cells of the body to use it for energy.
There are three types of diabetes. Type 1, which is characterized by being the least common, can occur at any age (children, youth and adults) and occurs when there is deficient production of insulin or there is it in minimal amounts. Type 2 is the most common and its symptoms are silent, so some people do not know they have the disease and the risk of complications in their health condition increases. Finally, there is gestational diabetes which, as its name indicates, occurs during pregnancy and increases complications during childbirth; it also increases the risk that the mother and child will develop type 2 diabetes in the future.