In healthy people, insulin is produced by the pancreas: When you eat or drink, food is broken down into smaller parts, some of which is a form of sugar. Insulin acts like a key: unlocking cells so that sugar can move from the blood into the body tissues, to be used for energy. Diabetes is a problem with the function of insulin: either the key (insulin itself) isnât working, or the lock (the cell) struggles to let sugar into the cell. When you have âhigh blood sugarâ – the body produces too little insulin, or the tissues donât respond to insulin in the way theyâre supposed to. The end result is excess sugar in the blood, while body cells are starved of their fuel and go hungry. Common symptoms of diabetes are excessive thirst, excessive passing of urine, and often a large appetite. Dramatic weight loss can also be an early warning sign, due to the starvation of body tissues.
Type 2 diabetes is the most common form of diabetes, and risk factors include: if a person is overweight, over the age of 45, doesn’t exercise, has low HDL (good) cholesterol or high triglycerides. Other important risk factors include: if a person had gestational diabetes (diabetes that starts when you are pregnant, and resolves after you delivered your baby), has a family member with type 2 diabetes, struggles with high blood pressure or is of a certain race/ethnicity.
If you’ve been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes youâll need to start making some serious lifestyle changes. This will likely include reassessing your exercise routine (or lack thereof), and making healthier food choices. But did you know that you also need to watch what you drink? Most people tend to forget about what they sip on during the day and the consequences it can have on their body. With type 2 diabetes, drinks that are high in carbs and calories are dangerous as they can affect your weight and blood pressure. So, which are the best drinks to stick to if youâre diabetic?
Water
Try and make this your number one choice â it really is the purest drink you can consume, and it benefits the body in so many ways. A lot of people donât actually like the taste of water, but you can add flavour with a squeeze of fresh lemon or lime juice.
Vegetable Juice
Make sure itâs 100% vegetable juice with no added sugar. Fresh vegetable juice is healthier for you than fruit juice (even if itâs 100%), and it only contains around 10g of carbs and 50 calories per cup. Oh, and itâs packed with fibre and essential vitamins and minerals too! Check the ingredients on a bottle carefully if you buy: Just because it says âPUREâ doesnât mean there isn’t any hidden glucose in the drink.
Unsweetened Tea
Tea is naturally packed with antioxidants which help fight free-radicals in the body. To make the most of it, go for unsweetened green tea or rooibos tea, and aim for 3-5 cups a day.
When it comes to drinks you should avoid, the worst culprits are: sweetened fizzy drinks, undiluted fruit juice/ fruit nectar drinks, energy drinks and sweetened tea/coffee.
The good news is that if you follow a healthy diet, exercise regularly and take your medication as prescribed, itâs possible to normalise your blood sugar levels and significantly reduce your risk of end-organ damage. This includes loss of vision (diabetic retinopathy), kidney disease and foot problems (often referred to as âdiabetic footâ.)