What you need to know about diabetes and how to prevent it

Diabetes is a chronic health condition that affects how your body turns food into energy. Everyday, the food that we consume is broken down into nutrients that our body uses for energy, growth, and cell repair.

In a normal person, food is broken down into sugar (glucose), which is released into the bloodstream. This causes a rise in your blood sugar levels, signalling your pancreas to release a hormone known as insulin, which facilitates the entry of glucose into our cells for energy use.

With diabetes, your body does not produce sufficient insulin or is resistant to the effects of insulin. When this occurs, too much sugar remains in the bloodstream. Eventually, this can lead to disorders of the circulatory, immune, and nervous system.

Incorporate a healthy diet

Consuming foods that are high in refined carbohydrates and sugar increase your blood sugar levels, which increases your risk of developing diabetes. Limiting your total carbohydrate intake and consuming foods that don’t cause spikes in your blood sugar levels can help to reduce your chances of developing diabetes.

Lose weight

Excess fat around your waist (visceral fat) builds up around your organs, such as the liver and the pancreas. This is associated with insulin resistance. Therefore, losing this weight can reduce your chances of developing diabetes.

Engage in physical activity

A lack of exercise can cause your cells to be resistant to insulin in the long-term, hence increasing your risk of developing diabetes. MOH guidelines suggest incorporating at least 300 minutes of moderate physical exercises each week.

Quit or reduce smoking

The chemicals in cigarettes can harm your body’s cells and can interfere with their functions and processes. This can result in inflammation throughout your body, which can decrease your body’s responsiveness to insulin. If you need help with quitting smoking, do reach out to a healthcare professional.