How Diabetes Cause Weight Gain and the Impact on Your Health

 Diabetes is a very common disease that affects hundreds of millions of people worldwide. Just in 2021, over 500 million people between the ages of 20 and 79 were reported to be living with diabetes. There are also a range of symptoms that people experience when suffering from diabetes, the most common one being weight gain.

What is the correlation between diabetes and weight gain?

Weight gain happens to be a very common symptom of diabetes and other medical conditions associated with insulin. In comparison to people who are not diabetic, younger adults with type 1 diabetes have a greater risk of developing obesity, or excess body weight.

According to World Health Organization (WHO), an estimated 90 percent of people who have type 2 diabetes are either overweight or have obesity. Weight gain may be a side effect of insulin therapy that people with diabetes experience. Although insulin helps in regulating glucose levels, it also promotes more than usual fat storage in the body. It is very important to follow a diabetic diet plan.

What should diabetics stay away from?

One of the best ways to keep your diabetes in check is to follow a diabetic diet. For people with diabetes, it is important to follow certain diets’ do’s and don’ts. There are certain foods that should either be limited or consumed in moderation as they can cause spikes in blood sugar or contain unhealthy fats and make their condition worse.

There are certainly some no no’s when it comes to food for diabetics. These are food that they must either stop consuming or be very careful with:

• processed grains, such as white rice

• fruits with added sweeteners, including jam, canned fruits, etc

• sugar-sweetened beverages and flavored coffee drinks

• foods with high added sugar content, like some flavored yogurts, sweetened breakfast cereals, candies, and desserts like pastries, cakes, etc.

Reducing excess body weight can help people manage their diabetes symptoms with ease and in a lot of cases, even reverse prediabetes and insulin resistance.

Insulin resistance is a condition where your muscle cells, fat, and liver become unresponsive or poorly responsive to insulin, resulting in an increase in blood sugar.

What should you include in a diet keeping insulin resistance in mind?

An insulin resistance diet must abide by the following guidelines:

1. Vegetables are important

Fill half of your plate with non-starchy vegetables. They can be cooked, raw, fresh, frozen, or canned. These vegetables can include onions, broccoli, spinach, okra, tomatoes, etc.

Proteins help stabilize blood sugar. They must account for one-third of your plate in every meal. It is found in low-fat cottage cheese, tuna, fish, chicken, low-fat cheese, turkey, ham, etc.

We can never stop emphasizing the benefits of including fruits in your regular diet, diabetes or not. Fruits are a great high fiber choice. While canned fruits are more pocket-friendly, you must try to avoid them as the syrup that the fruits are poured in, contains high amounts of added sugar.

Include plenty of non-starchy vegetables and a portion of Vegan food in your meals. Fiber is widely found in plant foods so keep an eye out for the fiber content in packaged plant foods

When looking for foods to include in an insulin resistance diet, look for moderation, content, and variety as the food you consume has to match certain content criteria as well as be good enough to keep you interested in your meals. Selecting food solely for their health benefits while not liking them would eventually backfire as you would end up eating lesser and harming your body, doing more harm than good.

Superfoods that help in weight loss while keeping your blood sugar under control

1. Nuts, seeds, and whole grains

Brimming with protein, nuts and seeds are the ultimate superfoods for diabetics. They are so beneficial that can be included in a weight loss diet plan as well. Walnuts and flaxseeds are full of fiber, magnesium, and omega-3 fatty acids. Apart from these, walnuts also help in boosting your heart health as a result of lowering cholesterol. Replacing carbs with healthy fats can consequentially help lower your blood sugar.

Fibre-rich whole grains are rich with antioxidants that can contribute to metabolizing fat and enabling healthy digestion. Some whole grains that are a must in the diet of a diabetic are barley, lentils, millets, and ragi. Fiber-rich foods can also be included in a weight loss diet as they satisfy you quickly and keep you full for longer. This reduces your overall calorie intake and aids weight loss.

2. Leafy green vegetables

Spinach, kale, broccoli, lettuce, etc are loaded with beneficial vitamins and minerals that can help in regulating blood sugar levels and also aid weight loss. Leafy green veggies are also good for those suffering from high blood pressure. If you want to reverse type 2 diabetes, then leafy green veggies are a must-have for your diet.

3. Citrus fruits

Citrus fruits are a rich source of Vitamin C and fiber. like oranges and grapefruits People with diabetes will find it very beneficial to include citrus fruits in their diet. Consume fruits like oranges and grapefruits. Make sure to eat whole fruits and not juice them as juicing robs them of beneficial dietary fiber. Fruits might be beneficial, studies have found that eating citrus fruits can lower the risk of diabetes but drinking fruit juices can actually increase the risk of diabetes. Also, do not have packed fruit juices as they have very high added sugar content.