Stephanie Linus Daily

Tag: diabetes

  • Why Eating Healthy Really Does Matter

    If you change your eating habits for the better, you should see a big difference in just 28 days. Yes, it’s actually possible! What we eat can affect all the processes in the body, including cell regeneration, inflammation, digestion and sleep. So it’s no surprise that after even as little as 28 days of eating well you can expect to not only look better, but feel a whole lot better, too.

    But before we talk about the benefits of healthy eating, what does it really mean to eat healthy?

    Healthy eating includes consuming high-quality proteins, carbohydrates, heart-healthy fats, vitamins, minerals and water in the foods you take in while minimizing processed foods, saturated fats and alcohol. It’s also important to focus on diet quality. The type of carbohydrate in the diet is more important than the amount of carbohydrate in the diet, because some sources of carbohydrate—like vegetables (other than potatoes), fruits, whole grains, and beans—are healthier than others.

    Healthy eating has so many benefits. You may find that moving more and eating better could help you keep up with the demands of your busy life and be there for the people who depend on you.

    Adopting new, healthier habits may protect you from serious health problems like obesity and diabetes. New habits, like healthy eating and regular physical activity, may also help you manage your weight and have more energy. 

    Generally, for adults, here are the main benefits of eating healthy:

    • May help you live longer
    • Keeps skin, teeth, and eyes healthy
    • Supports muscles
    • Boosts immunity
    • Strengthens bones
    • Lowers risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and some cancers
    • Supports healthy pregnancies and breastfeeding
    • Helps the digestive system function
    • Helps achieve and maintain a healthy weight

    Looks like it’s worth it to me! So, why not try develop a healthier eating habit starting today and you’ll be glad you did!

  • #WorldHealthDay: Working Together To “Beat Diabetes”

    Today is World Health Day!

    The World Health Day is a global health awareness day celebrated every year on 7 April, under the sponsorship of the World Health Organization (WHO). This year, the focus is on how to “beat diabetes”.

    In simple terms, Diabetes is a condition that prevents the body from properly using energy from food. It occurs when the pancreas does not produce insulin, or when the pancreas produces insulin, but it is resisted by the body.

    Diabetes is on the rise everywhere and is now most common in developing countries.

    The statistics speak for themselves. The number of people living with diabetes and its prevalence are growing in all regions of the world. In 2014, 422 million adults (or 8.5 percent of the population) had diabetes, compared with 108 million (4.7 percent) in 1980. Diabetes is rising fastest in the world’s low and middle-income countries.

    The sad thing about diabetes is that when poorly controlled, it can cause complications including heart attacks, strokes, kidney failure, blindness, and foot ulcers than can lead to amputations. However, many of these complications, and these premature deaths, could be prevented. A lot can be achieved by changing our lifestyles, our eating habits and our attitude towards our health.

    Together, we can halt the rise in diabetes and provide care to improve quality of life for the millions of people living with the disease. Deliberate, effective responses are needed from government; health-care providers; civil society; producers of medicines, technologies and food; from people living with diabetes; and from each of us. Everyone has a role to play.

    Today on #WorldHealthDay let’s pledge to make each moment count and make sure we get strong!

    Stay happy, stay healthy.

    xoxo

    SL

  • 5 Easy Ways To Reduce Your Sugar Intake

    Although a little bit of sugar is OK for most people, eating too much sugar can undermine your health in a lot of ways. Sugar can add excess calories to your diet, crowd out more nutritious foods, and otherwise contribute to aging, weight gain, and disease.

    Here are 5 tips I’m sure would help in reducing your overall sugar intake:

    Read Food Labels
    You’ll quickly realize just how often sugar is added to foods when you look for it on ingredients lists. Even things that you don’t think are sweet, like tomato sauce, crackers, and salad dressings can be packed with sugar. Read the list of ingredients on the packaging before you make a decision on whether to eat/drink it or not.

    Choose Healthy Snacks
    In between meals, you might have the need to chew on a snack. In such situations, opt for a healthy snack. Healthier snack options are those without added sugar such as fruit (fresh, dried, tinned or frozen), unsalted nuts, unsalted rice cakes, oatcakes or homemade plain popcorn

    Avoid Sweetened Drinks & Beverages
    Nearly a quarter of our added sugar in our diets comes from sugary drinks such as fizzy drinks, sweetened juices, and squashes. A 500ml bottle of cola contains the equivalent of 17 cubes of sugar. Try sugar-free varieties or better yet, water, lower-fat milk, or soda water with a splash of fruit juice.

    Trade sweetened foods for naturally sweet fruit
    Replace foods laden with added sugar for fruit, which is naturally sweet and just as satisfying. Fruit – whether it’s fresh, baked, grilled, or pureed — makes a great replacement for sugar in lots of dishes, from cookies to coleslaw.

    Buy unsweetened food
    Once you know where sugar hides, you can start making changes. One strategy: buy foods labeled “no added sugar” or “unsweetened.” You’ll find unsweetened versions of these common foods in most grocery stores. For instance, go for unsweetened milk instead of the regular one. Also, when buying canned fruit, they should be packed in
    juice—not syrup.

    SL Fabz, do you have any more tips to add?