Your health can benefit from eating nutrient-rich fruits and vegetables daily. No single fruit or vegetable provides all of the nutrients you need to be healthy, so be sure to eat a wide variety of produce.
Eating a variety of fruits and vegetables is associated with a decreased risk of certain diseases or health conditions, as stated by Health Canada, Harvard School of Public Health, Canadian Cancer Society, Dietitians of Canada and the Heart and Stroke Foundation. The majority of Canadians do not meet the recommendation of eating 5 to 10 fruits and vegetables per day (1). Yet it is worth the effort to increase your daily intake.
Healthy Eating and Diabetes
Diabetes is a condition in which the body cannot produce insulin or efficiently use insulin produced within the body and must be monitored for life. Insulin is a hormone that aids in the uptake of sugar from food into cells to provide the energy needed for daily life (2). High blood sugar (glucose) levels result when the body cannot use insulin properly or does not produce insulin (2). Left untreated, diabetes can result in serious complications like heart disease, kidney failure, nerve damage, and blindness (3).
Major types of diabetes
Type 1 Diabetes - Results when the body produces little or no insulin. It can not be prevented.
Type 2 Diabetes - Results when the body does not produce enough insulin or use the insulin effectively. Type 2 diabetes usually develops in adulthood and is preventable.
Gestational Diabetes - Results during pregnancy, when the body does not properly use insulin and is a temporary condition (2).
Type 2 Diabetes
A growing issue for Canadians:
- 2 million Canadians have diabetes.
- One third of these people are not aware that they have the disease.
- Is the seventh leading cause of death in Canada.
- More than 60,000 new cases of Type 2 Diabetes are reported in Canada annually, making it
one of the fastest growing diseases (2).
Risk factors for Type 2 Diabetes
The onset of type 2 diabetes cannot be attributed to any single factor. There are several factors that increase the risk of developing the disease. These include (2):
- Age 65 or over
- Overweight (especially with abdominal obesity)
- A family member who has diabetes
- Having had gestational diabetes
- Lack of physical exercise
- Impaired glucose tolerance
- High blood pressure
- High cholesterol or other fats in the blood
- Have Aboriginal, African, Hispanic or Asian ancestry
Making healthy lifestyle choices will help decrease the risk of Type 2 Diabetes.
Type 2 diabetes is linked to lifestyle. A healthy diet, not smoking tobacco, controlling weight and keeping physically active can help reduce the risk or delay the onset of type 2 diabetes (3).
References
- Overview of Canadians" Eating Habits 2004
http://www.statcan.ca/english/research/82-620-MIE/82-620-MIE2006002.pdf
- Health Canada
http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/iyh-vsv/diseases-maladies/diabete_e.html
- Harvard School of Public Health
http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/diabetes.html