The rate of diabetes has been growing at an exponential rate in our country.
And things aren’t getting any better. It was only back in 2018 when Malaysia was known to have the highest rate of diabetes in the whole of Asia.
According to The Star, it was only recently confirmed that 3.6 million Malaysians are confirmed diabetic. But there are many more out there that are unaware that they actually suffer from diabetes, says the Health ministry. The scary part about this is that seven million adults, both diagnosed and undiagnosed, are projected to be affected by diabetes in Malaysia by 2025.
Diabetes poses a big problem in our country. But perhaps there are some little things we can do to help prevent diabetes.
Here are 5 effective ways to avoid getting diabetes
1. Cut sugar from your diet
Cutting sugar from your diet might be a no brainer, but it is easier said than done. One of the main contributors to diabetes would be the intake of sugary foods and refined carbs. Try to incorporate whole grains in your diet. Whole grains would decrease your risk of diabetes and also lower your blood sugar levels. Always look for the word “whole” in the ingredient list before purchasing it.
2. Exercising regularly
Exercising doesn’t just lower your risk of diabetes, but it also brings you so many other benefits. Some of it include, weight loss, lower the risk of heart disease, lower your blood sugar and also helps keep your sugar in the normal range by boosting your sensitivity to insulin. Research has shown that fitness programs that include both resistance training and aerobics can help better control diabetes.
3. Avoid sweet drinks and stick to only water
I know it’s tempting, but try your best to avoid any beverage that is high in sugar. That includes fruit juices too! Yup, you heard that right. Fruit juice is no exception. Researchers have studied that, neither fruit juices nor artificially sweetened drinks help prevent diabetes. By replacing your sweet drinks with water, your insulin resistance can be lowered together with your fasting sugar and insulin levels.
4. Stop smoking
Smoking has been linked to so many serious health conditions out there. There has been research linking the act of second-hand smoking and type 2 diabetes. In an analysis of several studies totaling over one million people, smoking was found to increase the risk of diabetes by 44% in average smokers and 61% in people who smoked more than 20 cigarettes daily. Though it might not seem easy, take that leap of faith and stop smoking today!
5. Try out a low carb diet
You can try out a low carb diet or even the keto diet, learn more info on halki diabetes remedy from Act1Diabetes.org and how fewer carbs in your diet, can lower blood sugar and insulin levels. If you cut down on your carb intake, your blood sugar levels will not increase a lot after you eat. As a result, your body needs less insulin to maintain your blood sugar within healthy levels.
Diabetes is a real problem in Malaysia that needs to be curbed. Let’s all take these little steps as stepping stones to a better lifestyle.
Header Image : Medical News Today