Embrace healthy lifestyle to tackle diabetes

Manama : Diabetes is one of the biggest public health challenges Bahrain has ever faced. The Kingdom is not short on medication to deal with the condition, but fitness expert Sarah Al Hamad questions whether there is enough public awareness about the need to make lifestyle changes to fight the disease.

Al Hamad, have been working with diabetic patients in Bahrain at her own Life Fit Fitness Centre. She said the growth of fast food sector in the Kingdom has taken a toll on the public. 

“As in the 80’s in UK, the fast food industry was yet to take hold and the general population was quite active. Therefore the incidences of Type 2 were considerably lower than today,” she said.  

By the time of her arrival in Bahrain in 1989, she saw there was less encouragement to exercise amongst the local population and the traditional lunch and takeaway dinners had already started to have an impact on the nation’s health. 

In an interview DT News, Al Hamad shared guidelines to prevent Type 2 diabetes and controlling other types of diabetes. 

1. What is the Body Mass Index (BMI) level that you
recommend?

Your best chance at preventing diabetes is to maintain a healthy BMI of less than 30 and body fat percentage between 18-25 for a females and 11-18 for a males. 

2. How important is physical exercise in controlling/preventing diabetes? 

Regular exercise plays a key factor in maintaining a healthy body weight. And exercise does not mean strenuous workouts in the gym, for the average person who wants to stay healthy a 30 minute walk a day can be enough. To ensure that regular exercise is part of your life, choose something you like, or something that is achievable like swimming in your pool or choosing the nearest gym en route to and from work. Our newly acquired sedentary lives are literally killing us. Managing diabetes is very important whether you are Type 1 or 2. Having regular check ups with your physician having exercise is very important. While taking control of eating is just one aspect of managing diabetes, it’s a big and important piece of the puzzle.

3. Can you share some dietary advice?

According to American Diabetes Association nutrition recommendations: To eat well with diabetes simply means applying the basic principles of healthful eating. 

Here are some tips for healthy eating:

1. Good balance of protein, carbohydrate and healthy fats on your plate. Don’t cut out macronutrient as they all play an important role in your body. 

2. Portion Control - Small balanced meals (try using smaller plates). 

3. Choose the good Fats - Limit the unhealthy saturated fats (including trans fats) try olive oil for salads, canola oil for cooking and oil from raw nuts.

4. Choose nutritious carbohydrate sources - vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and low-fat dairy foods. 

5. Limit Take-Away Foods - You have no control over foods prepared by restaurants, particularly many fast food restaurants, which contain high fats, sodium, sugars and preservatives that can play havoc with your insulin levels. 

Refined sugars in sweets, cakes and chocolates should be kept to minimum. Also include in your diet, foods containing fish oils or omega 3’s or flax seed. 

Others factors include a healthy balanced diet of regular small meals to maintain an even blood sugar filled with high fibre, lean protein and slow energy releasing carbohydrates. By all means, enjoy a dinner with friends once a week but it should not be the regular source of your nutrition.

4. How long does it take before one can see results? 

In my 30 years in the fitness industry, the effect of change in lifestyle in fighting diabetes is amazing. The effect on their body within 3-6 months is so motivational. It’s possible in many cases for a healthy lifestyle to prevent both type 1 & 2 diabetes. 

In some cases, those with type 2 patients have reduced their insulin dependencies and some are lucky enough to manage without medication. 

Al Hamad warned that consultation with the doctor should not be avoided, regardless of the lifestyle changes the patient makes. 

“The medical profession is always there for us, but in many cases, it’s the choices that we make that have the greatest impact on our quality of life.  Just because you have an illness, don’t let it define you and dictate your life. If you are a diabetic, or you think that you maybe, make an appointment with your doctor today to start your lifestyle change, meet a nutritionist, meet a personal trainer, or take a gym membership. Use today to make a difference for your future,” she said.