Giving up all carbs is not the answer to losing weight or reducing your chances of developing Type 2 diabetes according to Dr. Helen Lawal, who stresses that certain carbohydrates can provide important nutrients and fibre - although a low carb diet has been show to help reverse Type 2 diabetes for many people. WW advisor Dr Helen Lawal says you don’t have to cut out carbs if you want to reduce your chances of developing Type 2 diabetes ahead of World Diabetes Day on November 14.
She said: “Carbs have been demonised, but they are a wide and varied food group, and its important not to cut out the wrong type of carbs. Some carbohydrates including fruit, vegetables, pulses, and wholegrains do contain essential vitamins and minerals and fibre which form part of a healthy balanced diet.
"However, the evidence does show that for some people with diabetes who follow a low carbohydrate diet (less than 130g per day) it can help them to manage their weight and control their blood sugar levels.
“It’s important to get advice and support when considering whether this approach is the right one for you if you already have diabetes and to speak to your GP or Diabetes Nurse before reducing your carbohydrate intake as you may need to make adjustments to your diabetes medication and insulin to prevent hypos.
“For all of us whether we have diabetes or not, it can be beneficial to reduce some of the processed or refined carbohydrates in our diets such as cakes, biscuits, sweets, fizzy drinks, and some fruit juices and smoothies, sweetened breakfast cereals, cereal bars and energy bars- lots of these have added sugars – it’s easy to overeat these and consume excess calories and if we consume more calories than we need, this will lead to weight gain.”
What do you do when sugar cravings hamper your efforts to develop healthy eating habits? Helen suggests:
Craving sugar can be a sign of dehydration. Try increasing your water intake over the course of the day and notice the impact this has on your cravings. OR down a glass of water next time you have a craving and notice how you feel different.
Satisfy your sweet tooth with fruit, vegetables, and spices.
It’s easy to forget that lots of foods have natural sugar in them and are also packed with important nutrients and even fibre. Try adding naturally sweet foods & spices to your diet like sweet potatoes, butternut squash, carrots, berries, figs, apples, cinnamon, coriander, nutmeg, and cloves.
If you’re constantly craving sugar you might be sleep deprived. If you are constantly tired and looking for boosts of energy in the form of sugar or caffeine, it could be that you are in a state of chronic sleep deprivation. Try heading to bed early for a few consecutive nights and notice the impact it has on your carvings. If this doesn’t seem feasible, gradually bring your bedtime forward by just 15 minutes every few days.
Eat more protein. One of the most common struggles I encounter when working with weight loss clients is hunger, which leads to snacking and one of the secrets to overcoming this lies in protein. Diets high in protein help to reduce your appetite and increase feelings of fullness as well as maintaining your muscle mass.
Check the sugar contact in any low-fat foods you have been buying. When food manufacturers take the fat out of foods, they often replace it with sugar.
Movement is another kind of food for your body. It releases stress, makes you feel and look great. When you don’t move enough, the body looks for other ways to let off steam, like bingeing on chocolate.
Projections show that the growing number of people with diabetes could result in nearly 39,000 extra people suffering a heart attack in 2035, over 50,000 experiencing a stroke, while one in six hospital beds is now occupied with someone with diabetes.
Anyone with diabetes or who is in danger of developing it, can ask their GP to refer them to WW via the Healthier You programme. The WW programme caters specifically for those who have diabetes or are prediabetic and need to follow a low carb diet.
What increases your risk of developing Type 2 diabetes?
Waist measurement - extra fat around the middle can affect the liver and pancreas. This can cause a condition known as insulin resistance, which means that your body becomes less efficient at breaking down sugar and can result in high blood glucose levels.
For women, the waist should be no more than 31.5 inches.
For men, it should be no more than 37 inches.
And for South Asian men who have an increased risk of developing diabetes, it should be no more than 35 inches.
Waist to hip ratio is an even more accurate way of predicting your risk of developing Type 2 diabetes. The measurement of your waist is divided by your hip measurement and if the number is greater than 0.95, you are at an increased risk of developing Type 2 diabetes. To calculate your waist/hip ratio, visit https://www.diabetes.co.uk/waist-to-hip-ratio-calculator.html
Weight - there is a proven link between weight and diabetes type 2. "You are more at risk of developing diabetes if your BMI is in the overweight or obese category," explains Dr. Helen. If you already have type 2 diabetes, then losing weight can put you into remission.
