How To Eat {& Move} Your Way Out Of Type 2 Diabetes
Science has been the hero in our fight with COVID-19. And while type 2 diabetes isn’t a pandemic, it’s a disease in epidemic proportions that we can take more control of.
That’s the message from two Australian scientists, Grant Brinkworth and Pennie Taylor, authors of CSIRO Low-Carb Diabetes Every Day.
Their new book, published to coincide with World Diabetes Day this Sunday, shows how a change to eating and exercise habits can offset the risks of developing type 2 diabetes, a disease 1.7 million Australians live with. It is such a devastating illness because high or fluctuating blood glucose levels can damage blood vessels, nerves and organs and cause many conditions – from eye disorders (cataracts, retina damage) and kidney disease to fertility issues, stroke and heart attacks.
Built on a bedrock of nutritional science, lifestyle research and rigorously tested in a controlled clinical trial, the book offers 80 low-carb recipes and aims to not only prevent type 2 diabetes but help those dealing with diagnoses to manage their condition, cut back on medication and maintain good all-round health.
As the title suggests, the dietary villains are high-carbohydrate foods. These include rice, pasta, legumes and starchy vegetables such as corn, potatoes and sweet potato.
Don’t be put off if you love your pasta and rice. “We are not dismissing carbs, but recommend controlling the portion of carbohydrates and making sure lean protein and healthy fats are also part of the diet,” say co-author Dr Pennie Taylor.
“By reducing carbs to 50 grams a day we start to see a reversal or remission of type 2 diabetes in populations,” says Dr Taylor. “This is parallel to what you see in bariatric [gastric bypass] surgery. When someone with type 2 diabetes has bariatric surgery they see remission, but the fact we are able to do the same with diet is quite unique.”
““One in three people will develop type 2 diabetes in their lifetime and 40 per cent of those are female.””
She says that the traditional risk factors for developing type 2 diabetes are obesity, older age, low activity levels and poor nutritional habits, but that there has been a shift in who is at risk.
“We are seeing a younger population at risk of type 2 diabetes, and more women aged from 45 years, so it is starting to change. One in three people will develop type 2 diabetes in their lifetime and 40 per cent of those are female.” COVID-19, she adds, has also put office workers, who are working at home more and aren’t moving as much, at risk.
Recognising symptoms can be tricky.
“Many people don’t know they have diabetes, or precursors to diabetes such as poor blood glucose control or insulin resistance. This is because symptoms like mental fogginess, fatigue, excess hunger, dryness of the mouth and increased urination are attributed to other life strains. It can be hard to know if you are displaying symptoms of type 2 diabetes because such symptoms are often put down to stress through the day or getting older.
“If you are concerned – for example, you might have a family history of type 2 diabetes – a GP can run a very simple oral glucose tolerance test or a blood test. These will indicate if you are developing diabetes, at risk of diabetes or if you are OK.”
The good news is that if you receive a diagnosis of type 2 diabetes or a precursor condition, you can modify aspects of your lifestyle for a better outcome.
While diet is an important modifier, exercise also plays a role and the book contains a full exercise program that includes aerobic exercise, weight training and stretching.
“It’s a combination of diet and exercise,” says Dr Taylor. “Diet has a great impact on blood glucose control because that’s what affects carbohydrates going in and breaking down the sugar – it’s what largely affects the glucose variation in our blood – but exercise is important for longer-term management and decreasing our body fat.
“We can still be thin and have a high body-fat level. What happens then is we don’t have the muscle to help us manage insulin more effectively in our bodies. Exercise helps build muscle and helps regulate insulin use in the body for energy.
“Moving the larger muscles by walking regularly is great, but adding weight training once or twice a week is even better.”
CSIRO Low-Carb Diabetes Every Day by Professor Grant Brinkworth and Dr Pennie Taylor is published by Pan Macmillan, $39.99.