Type 2 diabetes is still undoubtedly a lifestyle disease, a curse of abundance, poor food choices, lack of awareness, little need for self-control, obesity, reduced need for physical exertion for daily life, human progress and industrialization. However, many of these scientific advances are now also paving the way to cure diabetes and urging mankind to unlearn and relearn lifestyles that can combat this diabetes epidemic.
The discovery of diabetes remission in 2017 is a scientific miracle that mankind will look back on as one of the life-changing discoveries of the century. This has now led us to rethink the dominant drug-based approach to diabetes and instead use robust lifestyle-based interventions as the first step in diabetes management.
Diabetes is one of the major global concerns, which is now becoming an epidemic with more than 463 million adults affected by diabetes and it has almost quadrupled in the last two decades from 4.7% to 8.5%. This challenging disease is affecting a growing number of adults and is now more prevalent in the youth where experts say it is increasing rapidly in rural and urban India, hence the growing concerns about health threats need urgent attention. It stems from this and prioritize preventative care.
In an interview with HT Lifestyle, Dr Hema Venkatraman, Consultant Endocrinologist and Medical Advisor, NHS UK shared, “With the advent of new wonder drugs for diabetes and obesity (eg Munjaro, Semaglutide), the pharma industry is also entering diabetes care. A new era. These new drugs lead to incredible weight loss and induce drug-induced diabetes remission. It is well known that the average Indian with diabetes does not meet the physical activity levels required for optimal health (150 minutes of aerobic activity/week), with more than 50% considered inactive according to the ICMR-Indiab-5 report. “
He emphasized, “Just as the idea of ’diet’ should pave the way for ‘healthy food choices’, so ‘exercise’ should pave the way for ‘active living.’ Must come full circle (it will only have a few gears!).
According to Vilasini Bhaskaran, specialist registered dietitian at NHS UK and head of nutrition and dietetics at Practoma, India, there is no single prescriptive dietary approach to diabetes management because “one-size” does not fit all and nutritional therapy should be the aim. To meet the individual needs of patients. She suggests, “It’s time we ditch the diet mentality and realign our holistic approach and behavior towards food. The ideal way to control blood sugar long-term is to focus on convenient, healthy eating, food choices, balance, moderation, texture and consistency. A healthy meal should include vegetables or salad (1/2 plate), protein (1/4 plate) and carbohydrates (1/4 plate) in recommended portions. Limit eating out/takeaways to once a fortnight as they are high in calories and in small portions of saturated fat and can put you on extra pounds.”
The health expert added, “It’s ‘okay’ to occasionally include sweets in small portions and choose ‘sugar-free’ options whenever possible. Non-nutritive artificial sweeteners such as aspartame, stevia, acesulfame and saccharin do not raise blood glucose and can be used safely as part of a healthy diet. Avoid foods labeled as ‘suitable for diabetics’ as these products have no specific health benefits and are often high in calories, may contain hidden ingredients that can still raise your blood glucose levels and have a laxative effect!
Vilasini Bhaskaran advises, “Diabetes need to be extra careful with alcohol because it increases the risk of hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) and adds calories. The recommended allowance is <14 units per week (about 6 medium {175ml} glasses of wine) throughout the week 2 -spread over 3 alcohol-free days/weeks. Remember, diabetes management is a lifelong intervention and positive health outcomes depend greatly on your commitment, involvement and participation in managing your own health care."