UAE- Let's talk prevention of diabetes

Date

4/14/2016 3:35:30 AM

(MENAFN- Khaleej Times) What to eat

> Food that is low in fat and carbohydrates

> Food that is rich in fibre

> Food that is rich in omega-3 fatty acids

> Food without sugar content

Combating diabetes has been a much anticipated health issue in the UAE with health care professionals calling for greater awareness on diet.

In 2013 the World Health Organisation (WHO) ranked the UAE 16th in diabetes prevalence and this year the organisation noted that 19.3 per cent of the UAE population suffers from the disease mostly type 2 which can be controlled through a healthy lifestyle.

Therefore health care experts today are urging for healthier more traditional diets such as the Mediterranean or Japanese while noting man-made chemical-filled foods also known as 'junk' should be banned or at least avoided.

Carine Tanios senior dietitian at Nutri Nutrition Centre in Abu Dhabi told Khaleej Times that nutritional diet is not just a temporary regime but a lifelong goal if one wishes to avoid diabetes and deadly diseases.

"A diabetic must first take care of the carbohydrates in terms of meals and timings" she advised.

"Carbohydrate counting of the meal is vital. It should be constant and regular."

Tanios noted that food must be low in fat particularly saturated fats. "Diabetics are prone to heart-disease so meals must be low in fat and cholesterol."

Fibre should however be increased because "it helps decrease the absorption of sugar from the meal." It is also important to increase foods that are rich in omega-3 fatty acid such as salmon canola oil walnuts and soybeans.

Tanios pointed out that although diet is key physical activity should also not be neglected because weight loss helps improve blood sugar levels.

"Walking helps decrease Insulin resistance which means the patient will require less medication to control the diabetes."

However as one's insulin becomes more active during sport meaning that the blood sugar will decrease and dizziness and shakiness occur diabetics should take into consideration hypoglycaemia.

"The deficiency of glucose in the bloodstream means they must always carry a source of carbohydrate with them in case of emergency."

The dietitian noted that as well as monitoring blood sugar it is also critical to monitor the Hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) which is an indicator of blood control over the previous three months.

She pointed out that awareness must continue to be raised as diabetes is a proven contributor to various deadly diseases including cardiovascular which according to a study by the WHO in 2014 has had a death rate of 30 per cent for 9700 people in UAE.

Legal Disclaimer:
MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.