The 80/20 Rule is pretty simple:
Eat healthy foods 80% of the week, and eat unhealthy foods for the last 20%. Most people in the United States do the opposite. 20% unhealthy and 80% healthy. This is why obesity, diabetes, heart disease and cancers have increased.
A healthy diet should contain the following:
- Sufficient amounts of proteins (meat, fish, and eggs)
- Carbohydrates (bread, starch, pasta, rice)
- Fruits and Vegetables (these contain great vitamins and produce fiber
- Fats (olive oil, nuts, seeds)
Drinking a lot of water is key too! It keeps you full and our body consists mostly of water so if we lose water we need to add it back into our system. There are plenty of diets out there that are good for you. If you like fast food, there is the “dash diet”. There are also plenty of guides for diabetes, high blood pressure and Gastrointestinal issues.
Good luck and happy eating!
Diabetes happens when our body has a problem secreting insulin. Insulin is required to keep the body in homeostasis when glucose (sugar) is ingested and stored in the body. People who develop diabetes have what is called “insulin resistance”. This basically means that the body (liver, muscles, pancreas) do not produce enough or fail to produce insulin. People who are overweight have a higher risk of insulin resistance because fat blocks insulin production.
There are a lot of people out there that call Type 2 diabetes “old age diabetes”. It has been believed in past years that as you get older, you develop diabetes. Well, this is partly true but it is not just because you get older. Yes, there is a genetic factor but in my opinion most of the time it is strictly caused by years of eating badly and not getting enough exercise. After years of not giving your body what it needs to thrive, it finally just starts to break down. This is why we develop symptoms when we get older.
Here are some symptoms of diabetes:
1. Blurred vision
2. Erectile dysfunction
3. Fatigue
4. Slow healing
5. Increased appetite, thirst, and urination.
So, how can we prevent or manage diabetes?
- Eat healthy meals. There are diets out there that are specially designed for people with diabetes. Here is an example: www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/002440.htm
- Make sure you get checked by your medical doctor for cholesterol, high blood pressure and glucose levels.
Diabetes can be managed easily without medication if monitored correctly. Patient education about proper foods, physical activity play a key role and when applied, become easy!