Diagnosed With Type 2 Diabetes? 5 Things To Keep In Mind

One should make simple changes when diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. They will stabilise your blood glucose levels, improve insulin sensitivity, reduce inflammation in the body, and, over time, may even put your diabetes into remission.

That moment when you have just been diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes can be challenging. Type 2 diabetes is generally considered a disease for life that can only be managed with lifelong medication. While this may have been true until a few years ago, we know much more today. For example, we better understand food, lifestyle, medication, supplements, etc. Today, we know enough to prevent, reverse or better manage type 2 diabetes and all related health issues like PCOS, Obesity, Fatty Liver, Hypertension, etc. So how does one do it? Where do you go from here? ExplainsDiabetes Educator and Nutritionist Khushboo Jain Tibrewala, Founder of The Health Pantry.

Start with understanding why you developed type 2 diabetes: If you have been diagnosed today, it is safe to say that the metabolic changes that eventually led to this diagnosis must have begun ten years ago. So you want to dig deep and identify all the food and lifestyle choices that could have been responsible. The most common ones include leading a sedentary lifestyle, eating at odd hours, eating imbalanced meals, overeating carbohydrate, high-stress levels, and overconsumption of processed foods like sugar, maida, etc. Now that you have a list of all the reasons that could potentially have caused diabetes, you know where to start.
Spend 10 minutes with Nature daily: We often need to remember the simpler things in all these talks about diets and workouts. Despite all the progress we may have made, humans are still just mammals. And like every other mammal, we need to spend time in our “natural home”, i.e. Nature. Interacting with Nature for 10 minutes daily can reduce the fluctuations in your glucose levels. Walk barefoot on grass, run by the beach, watch the sunset, water the plants at home, or go for a trek. Every minute you spend with Nature will change your body and how it functions.
Shift to a nutrient-dense diet: Hundreds of studies have found a correlation between nutritional deficiencies and insulin resistance. Magnesium, Chromium, Calcium, Zinc, Selenium and many other minerals are directly involved in glucose metabolism, reducing oxidative damage, muscle contractions and more. It is challenging to plan a diet incorporating all possible nutrients correctly. Instead, it’s easier to focus on nutrient density. A diet that is comprised of vegetables of all colours, nuts, oilseeds, whole legumes, herbs and spices will generally take care of it.
Eat plant-based foods as often as you can: Type 2 diabetes is a problem of excess fat in the body. Animal fats you could consume through milk, curd, cheese, chicken, seafood, egg, etc., are all very rich in fat, incredibly saturated fat. Yet, thousands of individuals have improved their insulin function by eliminating this high-fat food group.
Go for a walk after every meal: This simple habit slows down post-prandial blood glucose spikes. Walking, spot jogging, and climbing the stairs for 10 minutes are remarkable. This habit is also excellent for the children of people with diabetes. It can also protect you from developing insulin resistance in the long run.

One should make these five simple changes when diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. Each of these will stabilise your blood glucose levels, improve insulin sensitivity, reduce inflammation in the body, and, over time, may even put your diabetes into remission.