WITH ONE million Singaporeans expected to have diabetes by 2050, the Ministry of Health is scrambling to try and contain the rise of this disease.
But Dr. Jonathan Carp, Founder and CEO of health food brand Miracle Noodle says it’s not a forgone conclusion. “Two thirds of type 2 diabetes cases are reversible with just lifestyle stages — nothing radical just simple things like diet and exercise,” he says.
Dr. Carp says that replacing or reducing carbohydrates — especially in our rice and noodle heavy Asian diets — can have a positive effect on general health.
Dr. Carp’s 5 Tips To Improve Your Diet
1. Only one serving of carb per meal.
I recommend this to all my patients — if you are having rice for example, don’t have any more carbohydrate rich foods. Skip the cake or the noodle soup on the side. You can replace them with more green vegetables or even proteins.
2. Avoid seed oils — like canola, sunflower, or corn.
Modern processed oils are the known to cause inflammation in the body and contribute to degenerative diseases such as arthritis, diabetes, cancer, and heart disease. You should switch to coconut, olive, or sesame oil. You are better off using small amounts of animal fats like ghee, lard, beef tallow, and chicken fat!
3. Eat a handful of raw nuts everyday!
The enzymes in nuts have shown to increase insulin sensitivity in the body — this will lead to a more balanced blood sugar level. Almonds, pecans, and pistachios are highly recommended. Roasted nuts are not as effective, and are often cooked in processed oils so avoid if possible.
4. Eat more greens.
Most people still don’t get enough greens in their diet. As a rule of thumb, you need 450g of greens a day to maintain your health. Usually, I push my patients to eat a lot more than that!
5. Manage your stress.
Increased stress causes your body to produce a hormone called cortisol. This puts your body in an inflammatory state and increases your blood sugar — which can hinder weight loss or contribute to weight gain. Everyone needs at least 30-40 minutes of “de-stress time” everyday. Meditate or do some yoga, or better yet, sports or exercise.
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Main Image: athanop_night / DUSAN ZIDAR / Alena Haurylik / Luna Vandoorne / Shutterstock.com
