Diabetics, listen up

OPINION PIECE

According to health24, after years of battling the scale, this one word has affected the lives of over 3.5 million South Africans across the country. This obese statistic plates diabetes as being the seventh most common cause of mortality in South Africa today. With this in mind, educating diabetics is essential.

Ranging from type 1-3, Medial News Today describes diabetes as a group of metabolic diseases in which a person gains high blood sugar levels due to a an inadequate supply of insulin. The most common type, 2, is constantly pushed aside as simply being a ‘bad choice’. Society is quick to point their finger when it comes to who is at fault, blaming diabetics with overwhelming statistics and consequences for why they are experiencing heart disease and kidney failure. But why not shift our blame to a fatal killer that dominates our society-food production houses? Sugary foods contribute plenty of calories leading to excessive weight gain, which essentially increases the risk of type 2 diabetes. Therefore red-stop-signs are posted around the central issue of carbohydrates.

Anyone can get type 2 diabetes but those at higher risk target obese or overweight individuals. By focusing on what food they are consuming, the only ultimatum to win the battle would be to make a healthy lifestyle change. With numerous diets floating around, advocates for the ‘low carb’ approach suggest that due to carbs rising blood sugar levels and insulin, eating carbs should be avoided or restricted at all times. The most well-known eating plan that everyone is consuming is the famous ‘Banting’ diet.

Today, it’s everywhere. It’s all people ever talk about. Everyone seems to be absorbing in this new way of life. I’ve even noticed a number of businesses and restaurants incorporating separate menus dedicated to this new lifestyle change. Introduced by South African exercise and sport science professor- Tim Noakes, he claims that the low-carb high-fat dietary concept cuts carbs and sugar completely out of your diet, suppressing you appetite until you start feeling full quicker.

“As you begin to drop carbs, your body will begin to look for alternative sources of energy-glucose stored in your liver and muscles, causing you to lose weight. Fat and protein therefore normalises blood sugar and counteracts pre-diabetes” explained Noakes. Many people are following this diet because it seems to be the easiest one yet. Instead of taking pills or replacing your meals with a protein-shake, all you have to do is remove junk food, fizzy drinks, alcohol and anything containing high contents of sugar and grains.

If I were told that what I was eating would be the cause of morality in my future, I would try as many lifestyle changes as I could. No matter what the diet, trying something that doesn’t involve starvation or cheap getaways is always the best way to go. With Tim Noakes ‘Banting’ diet designed specifically to accommodate diabetes, this opportunity calls all diabetics to attention. This could be the healthy lifestyle change you needed. So, if you are diabetic, there’s no harm in trying.