Diabetes is an ailment common among the elderly folk. When a person is diagnosed with diabetes, there are drugs for its management. It is better however to work to prevent diabetes through nutrition and healthy lifestyle.
Here are 9 Proven Steps to Prevent Spike in Blood sugar and ward off diabetes.
1. Reduce simple carbohydrates
Eating too much carbohydrates accompanied by less protein frequently can lead to spike in blood sugar. It important ensure adequate protein especially in the morning or midday to keep sugar from rising.
2. Include more Healthy Fats
This is one fact about nutrition that is yet to go down well with many health conscious persons who are still ignorant. How can you eat fat and expect to burn fat. Yes, fats found in coconut oil and olive oil are known to burn fat and help prevent diabetes. I prefer to include nuts especially peanuts in the morning, most importantly because of its protein content. It takes longer to digest and prevents frequent snacking which cause sugar to rise.
3. Include Moderate Exercise daily
Moderate exercise helps reduce excess body weight, opens up arteries and helps improve both circulation, digestion and absorption. These are all key contributors in Diabetes especially type 11 diabetes which is caused by insufficient insulin release by the body.
4. Include Cinnamon in most of your carbs or tea especially morning tea.
Cinnamon is now a known spice which helps in release of more insulin to Control sugar especially when we consume starchy or fatty foods. It has numerous other health benefits including maintaining a healthy heart. You can use in your cooking such as soups and stews to help control the effect of Starch in the meal and bring out the natural taste too.
5. Get Enough Sleep
Many are not aware that insufficient sleep continously over a long time, makes it difficult for our bodies to manage. If you get enough sleep regularly, it is easier avoid hike in blood sugar and avoid type 11 diabetes.
6. Eat Quality Meals
It is important to state that consuming nutrient deficient meals places more load on the body and leaves the body with no materials to rebuild dead tissues. When we consistently consume foods that are not nutrient dense on a regular basis, the resultant effect will be diabetes. Quality meals will include fibre rich foods, with protein, spices like ginger, garlic, cayenne pepper etc.
7. Consume Low Calorie foods More
Nuts generally are high in calorie and lead to weight gain which could come with diabetes. Excess fat reduce circulation, and places more load on the heart. If body weight is not controlled by consuming foods low in calorie, body weight will continue to increase which is not in favour of a perfect body that will ward off diabetes. Some low calorie foods include: Cucumber, eggplant, Berry fruits, oranges, Apples etc.
8. Occasional Bitters
I like to start my day some days of the week with raw bitter leaf in the morning. After washing a handful of fresh bitter leaf and the water is thrown away. I chew on the raw green washed leaf on empty stomach and allow to sit for at least 45 minutes and drinks a glass of water. Doing this occasionally during the week helps prevent hike in blood sugar.
9. Include fermented Foods
If fermented foods such as iru, ogiri, millet pap, yoghurt are included occasional, it will ensure that our gut is healthy. A healthy gut will harbour more bacteria that work to support our digestion than harbouring more yeast, fungals and unhealthy agents that suppress our immune system and sometimes give rise to diabetes.
Above all, we should avoid extreme stress. Stress does not support our health in any way including diabetes. More clean water, and other fluids helps easy absorption and good bowel movement which all work to support insulin production
