Diabetes warning: The 3 food swaps you need to make NOW to slash risk of deadly disease
KEEPING a healthy diet is one of the best ways to look after your health - especially if you're diabetic.
Diabetics have to pay particular attention to their diets in order to make sure they aren't consuming too much sugar.
Making sure you eat a balanced diet is a great way to keep your weight in check - as obesity is one of the biggest risks when it comes to diabetes.
Obesity is believed to account for 80-85 per cent of the risk of developing type 2 diabetes and this is usually because obesity causes increased levels of fatty acids and inflammation.
This can lead to insulin resistance which in turn can lead to type 2 diabetes.
With type 1 diabetes, a person’s pancreas produces no insulin.
In type 2, cells in the body become resistant to insulin, so a greater amount is needed to keep blood glucose levels within a normal range.
The NHS has also launched various campaigns to help people lose weight to stop them developing diabetes.
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Speaking to The Sun Dr Alona Pulde revealed the three healthy food swaps you can make to reduce your risk of diabetes.
1. Replace snacks
Having a little bit of what you fancy every now and again is ok, but if your diet is high in highly processed foods then it might be time to mix things up.
Dr Pulde explained that replacing highly processed snacks loaded with fat, sugar, and salt with healthy, nutrient rich options is one of the best ways to reduce your risk of diabetes.
"Try veggies and dips like guacamole or houmous, vegetable sushi, edamame or roasted chickpeas or air popped popcorn", she added.
2. Choose wholegrains
Eating wholegrains is great for our overall diet as in comparison to white carbohydrates like white bread and pasta, wholegrains help keep us fuller for longer and also play a huge roll in upping our dietary fibre.
Dr Pulde said: "Choose whole grains high in fibre over refined grains devoid of the nutrient.
"Fibre helps improve blood sugar levels and lower the risk of diabetes.
"Try brown rice, whole grain breads, lentil or bean pastas and other grains like quinoa, millet or amaranth."
3. Swap sodas
Many people consume fizzy drinks which are often laden with extra sugars and caffeine.
Dr Pulde said you should look to replace these as well as fruit juices that are high in sugar and devoid of any other nutrients.
"Instead enjoy fruit flavoured water (still or carbonated), herbal tea, or high fibre smoothies containing whole fruits and vegetables", she added.
Dr Pulde said it's particularly important for people with diabetes to look after their diets as it's a condition that can progress to a debilitating and devastating disease.
This is why it's important to look after your diet - especially if you're at risk of developing diabetes.
Some people are more at risk of diabetes and if you are from a South Asian (Indian, Pakistani or Bangladeshi), Black African or African Caribbean background you are 2-4 times more likely to develop diabetes.
The older you get, the more your risk of diabetes increases and having a close relative with diabetes, such as a parent or a sibling, also increases your risk.
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Dr Pulde added that diabetes can increase your risk of heart disease and results in poor circulation that can eventually result in the amputation of limbs, impaired kidneys that ultimately require dialysis, deteriorating vision and even blindness, greater risk of infections and more difficulty in healing and more.
"Diet change, particularly to a whole foods plant based diet (rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains and legumes), is the number one thing that can help prevent and even reverse diabetes", she added.