Follow some tips to good health this Diabetes month

BE AWARE – AND FOLLOW SOME TIPS TO GOOD HEALTH THIS DIABETES MONTH!

“Even though World Diabetes Day is celebrated annually on November 14 with the aim of raising awareness and educating people about this dreaded disease, its complications and the care that people with this condition need, we encourage the public to show more interest in monitoring their health, fitness and diet irrespective of the date being “observed,” says Jenny Russell, the Branch Manager at Diabetes SA in Durban. “Diabetes has been dubbed the ‘silent killer’ for years and we seriously need to do something about it collectively!” she added.

In light of this, everything is about moderation and balance and Diabetes SA  and  Julie Peacock, Registered Dietitian offer some guidelines to assist in improving your lifestyle - starting from today!

Three of the components that affect your blood glucose levels on a daily basis are:

·         The quantity of foods and drinks you consume

·         The types of foods and drinks you consume

·         The timing of your meals and snacks.

 

Key points to remember when selecting carbohydrate foods for your daily eating plan:

 

·         Select high-fibre /low-GI starches and limit your intake of refined starches (those with a high flour and sugar content). Remember that GI only applies to starches.

·         Eat five to six portions of whole grains each day 

·         Control your portions. The quantity of carbohydrate foods you eat affects your blood glucose levels.

·         Aim for a minimum of three portions of fresh vegetables per day, especially green leafy veg

·         Fresh fruit is the best snack to enjoy if your blood glucose levels are within the normal range  but  aim for a maximum of only 3 per day, and only one at a time, not all at once!

 

Key points to remember about proteins:

·         Lower your intake of saturated fats by avoiding protein and dairy foods that are high in saturated fats such as fatty meats, processed meats and hard cheeses.

·         Select all low fat milk and milk products and low fat cheese. Lean protein total fat content is less than 10 g fat / 100 g food 

·         Use skinless chicken when stir frying and stewing as cooking methods. Remove the skin afterwards when roasting chicken in the oven or on the coals.

·         Eating protein enables you to consume smaller portion of starch, which will improve your glycaemia control.

·         A small amount of protein is sufficient to sustain our body’s growth and metabolic processes.

·         Choose your proteins lean. The most to least desirable protein foods are fatty fish, white fish, legumes, lean meat and chicken, eggs, low-fat soft cheeses and hard cheese.

 

Key points to remember when selecting fats for your daily eating plan:

·         Limit your intake of saturated and trans-fats and choose unsaturated fats when possible.

·         Oleic acid (a monounsaturated fat found in  plant fats such as olive oil, canola oil, avocados and some nuts) has superior health benefits and should be the oil of choice in our diet.

·         Avoid exceptionally low-fat diets, as your body needs a certain amount of healthy fats to enable it to function normally.

·         Eat fatty fish at least three times a week for the beneficial effects of Omega 3 fatty acids.

·         Control the quantity of all fats in your daily eating plan, as all fats are calorie dense and will add weight.

 

Now that Diabetes SA has given you some encouragement and tips to better your lifestyle, you can now register for the 5KM walk which is taking place on Sunday, November 29^th starting and finishing from the Lower Marine Parade Amphitheatre at the Bay of Plenty at 8am by simply collecting your entry form from the Diabetes SA Durban office at Davenport Square in Glenwood at Office 62 on the 1st floor. Personnel will be on duty to help with the registration process.

The first 1000 early bird entries will receive a T-Shirt & goodie-bag and the following 500 will only receive a T-Shirt. All this for just R50 a person with all proceeds going to this worthy NPO organisation!

Registration will be open from 9am to 3pm until November 28^th for collection of goodie-bags and registration enquiries. No goodie-bags or t-shirts will be handed out on the day of the event.
There will be loads of lucky draws taking place after the walk where one can win fantastic prizes including a TV, family getaways to the Berg, the Bush, the Beach or the Battlefields, courtesy of the Gooderson Leisure Hospitality Group.

There’ll also be a wellness expo at the amphitheatre where free blood sugar & blood pressure checks will take place.

For more detailed information regarding the above guideline tips contact the Diabetes SA-Durban office on 0847177443 during office hours and for more information about the event call Pat from Nerve Events during office hours on 0312012169 or email durban@diabetessa.org.za or visit www.facebook.com/diabetessouthafricadurban