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Dr Marcus Ranney is Founder & CEO, Human Edge.
It’s hard to categorise diabetes as anything other than an epidemic. With 77 million Indians diagnosed with diabetes—a number that roughly translates to 1 in every 11 Indians—it’s time to create more awareness about this disease and reduce its risk.
When it comes to type-II diabetes, most of us believe that genetic links are the sole cause of the disease. While research suggests that people with one parent or sibling with diabetes have a 40% chance of developing diabetes—a number that increases to 70% if both parents or an identical twin has it—diabetes isn’t always an inherited disease.
Medical research also suggests that genetics alone cannot account for the incidence of type-2 diabetes; our lifestyle choices also play a big role.
Non-Genetic Causes Of Type-2 Diabetes
Unhealthy lifestyle and diabetes go hand in hand. The sad truth is that this type of diabetes, which was once a disease of the elderly, has become more and more prevalent amongst the young. These lifestyle factors are the reason why:
Unhealthy diet: Diets that are high in trans-fat, processed sugars, carbohydrates, and fructose corn syrup leads to high blood glucose levels and obesity. All these foods have been linked to the development of visceral fat and NAFLD (nonalcoholic fatty liver disease), both of which cause type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome.
Sedentary life: The longer we sit, the slower our metabolism gets. This change in our metabolism can lead to insulin resistance, a condition in which the body can’t take glucose from the blood easily—which can eventually lead to diabetes.
Poor sleep habits: Disturbed sleep such as, repeated awakenings during the night, insufficient sleep, and irregular sleep all lead to glucose intolerance. Conditions like insomnia and obstructive sleep apnea can also cause type 2 diabetes. Poor sleep increases cortisol levels which makes it difficult for the hormone insulin to work properly—making sleep an important factor in warding off diabetes.
Biohacks to reduce the risk of type-2 diabetes
Even if you have a family history of diabetes, you can very well reduce your risk by tweaking your lifestyle. Small, specific, targeted lifestyle changes—known as biohacks—can go a long way in helping you take full control of your health and stay safe from the disease. Here are a few biohacks you can get started with:
1. Get at least 2.5 hours of exercise every week
Exercise is the best way to lose weight, keep the body fit, and reduce glucose levels in the body. By being physically active consistently, you can ensure your risk of type-2 diabetes is 21% lower. And if you’re wondering how much exercise is enough to reach this goal, here’s help:
Getting at least 7 hours of sleep is vital for our overall health, especially when it comes to reducing the risk of type 2 diabetes. To regulate your sleep cycle, you can set a go-to-bed reminder and a wake-up alarm at the same time every day.
Additionally, you can monitor your blood sugar levels before going to bed. Keeping your blood sugar levels within the target range at night can ensure your sleep doesn’t get affected with the fluctuating glucose levels at night.
Our diet plays an important role in not just providing our body proper nutrition for optimal functioning, but also reducing the risk of diabetes.
Start by reducing your carbohydrate intake in every meal. Include foods with a low glycemic index, which are slowly digested and absorbed in the bloodstream—thus causing smaller spikes in your blood sugar levels. Broccoli, carrots, cauliflower, lentils, kidney beans, chickpeas, and quinoa are a few low-GI foods you can easily include in your diet.
Healthy fats—mainly unsaturated fats—promote healthy blood cholesterol levels and good vascular health. To get your daily dose of these, have a tablespoon of olive oil with each meal. You can also opt for sunflower and canola oil, nuts and seeds, and fatty fish like salmon and mackerel.
Monitor your body to ward off diabetes
By monitoring your blood sugar levels, you’ll be able to better understand your body and make corrective decisions sooner. While you’re at it, you must also pay attention to a few other biomarkers–like HRV and your sleep data to ensure everything is in order.
Trust your slumber with sleep devices
Tracking your sleep in its different phases (REM and NREM) can make you aware whether you are getting the required amount of rest, which can reduce risk of type 2 diabetes.
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Views expressed above are the author’s own.
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