This year, the theme for World Health Day—it was celebrated on April 7—was ‘Health for All’. Keeping that in mind, I want to discuss one very common health issue or metabolic syndrome that is on the rise. We all know about at least one or two people in our circle suffering from hyperglycaemia, pre-diabetes, or diabetes, which is nothing but a lifestyle disease caused by unhealthy eating and poor lifestyle. Today, I am going to discuss a few basic changes that can help in improving your sugar levels naturally:
Low carb with protein and fat to balance meals: The most common mistake people make is that they cut down on carbs but never focus on other macronutrients. This means, you need to reduce overall carb intake but, at the same time, balance the protein and fats along with it. Fats are required for the production of hormones such as insulin, thyroxine, etc.
Therefore, adding the right fat will help in controlling sugar levels gradually. Avoid bad fats such as refined oils, junk food, and processed foods and instead, include good fats like nuts, seeds, and cold-pressed oils.
Portion control: If you eat more than what the body needs, then you will tire your system, especially the pancreas by producing more and more insulin, causing insulin sensitivity problems. That is why having control over your portion size becomes important to manage sugar.
Chew your food well: To control the portion size of your meal, it is very important that you chew slowly. This helps as the blood sugar levels over time do not rise as much. When we send undigested food, which is not chewed well into our system, we need to produce more enzymes, acids, insulin, etc., to break it down and digest it.
Exercise: A sedentary lifestyle can predispose you to develop diabetes way more quicker. When we exercise, we improve blood circulation and provide nutrition and oxygen to the trillions of cells in our body. Start with a simple walk or try to add an activity every single day for a minimum of 30 minutes and move around throughout the day. One can try Yoga, as well, because it is super powerful and asanas such as dhanurasana, bhujangasana help lower blood sugar levels.
Have fruits in moderation: Overdoing fruit consumption will lead to a spike in blood sugar. Have one fruit at a time, either a bowl of papaya or an apple and combine it with nuts and seeds to control the release of fructose in the body. When you have more fruits, you may suffer from fructose malabsorption, leading to gut issues and sugar problems. Just because something is good for you, it does not mean overdoing will heal you.
Deepika Rathod
Chief Nutrition Officer, Luke Coutinho Holistic
Healing Systems. The writer is a clinical nutritionist with a focus on healthy lifestyle choices.