Can diabetes be reversed? If so, how?

We all know someone who suffers from diabetes. It could be a friend, neighbor or even a family member. It is a serious pandemic in Singapore, which even PM Lee addressed in his National Day Rally last year. In Singapore, Type 2 Diabetes is the most common and those who are obese are often at risk.

He revealed that the statistics that 1 in 9 Singaporeans has diabetes, and advised for regular medical check ups, exercise and proper diet. Moreover, an average of about 1,200 diabetes patients are required to undergo amputation of their limbs to prevent the disease to infect further.

The seriousness of the situation is real and with so many people affected, is there a way to curb this fatal disease?

• – More physical activity
• – Change your diet

Before we start, it is best to understand what and how diabetes works.

The food that we eat is broken down to form glucose (a fuel for the body). To be used by the body, glucose requires the hormone called insulin which is produced by your pancreas to pass into the blood.

Naturally, your body will produce sufficient quantities of insulin. However, for those who are suffering from diabetes, they have less (Type 2 Diabetes) or no insulin (Type 1 Diabetes) and the unused glucose will increase and be excreted through urine out of the body.

As mentioned, most Singaporeans suffer from Type 2 diabetes and it is possible to reduce the effects of it drastically if we switch to a healthier lifestyle.

Firstly, exercise. Physical activity is a given – everybody knows exercise is good for you and while that is definitely recommended, exercise alone is not good enough. Eating better is also a necessary component, but often get ignored because with all the unhealthy food so readily available, one may find it hard to commit to a healthy eating diet.

While that is the common reason in Singapore, we must still actively try to hop on to healthier ways. Small changes within our diet is a great starting point and may be much easier than it seems.

For diabetic patients, a well-balanced diet is crucial. To keep your blood sugar down, the diet must include low GI (glycemic index) foods that do not cause a spike in your blood sugar levels.

These type of foods include whole grains, legumes, leafy greens – food that are mainly low in trans fat. So example that you should include in your diet:

• – Spinach
• – Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
• – Quinoa
• – Chia Seeds
• – Tumeric
• – Fatty-fish (Salmon, sardines and anchovies)

Ingredients like the ones mentioned above are also versatile ingredients that can go well and be prepared in a variety of ways. We did a recipe with Salmon and our Japanese Seaweed quinoa pack that have already included 3/6 of the ingredient list.

Watch below for the full recipe:

At the end of the day, we should take care of our body and keep ourselves and those around us as healthy as we can be. If it takes changing your eating habits to avoid such a serious illness like diabetes, why not do that?