Diabetes mellitus (DM), known simply as diabetes, is a group of metabolic diseases in which a person has high blood glucose (blood sugar). This could be as a result of inadequate insulin production, or because the body’s cells do not respond properly to insulin, or both.
Insulin is a hormone produced by an organ located behind the stomach called the pancreas.
People suffering from diabetes are forced to restrict their meals, as they have a lot of don’ts. Having diabetes does not mean you cannot have your favourite meal; it just means that you have to reduce your sugar and starch intake.
According to Quincy Ayodele, an alternative medical expert who owns Quincy Herbals, “diabetic patients should not have foods with high sugar or high starch content. This includes things like rice, white yam, cassava, processed foods like bread, pastries, sweet drinks (including malt drinks and certain fruit juices). They should avoid fried foods and excess oil as well. Your body converts fats to glycogen which eventually is metabolised to glucose.”
Ayodele, an adviser for the development of African traditional medicine to the World Health Organisation (WHO), has contributed significantly to the development of traditional medicine to combat some deadly health issues like malaria and the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).
She has also contributed to the research and development (R&D) of African traditional medicine, and integration of African traditional medicine into the healthcare system and many others.
Speaking on the diet of people living with diabetes, she advised them to engage in simple exercises, as that helps burn some energy and sugar.
“People living with diabetes should engage in almost any exercise they want, given that they have no other health problem like heart diseases, high cholesterol and asthma.
“They should, however, test their blood sugar before and after engaging in exercise, to make sure that it is in the accepted range – to avoid complications.
“I advise that things like brisk walking, swimming and isometric exercise are good for them. They should avoid any form of exercise that can cause them injury, as people with diabetes are susceptible to poor wound healing,” the secretary-general of the body of traditional medicine practitioners in Nigeria said.
Everybody wants to add flavour and variety to their meals, and the diabetic patients are not left behind.
She advised them to aim for foods that have low glycemic index (GI).
GI is a number associated with a particular type of food that indicates the food’s effect on a person’s blood glucose (also called blood sugar) level. Foods with a low GI do not require a lot of insulin to digest its glucose content. They include beans, lentils, American sweet potatoes, unripe plantain, non-starchy vegetables such as carrots and cucumbers.\
Her words: “They should avoid fructose content (very sweet fruits). These include pineapples, mangoes, the small grapes, dates, etc. These fruits have a high sugar content, which will also increase the patient’s blood sugar drastically.
“I always believe in making food interesting, Complement meals with fruits and vegetables, smoothies, salads and make sure to incorporate aromatic herbs to season the food. Do not rely on just seasoning cubes which are full of sugar, MSG (Monosodium glutamate, also known as sodium glutamate), flour and chemicals.
“Use herbs such as ginger, garlic and basil. Replace wheat flour, semolina, pounded yam with flout made with guinea corn, millet and oatmeal for making fufu. Those have a low carbohydrate content and high fibre and vitamins.
“Snack on nuts and fruits, and change your mind view of what your diet should be now that you are living with diabetes.
“Finally, always check your blood sugar and take your medicine as prescribed. Usually, people who have Type 2 diabetes are often overweight and can overcome the need for medication if they eat a healthy diabetic diet and engage in moderate exercise,” she advised.
