International Women’s Day: 6 Simple Steps To Prevent Diabetes In Women

Steps To Prevent Diabetes In Women: Imagine the cars on the road crossing – the sign boards help to direct the cars to go to the right places. What will happen if there are no sign boards or traffic control on these crossings? There will be absolute chaos and disruption of traffic, causing long jams. The cars on the road are akin to glucose in the bloodstream and the sign boards and traffic lights are similar to insulin.  This chaos in the body is akin to diabetes.

When this happens the glucose level in the blood increases and stays in the blood stream rather than reaching to the right places in the body where it can be used to produce energy. A condition called hypoglycaemia. In order to take care of this increased glucose in the blood, our kidneys work extra hard to filter out excess glucose; seen as the cause of the frequent need to urinate in cases of diabetes patients.

Identifying the symptoms  of diabetes in women

Common symptoms include increased thirst and hunger, frequent urination, unexplained weight change, mood changes, blurred vision, general tiredness and increased healing time of wounds.

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There have been other symptoms that have been seen – fruity breath,  Poly cystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) ,  infections and sexual dysfunction due to damages of nerves. The diabetes during pregnancy is a silent one and doesn’t show much symptoms and needs to be checked between 20-30 weeks of pregnancy.

Six simple measures to prevent diabetes in women:

1. Start your day right

Women are too busy in the morning prepping meals for everyone and in this hustle they end up either missing their morning meal or load up on caffeine and biscuits. Both are not good for hormones and insulin.

A healthier alternative to stabilize glucose levels and enhance energy is to begin the day with good fats as they help to avoid rapid spike in glucose levels. Soaked almonds, walnuts, cashews and peanut serve as an excellent choice for the a balanced start to the day and sustained energy levels throughout.

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2. Don’t skip protein

70% Indians are protein deficient. Women are at higher risk of low lean body mass which compromises the body’s ability to process glucose. Good lean body mass (muscle and bone density) is key to preventing diabetes . A rule of thumb is to have 1gram of protein per Kg of weight. So if you are 50 kg, roughly you need around 50 grams of protein for a normal lifestyle.

Our age old – lentils such as masur, Arhar or moong dal are a very good source. Along with that, hummus and falafel, baked beans , and chana are some good options.

3. Stay active throughout the day

One should avoid being seated for too long (over 30 mins at a time). Many people focus on one hour workouts and sit happily through the day on their desks thinking they are active. But when it comes to preventing diabetes, what’s more important than a one hour gym workout is not being inactive throughout the day.

Move every 30 mins even if it’s getting up and stretching .Target 3-4 times strength training a week and target around 7000 steps a day

4. Load up on fibre

Start your meal with vegetables first. This helps in reducing glucose spikes. Even if you were to eat a high carb meal, make sure you have a salad with lemon first. The fibre from salad slows down the rate of sugar absorption.

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5. Sleep quality matters

Even if you’re doing everything right on your diet but your sleep is compromised you’re at risk of high sugar levels. For diabetic patients, quality sleep is very important as it directly influences glucose metabolism.

Sleep deprivation disrupts insulin sensitivity and glucose regulation, leading to increased blood glucose levels.

6. Stress management

Hypertension or other mental stress overtime can lead to insulin resistance which can result in diabetes. It is important to include meditation, breath work or any other method that can help you to stay calm in your daily life”