Diabetes prevention and health knowledge bulletin board

The vast majority of type 2 diabetes can be effectively prevented through lifestyle intervention. As long as long-term scientific adjustments are made in the three core dimensions of daily diet, exercise, and weight management, the risk of onset can be reduced by more than 58%. This conclusion has been repeatedly confirmed by many top international evidence-based studies such as the Daqing Diabetes Prevention Study in my country and the DPP Study in the United States. It is not a "health metaphysics."

Last week at the community free clinic, I met a 52-year-old Uncle Zhang. He said that he usually eats very light meals, including plain porridge and pickles, and rarely eats meat. How come he found out that his fasting blood sugar was 6.8, indicating that he was already in the pre-diabetic stage? In fact, this is the biggest misunderstanding that many people have about sugar control: light does not mean low glycemic. Soft white porridge raises blood sugar faster than cola. High-salt diet will also interfere with the normal work of insulin, which inadvertently increases the risk of disease.

Nowadays, there is a lot of debate on the Internet about sugar-control diets. One group advocates completely abstaining from refined carbohydrates and eating salads and whole grains every day to be healthy. The other group believes that as long as the total calories are controlled, it is okay to eat milk tea and cakes occasionally. From the perspective of clinical practice, ordinary people do not need to go to extremes or completely give up the idea of ​​rice and noodles. They only need to replace 1/3 of the polished rice and white flour in each meal with whole grains such as oats, beans, and quinoa. Eat vegetables first before eating staple foods when eating, and drink less sticky white porridge, commercial milk tea, and blended fruit juices. Even drinks labeled "sugar-free" should not be flamboyant every day. Last year, a 28-year-old programmer we followed up drank two bottles of sugar-free Coke every day for three years. He was initially diagnosed with sugar and complained that he was wronged. In fact, existing research has confirmed that long-term intake of sugar substitutes will disrupt the intestinal flora and reduce insulin sensitivity, which will also increase the risk of diabetes.

Many people are frightened when they hear that they need to exercise to control sugar, thinking that they have to run five kilometers a day and go to the gym to be effective. This is really not the case. In the past two years, we followed a 67-year-old aunt who had degenerative knee disease and could not run or jump. She walked slowly around the community for 40 minutes every day after dinner. She climbed two or three floors to buy groceries and pick up express delivery. She did not go on a diet. After more than a year of persistence, her fasting blood sugar dropped from 7.1 to 5.8, which is much better than many people who spend a lot of money to buy sugar-control health products. There are currently two different directions in academic circles regarding exercise for sugar control: one view is that 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobics (fast walking, cycling, and Tai Chi are all included) per week is enough; the other latest research suggests that adding two resistance training sessions per week to build muscle mass can double the efficiency of sugar control. You don’t have to worry about which one to choose. The one that you can stick to for a long time is the most suitable for you.

Oh, by the way, don’t think that only fat people can get diabetes. Last month, I treated a girl who was 1.7 meters tall and weighed only 98 pounds. In order to lose weight, she ate boiled vegetables for half a year and barely touched any staple food. As a result, she found that her fasting blood sugar was impaired, and she cried on the spot. This is a point that people often overlook: Abnormal glucose metabolism has nothing to do with body weight, but has a greater relationship with body fat distribution. People with abdominal obesity and excessive body fat percentage, even if their limbs look slender, have no lower risk of disease than obese people. Especially those with excessive waist circumference: if the waist circumference is greater than 90cm for men and greater than 85cm for women, even if the weight is completely within the normal range, it is best to check blood sugar once every six months.

When it comes to checking blood sugar, don’t wait until symptoms such as thirst, polyuria, and sudden weight loss appear. There are almost no typical symptoms in the early stage of type 2 diabetes. By the time you feel obvious, you have often missed the best window for intervention. There are now different opinions on screening: some people think that annual physical examination of fasting blood sugar is enough, and some scholars suggest that high-risk groups should also test 2-hour post-meal blood sugar and glycated hemoglobin. Here is a practical suggestion for you: If you have a family history of diabetes, are sedentary, have an excessive waist circumference, or have a history of gestational diabetes, just check your glycated hemoglobin every year. This indicator can reflect your average blood sugar level in the past three months. It is much more accurate than a single fasting blood sugar test, and it is basically impossible to miss a diagnosis.

Finally, let me tell you the truth. You don’t need to engage in any “high-end operations” to prevent diabetes. You don’t need to spend a lot of money to buy so-called sugar-control rice and sugar-control biscuits, and you don’t have to force yourself to eat boiled vegetables that are difficult to swallow. You just need to chew two more mouthfuls of meals and drink two less sweet drinks. Don’t sit when you can stand, and don’t take a car if you can walk two steps. If you stick to it for a long time, it will be more effective than any health supplement. If you are really diagnosed with early stage diabetes, don’t panic. If you adjust your lifestyle in time, most people can return to their normal state without any psychological burden at all.

By the way, our community health service center provides free blood glucose testing services every Wednesday afternoon. Residents in need can come for consultation and receive free sugar control recipes.