Diet plays an important role in predicting what can be the fate of an individual in terms of health. Experts say that wrong eating habits are the main causes of obesity today that opens the door to diseases such as diabetes.
No doubt,everybody has one food or the other that is their favourite dish. For some people it is rice. Other people would easily go for amala or pounded yam, depending on the local food highly preferred in their home community.
No doubt, eating pounded yam just like any other food is not the cause of diabetes, but the lack of knowledge on food, the amounts of each food item to be taken as well as the frequency of their intake could be the reason for many health challenges, including diabetes.“The patient factor is important both in the prevention and treatment of diabetes. For instance, many beliefs and notions as well as cultural practices need to be changed in the prevention of diabetes. Take the case of pounded yam, some individuals are asked to cut down on the amount of pounded yam they consume as well as limit their intake of pounded yam to once a week.
Wondering what is the link between frequency of consuming pounded yam and diabetes? Well, it is not just what is eaten that affects the blood sugar level, how much is eaten and when it is taken also matters because of the link between excess weight gain, obesity and type 2 diabetes. Without the intervention of a healthy diet and appropriate exercise, obesity may develop into diabetes over a relatively short period of time.
In addition, a family history of diabetes and excess weight, especially weight carried around the middle, are strong risk factors for developing type 2 diabetes. Bulging bellies or fat deposit in the abdomen is highly correlated with insulin resistance, which is a precursor to diabetes. Unfortunately, many African men think heaviness and big stomachs are signs of affluence, so they ignorantly eat and drink overzealous amounts trying to flaunt money and get bigger in size.
Diabetes is a disease in which the blood glucose, or sugar, levels are too high. Glucose comes from the foods consumed. Insulin is a hormone that helps the glucose gets into the cells of the body to give them energy. With Type 2 diabetes, the more common type, the body does not make or use insulin well. Without enough insulin, the glucose stays in the blood.
Over time, having too much glucose in one’s blood can cause serious problems. It can cause damage to the eyes, kidneys and nerves. Diabetes can also cause heart disease, stroke and even the need to remove a limb.
Symptoms of Type 2 diabetes may include fatigue, thirst, weight loss, blurred vision and frequent urination. Some people have no symptoms. A blood test can show if you have diabetes.
The prevalence of diabetes in Nigeria is estimated at 4.7 per cent while the average in Africa is 3.8 per cent. A total of 13.1 million people in Africa have diabetes and this is projected to double by 2030.
The diet plays an important role in predicting what can be the fate of an individual in terms of health. Wrong eating habits today are the main causes of obesity that imparts a negative impact on people health. What one eats makes all the difference when it comes to prevention, delaying the unset of diabetes and its several complications.
But what constitutes effective diabetes care or prevention? There are different levels of preventing diabetes. Prevention strategies for diabetes include lifestyle modification such as increased level of exercises, proper diet and increased consumption of fruits and vegetables.
But in a person already with diabetes, prevention strategies centre on ensuring effective diabetes care and measures to prevent complications of the disease.There is strong evidence that early detection and treatment can help to prevent or delay development and complications of diabetes. And also prevent premature death. Lifestyle interventions were more effective than use of medicines.”
Nonetheless, there are barriers and obstacles to diabetes prevention programmes in developing countries. These include poverty or unavailability of needed resources; lack of data, knowledge and skills and socio-cultural problems.
Obesity is not considered negatively although it is lye-way to many diseases including diabetes and heart problems. In addition, other challenges include inadequate value given to physical exercise and no time is granted to do physical exercise at work.
Though diabetes was a major challenge to human health, the disease was preventable.Primary prevention is a suitable and more affordable choice. There is strong evidence that lifestyle interventions are effective in prevention of many Non communicable diseases, diabetes inclusive. So barriers to prevention of diseases, including diabetes must be addressed.
some tips on making healthful food choices
•Make sure vegetables and fruits are included in every meal.
•Choose foods made from whole grains over processed grain products. Examples of this includes whole wheat, rice (especially brown rice), oats and beans.
•Eat plenty of fibre. Fibre is found only in plant foods. These include whole grains, fruits, vegetables and legumes such as beans and nuts.
•Choose foods low in saturated fats and trans fats. Saturated fat is found mostly in foods that come from animals like cuts of beef, pork, lamb and poultry with skin, whole butter milk, butter and cheese.
•Choose lean protein as often as possible, that is protein low in fat. This includes things such as poultry that has the skin removed, low-fat dairy milk and yoghurt.
•Cut back on high calorie snacks foods and desserts like pastries, cookies and cakes.
•Choose water and low calorie or calorie-free drinks instead of the regular soft drinks and other sugar-sweetened drinks.
•Eating too much of even healthful foods can lead to weight gain, so watch your portion sizes. Of importance, the total amount of food consumed and whether they come from fat, carbohydrate or protein is still important.
•Avoid excessive alcohol intake. Alcohol can also raise blood fats, deleterious to the heart and blood vessels that circulate blood.
