Start healthy eating today to change tomorrow – World Diabetes Day

2014

Nov 13

World Diabetes Day is celebrated annually on November 14. This Day was launched in 1991 by the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) and the World Health Organization. This campaign has drawn attention to issues of diabetes in the world and kept diabetes firmly in the public spotlight. World Diabetes Day is celebrated worldwide by the over 200 member associations of the International Diabetes Federation in more than 160 countries and territories, all Member States of the United Nations, as well as by other associations and organizations, companies, healthcare professionals and people living with diabetes and their families.

Diabetes is a metabolic disease in which the body’s inability to produce any or enough insulin causes elevated levels of glucose in the blood. According to IDF, almost 400 million people worldwide live with diabetes and diabetes caused 5.1 million deaths in 2013. Global health spending to treat diabetes and manage complications totaled almost US $ 550 billion in 2013.

“Healthy Living and Diabetes” is the World Diabetes Day theme for 2014-2016. According to IDF, 70 percent of type 2 diabetes cases can be prevented by healthy diet and physical activity with reduction of 150 million cases by 2035. This year campaign focuses on the importance of starting the day with a healthy breakfast that helps prevent the onset of type 2 diabetes and effectively manage all types of diabetes to avoid complications. A healthy diet containing leafy vegetables, fresh fruit, whole grains, lean meat, fish and nuts can help reduce a person’s risk of type 2 diabetes and avoid complications in people with diabetes.

Individuals can reduce their risk of type 2 diabetes by:

Choosing water or unsweetened coffee or tea instead of fruit juice, soda, and other sugar sweetened beverages.
Eating at least three servings of vegetables every day, including green leafy vegetables such as spinach, lettuce or kale.
Eating up to three servings of fresh fruit every day.
Choosing nuts, a piece of fresh fruit or sugar-free yoghurt for a snack.
Limiting your alcohol intake to a maximum of two standard drinks per day.
Choosing lean cuts of white meat, poultry and seafood instead of processed meat or red meat.
Choosing peanut butter instead of chocolate spread or jam to spread on bread.
Choosing whole-grain bread instead of white bread, brown rice instead of white rice, whole grain pasta instead of refined pasta.
Choosing unsaturated fats (olive oil, canola oil, corn oil, or sunflower oil) instead of saturated fats (butter, ghee, animal fat, coconut oil or palm oil).

These recommendations will also help people with diabetes to achieve stable control. Small investment can make a big difference. Healthy eating is always the answer of life.