Docyard : Mindful eating is key

|
  • 0

Docyard : Mindful eating is key

Tuesday, 03 September 2019 | Dr Silviya A Irene

Docyard : Mindful eating is key

Diabetes has emerged as a global health crisis affecting 425 million people and if the trend continues, the number of people suffering from diabetes is expected to reach 629 million by 2045. Even with millions of people suffering from the disease, it is disconcerting to see a number of myths surrounding it.

It is surprising that a lot of people around the world still believe that sugar is a major cause behind Diabetes. While it may seem as a logical conclusion, considering the fact that the disease is linked to high blood sugar levels, it is still an erroneous conclusion. Type I Diabetes is an autoimmune disease that occurs when the pancreas is attacked by the body’s immune system and it has nothing to do with the intake of sugar. In case of the more prevalent type II Diabetes, factors like family history, obesity, physical inactivity and poor diet are the major risk factors. While sugar plays a role in weight gain, it also leads to an increase in insulin resistance. This increase can, thus, lead to type 2 diabetes.

While acknowledging the fact that sugar does not cause Diabetes, it is important to note that the amount of sugar intake can affect a person who is already suffering from Diabetes. Apart from sugar intake, how your body metabolises sugar also plays a significant role. Strong family history of diabetes and being overweight tend to make a person more insulin resistant. As insulin resistance increases, blood sugar levels also go up. In these cases, eating more simple sugars can further boost your blood sugar levels.

In order to effectively manage the disease, it is important to understand how different types of sugar can affect one’s body and how to accommodate them in one’s diet. Ultimately, almost every food breaks down into the same compounds, which is glucose, but it is the speed of metabolism that matters. Foods with simple carbohydrate (the most refined forms of carbohydrate like sugar, all-purpose flour, potatoes and others) take less time to be broken down by the body, which leads to rapid spike in blood sugar levels, while those with complex carbohydrate (millets, green leafy vegetables, high fiber fruits) take longer time enabling the gradual spike in blood sugar. Therefore, it is a good idea to include complex carbs as part of your diet.

Simple sugars like plain sugar, fruit juices, rice and other high glycemic index (GI) food should be avoided. One should be careful about one’s intake of high GI fruits like mangoes, litchis, bananas, grapes, kiwis and ripe pineapples.

Junk food is often high in calorie, fat and sugar content without providing much nutritional value. Due to the prevalence of fast food among Indians, there has been a rise in obesity and diabetes in children, adolescents and younger adults.

In recent times, there has also been a growth in sugar-free products and people with Diabetes are inevitably attracted to it. People tend to binge on these sugar-free biscuits and cookies without realising their effects on the body. While these products might be sugar free, they are often rich in fat content in order to make them tasty for the consumers. In the pursuit of sugar-free products, patients do not realise the long-term harmful effects of saturated and trans fat that are present in these products.

While mindful eating is key when it comes to maintaining a healthy diet, physical activity plays an important role in enhancing body metabolism, which can help one maintain one’s blood sugar levels and increase insulin sensitivity. With the constant availability of our favourite food and sweet dishes at the click of a button, it is no wonder we have adopted a lifestyle that contributes to obesity.

The writer is Dr Silviya A Irene Consultant, Diabetes and Endocrinology Sitaram Bhartia Institute of Science & Research, new Delhi

Sunday Edition

CAA PASSPORT TO FREEDOM

24 March 2024 | Kumar Chellappan | Agenda

CHENNAI EXPRESS IN GURUGRAM

24 March 2024 | Pawan Soni | Agenda

The Way of Bengal

24 March 2024 | Shobori Ganguli | Agenda

The Pizza Philosopher

24 March 2024 | Shobori Ganguli | Agenda

Astroturf | Lord Shiva calls for all-inclusiveness

24 March 2024 | Bharat Bhushan Padmadeo | Agenda

Interconnected narrative l Forest conservation l Agriculture l Food security

24 March 2024 | BKP Sinha/ Arvind K jha | Agenda