Lifestyle and food changes to manage type-2 diabetes

Each November is designated National Diabetes Month. It’s a time to bring attention to diabetes and its impact on millions of Americans. In Kentucky, 1 in 8 adults has diabetes, but many more have it and don’t know it. To learn if you or someone you know may be at risk for developing type 2 diabetes, take a simple 60-second, 7-question risk test here at the American Diabetes Association website.

So, let’s start off with a question that will put a perspective in your head. 

Yes, Type 2 Diabetes is so common in the US that it has become the next biggest epidemic in the country. It’s no shocking news hearing this because we come across this a lot in the recent years. More than 34.2 million Americans have diabetes and about 90-95% of them have Type 2 diabetes. Usually Type 2 diabetes is common amongst people above the age of 45 but recently more children, teens and young adults too are developing it.

For a chronic condition that is so common, let us throw some light on what exactly causes Type 2 diabetes.

Let’s learn - why?

The pancreas in your body secretes a hormone called insulin. This hormone is the key that let’s blood sugar into the cells of your body and use that as energy. If a person suffers from Type 2 diabetes, the cells in their body do not respond to this insulin; this is known as insulin resistance. So, the pancreas tries to generate more insulin to get the cells to respond, but eventually it won’t be able to keep up. This leads to a rise in sugar levels, setting the stage for prediabetes and Type 2 diabetes.

How is this bad? 

High blood sugar levels can cause serious damage to your body via health problems like vision loss, heart attack and kidney failure. This condition can silently develop in your body over the years and can even go unnoticed at times. So, it’s best to get your sugar levels checked regularly by your doctor.

What next then...

If you are one of the many who has Type 2 diabetes or prediabetes, that statement reiterates the fact that you aren’t alone in this. Many who go through this condition, have few to severe impacts on their health. But when recognised early, simple lifestyle changes can be a huge boon to recover soon. These changes are so impactful that they can even get you off the pill. Isn’t that all anyone wants?

In a clinical trial funded by the National Institutes of Health and the Centers of Disease Control Prevention, they found that making small but healthy changes to eating habits over a four-year period and exercising regularly has improved insulin levels in 5000 overweight participants. This study is enough to show how much a DIET can change your life and health.

Eat Healthy

You are what you eat – this statement goes well in general but specifically goes well for diabetics. When you eat right, your body restructures the nutrients and pushes to bring regularity back on track. That’s the power of eating right. However, it’s key to have a close tab on what you put in your body, take note of the healthy diet changes you make and how you feel better. This way you’ll know which food to put on your plate to understand what works and what doesn’t. And diet changes not only make your body healthy but can improve your mental health too.

Also, this is important so please make note. Out of the three macronutrients in our body – carbs, protein and fat – the first one has the greatest impact on blood sugar levels. This is because the body breaks carbs down into glucose and increases insulin levels.

So what diet is the best?

Low-carb diet – a pretty obvious one, given the reason before. There are many studies stating that a low-carb diet is helpful to treat diabetes. And what’s better? When diabetics stick to this diet for a long time (we’re talking years here), it considerably helps restore the blood sugar levels, reduces risk of critical conditions and helps manage weight too.

So, if you opt for this diet, your go-to foods must be fresh or frozen fruit and vegetables, whole grain foods, lean meats, and low-fat or fat-free dairy.

And what about sweets?

Sweets can be tricky when you’re living with diabetes. For any diabetic, sweets are a big No-No. Especially when one follows the recommended Low-carb diet, it is advised to avoid sweets, baked goods, desserts, candy and ice cream. But little do doctors know about how much a diabetic craves for sweet goodies when we are asked to avoid for life. And if at all you give in to their cravings, you are left feeling guilty for doing so. So, how can you satisfy your craving while also not affecting your health?

The answer is…

Giving up sugar can be quite daunting. Sometimes low-carb desserts that don’t mess up your blood sugar are a better option and luckily, we, at Planet Bake, have delicious and diabetic-friendly sweets that you can eat guilt-free.

To put more perspective on it we at Planet Bake use a FDA natural sweetener in our products that is called Allulose. Allulose Sweetener has zero glycemic index, meaning no effect on your blood sugar levels. Research shows even when Allulose is consumed with sugar, the curve will be lower than eating pure sugar by itself - that means Allulose shows a reversed impact and can actually help type 2 diabetes people with high blood sugar levels. For more clarity please read our research done on Allulose.

We understand how important health is for you and that’s why we put our heart into making scrumptious and tasty baked goods using ingredients that are low-carb, dairy-free, egg-free, gluten-free, sugar-free, keto-friendly and certified non-GMO ingredients – everything that satisfies your health and your sugar cravings.

Check out our range of products here and indulge in sweet treats while also enjoying a long, healthy life.