Understand diabetes, know it, cope with it, and cure it.
The Diabetes Association of Thailand in 2020 found that we have approximately 5 million diabetic patients. 95% of current diabetic patients are type 2 diabetes patients, which comes from behavior. While we all know that eating a lot of sugar is not good. Is it possible that society’s perception of this disease may still be inaccurate and needs to be corrected for effective disease prevention ? Let’s understand diabetes.
It’s not just genetics, it’s behavior.
Dr. Thanaporn Phutthanuphap from the Diabetes Center, ยูฟ่าเบท Hospital, shared her knowledge on the genetic transmission of diabetes, saying that in addition to genetics increasing the risk, behavior is equally important.
“If someone in the family has type 1 diabetes, it should be monitored. From the beginning. Especially if there are many people in the immediate family who have diabetes. Because some types of diabetes can be passed down genetically. As for type 2 diabetes, which is common, it is partly due to genetics, but it often occurs together with an inappropriate lifestyle, such as eating too much, not exercising enough, or being overweight. If the family has these behaviors in common, the whole family can have diabetes.”
It’s not just desserts that cause diabetes
“Even if you don’t like sweets but like to eat rice, flour, and bread, when it goes through the digestive system, it will turn into sugar and cause high blood sugar levels after eating a lot. Therefore, it is the cause of obesity and diabetes. High-fat foods also cause overweight and fat accumulation in various parts of the body, especially in the abdominal cavity, which is an important factor in causing type 2 diabetes. Sauces, dipping sauces, salad dressings, and processed foods. Such as some types of sausages also contribute to us unknowingly receiving a lot of energy. And may also be the cause of diabetes,” said Dr. Thanaporn Phutthanuphap.
It’s not just food, but eating habits also have an effect.
“One is that it makes us eat a lot without realizing it. Two is that eating at irregular times, skipping meals, may make us hungrier and eat high-calorie foods instead. Because we eat at irregular times, it interferes with the action of insulin hormone, which reduces sugar and works well in the morning. As for snacking, eating at buffets, these things can also make us receive more energy than necessary. As for doing IF, if you control calories and choose the right types of food, it can actually help prevent diabetes. But for those who have diabetes, if you want to do IF, you should consult a doctor first. The hormone that makes you feel full will also decrease. So if you want to do it, you have to be strong-willed and do it continuously.”
Daily routines that should not be ignored
“A routine that has little movement, such as working from home, sitting at a desk all day, or lying down and watching series all day, not exercising, these things cause the body to use less energy and sugar. As for sleeping at irregular times, working shifts, not having a specific sleep time, or getting less sleep, these things also contribute to diabetes and obesity from many causes together. In particular, hormones in the body that act in relation to time may fluctuate and affect various metabolisms.”
Make some adjustments to keep your life happy and free from disease.
“Try to avoid eating or drinking sweet foods or drinks regularly, high-energy foods, focus on foods prepared from natural ingredients. For those who are addicted to sweets, gradually adjust the taste of the food. Also, try to move around a bit every day. You may set a clock to move every 1-2 hours. If your house has many floors, walk up and down the stairs often. Reduce buying food, snacks or sweet drinks to stock up. Try to go out to buy food or cook for yourself. And don’t forget to get enough sleep and drink a lot of water.”