It’s human nature to believe that you’re the exception – that something bad won’t happen to you. Like diabetes. Unfortunately, this chronic condition is on the rise, especially in South Africa.
Last year there were over 1,82 million cases of diabetes in South African adults. That’s 5.4% of the country’s adult population. Right now, 16 million people in Sub-Saharan Africa live with diabetes. By 2045, that figure is expected to jump to 41 million.
Far more common than Type 1, Type 2 diabetes is when the body becomes resistant to the insulin it produces, or simply no longer produces enough. Type 2 is often, but not always, associated with being overweight or obese, and is typically seen in adults. Having a family history of the disease may also increase your risk of developing the condition. Type 2 diabetes is also linked to poor lifestyle choices, which are all-to-easy to make given our increasingly sedentary and convenience-driven urban lives. Regularly grabbing a high-calorie takeaway via the drive-through on the way home, or indulging in a whole box of doughnuts, is not only a risk to your waistline – it’s driving up South Africa’s rate of diabetes too.
Because of its behavioural associations though, there are steps you can take to avoid Type 2 diabetes. A major adjustment you can make to your diet, to help avoid diabetes, is to consume less meat and more plant-based forms of protein instead. Researchers behind the Adventist Health Study-2 found that meat eaters had more than twice the prevalence of diabetes compared with lacto-ovo-vegetarians and vegans – even after correcting for Body Mass Index. Factoring in BMI, age and other influencing elements, vegans were still 62% less likely to develop diabetes than meat-eaters, while lacto- ovo-vegetarians were 38% less likely.
The number one issue with eating too much red meat, apart from the elevated cholesterol content, is that it’s loaded with super-high amounts of saturated fat, which contributes to weight gain. Processed meat, meanwhile, contains nitrates, saturated fats and heme iron, which are linked to heart disease and the higher fasting glucose levels which can lead to diabetes.
If you’re hesitant about changing your diet because you feel like you’ll miss meat, an excellent option is plant-based meat alternatives. Meat alternatives taste like the real deal but contain zero cholesterol and significantly lower amounts of saturated fat. And if you’re worried that meat-free meals are bland, there’s this eating plan to try on those trial-vegetarian or flexitarian days.
Sample Menu
Breakfast
Kasha Cereal with Berries
Add 40g (4 Tablespoons) of Vanilla & Chia Kasha High Protein Instant Cereal with ½ Cup of Unsweetened Almond Milk. Served with a handful of Blueberries (1 Portion is ¾ Cup)
Lunch
Quinoa & Edamame Bean Salad with an Asian Ginger & Soy Dressing
120g of Steamed Edamame Beans (Shelled) added to ½ Cup of Cooked Quinoa + ½ Cup of Whole Kernel Corn and bulk up with Salad Ingredients (Grated Carrot, Sliced Spring Onion, Mung Bean Sprouts) and Dress with 1 Tablespoon of Asian & Soy Dressing
Mid Afternoon Snack
Cracker with a spread of Hummus & Vegetable Crudité
1 Rye Crisp Bread and 1 Tablespoon of Hummus with vegetable crudité (Rosa Tomatoes, Mange Tout, Cucumber Sticks)
Dinner
Fry’s Traditional Burger on a Portobello Mushroom topped with Salad Ingredients
1 Fry’s Traditional Burger based on a Portobello Mushroom. Layer with Lettuce, Sliced Tomato, Grilled Onions + Sliced Gherkins +Sliced Avocado pear (¼)
It’s not a mission to keep Type 2 diabetes at bay these days by following a healthier, balanced diet. There’s no shortage of tasty and convenient meat-free options.
A post shared by The Fry Family Food Co. (@frysfamily) on Jul 26, 2018 at 11:38pm PDT
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