Diabetes has been a major concern worldwide, with India accounting for a sizeable portion of the global burden. According to Dr Apurva Sawwant, a preventive healthcare specialist, "Diabetes has steadily increased in India and around the world over the last three decades. Not only the number of patients with diabetes is rising, but it is also striking at a much younger age." Hence, experts from around the world are recommending mindful eating across ages to prevent this chronic lifestyle disease.
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What Leads To Early-Onset Diabetes?
Let's start with understanding what diabetes is. To put it simply, it is a lifestyle-related problem that occurs when the pancreas fails to produce enough insulin to manage the glucose levels in the body. While people aged 40 and above are considered to have higher diabetes risks, early-onset diabetes can affect anyone aged below 40, or as little as 18. Wondering what could be the probable reasons for early-onset diabetes?
According to health experts, genetic formation plays a major role in your chances of developing diabetes. That's not all. Our sedentary lifestyle choices are equally responsible for early-onset diabetes - inactive lifestyles coupled with unhealthy eating habits, poor sleep, and high stress are a few of the major reasons.
Here's How You Can Manage Early-Onset Diabetes:
Nutritionist Shikha Gupta took to Instagram to share a few simple tips that can help you manage blood sugar levels naturally. Besides, these hacks also help you stay fit and active in the long run. Read on.
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1. Cut down on excess carbs:
Have you been dependent on processed foods and ready-to-eat meals? We understand that these foods help save a lot of time, but did you know they lead to various health troubles as well? With such kinds of junk foods, we unknowingly end up having much more carbohydrates than our body needs or can process in a day. Nutritionist Shikha states, "Majority of us have a sedentary life and we don't need more than three servings of carbs per day." Hence, she suggests including healthy carbs like millet, ragi, jowar, bajra, oats, quinoa and even rice in your daily diet, instead of opting for store-bought foods.
2. Increase healthy fats and protein intake:
If you think that fats are bad for health, then it's time to reconsider your opinion. While we do not support excessive oil intake, it is important to pick the right kind of fat to provide enough macronutrients to the body. Alongside, the nutritionist stresses enough protein intake to "keep your blood sugars stable". She further recommends pairing carbs with protein and healthy fats, including ghee, coconut oil, avocado, super seeds, nuts, coconut and more.
3. Be physically active:
It is possibly the simplest hack to keep up a healthy lifestyle - the idea is to burn the energy you are taking every day. "A combination of strength training and cardio will help increase your insulin sensitivity as your muscles soak up the glucose in the bloodstream, maintaining blood sugar levels," Nutritionist Shikha adds.
These hacks are easy to follow, don't you agree? So, make them a part of your lifestyle and enjoy overall good health.