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The Facts and Risks of Type 2 Diabetes

The Facts

One person is diagnosed with type 2 diabetes every 5 minutes in Australia

Diabetes can lead to complications like blindness, amputations and heart disease.

This disease is on the rise in Australia, but can be reduced with simple lifestyle changes like healthier eating and regular exercise.

You may be at risk even if you are not diagnosed with diabetes

Type 2 diabetes develops over a long period of time.

The early stages of development (before you are even diagnosed with diabetes) has no signs or symptoms. This is called pre-diabetes and it poses a big risk on your health which can lead to complications such as heart disease.

What are the Risk Factors?

The cause of diabetes remains unknown, however there are many factors that can increase your risk.

The risk factors out of your control include:

  • Genetics
  • Age
  • Ethnicity

The risk factors within your control include:

  • Weight maintenance
  • Healthy eating
  • Exercise
  • Stress levels

How to Reduce your Risk

When it comes to preventing or managing type 2 diabetes in terms of food, it is not as complicated or restrictive as one may think.

In fact, healthy eating is the same for everyone, not to just prevent diabetes, but to prevent other diseases, maintain weight, for good mental health, stress, energy levels and strength!

Strong evidence shows that type 2 diabetes can be prevented in up to 58% of cases in the high-risk (pre-diabetic) population by eating well and exercising!

Decrease your risk

Maintain a healthy weight by:

  1. exercising regularly
  2. eating lots of fruit, veggies & high fibre wholegrain foods
  3. reducing junk food

Check out this week’s recipe full of veggies and fibre to keep you healthy!

Chicken Chickpea Salad with a Creamy Dressing

Serves: 4 Time: 20mins Cost: $12 approx. ($3 per serve) 

Ingredients:

Salad

  • 400g chicken breast
  • 1 can chickpeas
  • 1 bunch asparagus
  • 1 cucumber
  • 2 cups spinach
  • 1 carrot
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp dried herbs
  • 1 ½ TBSP extra virgin olive oil

Dressing

  • 1/4 cup Greek yoghurt
  • 2 TBSP lemon juice
  • 1 TBSP wholegrain mustard
  • ½ TBSP extra virgin olive oil

salt and pepper to season

Method:

  1. Slice the chicken breast and place in a snap lock bag.
  2. Add 1 TBSP olive oil, garlic powder, dried herbs, pinch salt and pepper then shake bag until chicken is evenly coated.
  3. Drizzle olive oil over a pan on a medium heat, add chicken and cook for approx. 8mins or until just cooked.
  4. Chop asparagus into bite size pieces, add to pan with chicken and cook further 2 mins. Put aside to cool.
  5. Slice cucumber, grate carrot, drain chickpeas then add to a bowl and mix with ½ TBSP olive oil and pinch of salt and pepper.
  6. Salad dressing: mix together all ingredients with a fork.

To serve add the salad mix to a large dish, then place chicken and asparagus over top and pour over dressing.

 

Sources:

https://www.diabetesaustralia.com.au/type-2-diabetes

https://www.diabetesaustralia.com.au/diabetes-in-australia

 

Live Life Get Active is building a fitter, healthier and happier Australia and we want people to have fun along the way. With the help of Local Government and Corporate Australia we provide FREE health, fitness and nutritional education both online and in the parks, suburbs and cities of Australia.