It is disheartening to not that there are 46 crores of people with diabetes worldwide and 40 lakhs of them die of diabetes every year.
In India, the number of diabetic patients is likely to leap-frog from 73 million to 135 million in 2045.
The fundamental question is “can we reverse diabetes?”
The answer is yes indeed, at least in the early stages.
Here are 10 tips to reverse diabetes in the early stages,
- Be positive and stay away from stress. Yoga, meditation, reading, connecting to friends would help.
- Cut carbohydrate portion in your diet. As you know 65-70 % of energy share in our diet comes from Carbohydrates (rice, wheat, corn, roots and tubers etc.). It is the single most important factor helping the blood glucose levels to go high. The best way to bring down blood glucose level is by restricting carbohydrates. The thumb rule is to bring down daily carbohydrate portion by at least 30- 40 %. You may substitute it with lean meat (chicken, fish and egg white), millets, pulses, legumes and nuts.Two to three portions of fruits and good helping of vegetables would help to meet the micronutrient and fiber requirements. Preferring complex carbohydrates and increasing fiber intake are helpful.
- Weight reduction – Recent data suggests that the rate of overweight (36% in men and 38% in women) and obesity (29% in men and 32% in women) are high in India. It is estimated that about 2/3rd of diabetic patients in India are either overweight or obese. One of the best ways to reverse diabetes is by bringing down weight to the tune of 5 to 10%. It can be achieved by cutting calories in your diet and by doing moderate physical activities.
- Regular physical activity – Regular physical activity reduces stress hormones and improves insulin sensitivity and hence effectively brings down blood glucose level.
- Regularize your life-style – It is important to stick to a regular life routine with some predictability in your diet in terms of timing and menu. Aim to go to bed and wake up at around the same time each day and ensure getting 7-8 hours of quality sleep.
- Intense treatment (at times using insulins) in the early months of diagnosis along with lifestyle and diet modification may help to stay free of medications later on.
- Smoking – Anecdotal reports indicate that cessation of smoking helps to bring down blood glucose levels to normalcy.
- Gut – Altered gut microbiota (dysbiosis) is assumed to cause insulin resistance and diabetes. Creating a healthier microbiome (by ensuring rich source of fiber in diet) would improve the gut function and reverse insulin resistance.
- Water – Prefer water and soda to sweetened beverages, fruit juices and sweetened coffee drink to stay hydrated. Studies have found that the amount of water you drink can play a role in how your body regulates blood sugar.
- Supplements – Supplements like fish oil, magnesium, chromium and antioxidants may have a role in reducing insulin resistance and normalizing glucose levels.