Prevention and Care of Diabetes in Kenya
Diabetes is more prevalent than ever in Kenya and 95% of cases diagnosed are type 2 diabetes. Although for some the development of diabetes is inevitable, perhaps due to hereditary and other factors, for the vast majority prevention and care of diabetes in Kenya can be achieved by taking these 7 simple steps…
Before diabetes type 2 becomes fully developed you go through a stage known as pre-diabetes. This is where you start to show some of the symptoms, which if ignored, can lead to full blown diabetes.
Make these 7 action points part of your daily routine and you could stop this disease happening to you:
1) If you are overweight you risk developing diabetes. Reduce the amount of food on your plate so you gradually eat less and start to lose weight. Drink a glass of plain water or a sugar-free drink before your meal to take the edge of any hunger pains.
2) Reduce the amount of fat you are eating; grill or bake foods instead of frying; use low-fat spreads and reduced fat meals. In prevention and care of diabetes in Kenya, fat and fatty meals are a must to watch out for.
3) Check the Glycemic Index of the food you are eating – knowing what each food contains helps maintain your blood-sugars, which in turn can prevent the full onset of diabetes.
4) Drink at least 8 glasses of water every day. If you keep a bottle of water with you and sip frequently you’ll be surprised how much you do drink throughout the day.
5) If you are feeling peckish choose a healthy snack rather than a chocolate bar. Peckish means eating a pudding, fruit salad, natural juice or garden salads.
6) Use skimmed rather than full-fat milk in hot drinks.
7) Exercise is good for health. But if you are not use to exercise then start in moderation. 15 minutes gentle walking each day will ease you into a regular exercising pattern. Please note, if you walk for the same minutes each day to work, your body gets used to it and might not count as exercise in the long term.
All of these action points are also the ones that diabetics are advised to take – if you take them now you might possibly prevent irreparable damage to your health.
