How eating healthy helps reverse Type 2 diabetes
Being diagnosed with a chronic condition such as Type 2 diabetes can be an unsettling wake-up call. Fortunately, adapting to a healthier lifestyle can help manage or even reverse it for some.
Bea Ledesma shares how healthy food helps reverse Type 2 diabetes/ Source: Sekaya/Buensalido PR
This is what happened to Bea Ledesma, founder of Comfort Kitchen. In a virtual press con titled 'Sekaya Prescribing Nature Series: Transforming your Life with Food,” Bea recounted how she started on her personal health journey with eating the right kind of food and fixing her meal patterns.
“I used to eat a lot of meat before and it also had to do with the schedule of eating, the kind of refined, processed foods I was eating. And I was also feeling sluggish.
“So, when I shifted my meal patterns and the types of food that I ate, you know, it helped with all those things.”
“I had type 2 diabetes. So, I was able to reverse my diabetes.
“It helped with my sleep cycle and it also helped with my hyperacidity.”
Bea then underlined that going on these fad diets is not necessarily the way to go when it comes to being healthy.
“I've tried the fads. I did keto; not so great for me. I was a super hardcore low-fat low-carb vegan for a while; not so great for me either.
“I think the answer was like finding a balance in terms of the foods that I eat. Carbs were not my enemy.
What worked for Bea?
Bea made an important reminder that eating healthy doesn't have to be done abruptly or be taken to the extremes in order for it to work.
Having gone through the struggle of adapting to a healthier lifestyle herself, Bea knows all too well how it can be difficult to get started.
So, she shared what simple steps worked for her that might work for others too.
“I think one of the things that made me able to incorporate plant-based foods into my diet is I think (that) people do get bored when they're eating the same thing over and over again.
“And I think that's when you start fantasizing about, you know, a bucket of chicken nuggets, right?
“That's what happens to me at 1 a.m. Instead of sleeping, I'm just holding my phone thinking, 'Should I call for nuggets?'
“So, one of the things I was able to do was incorporating dishes that are maybe new or unfamiliar.
“So, I would look at Indian, Middle Eastern, Japanese plant-based recipes, even regional recipes, like when I went to Mindanao and I discovered tiyula itum and I did a vegetarian version, or simple things like mushroom and monggo stew.
Bea also suggested that you plan your meals ahead, not just to ensure you are eating healthy throughout the week, but also so that you can make it exciting and creative and also to avoid wasting food.
“I make a meal plan. I think meal plans help me with decreasing food waste and being able to be inventive about the foods that I eat throughout the week.
“So, if I'm going to use mung beans or monggo for a soup at the start of the week, I'll use half of it for a stew later on.”
Easing into a healthy diet
Bea's experience is proof that eating healthy doesn't have to be a daunting task and that going about it in a slow and sustainable pace or manner is actually better.
Keep in mind though that Type 2 diabetes is lifestyle disease and eating healthy will not totally cure it.
Reversing diabetes only means you are able to reach and maintain a normal blood sugar level without the help of medication.
So, once you are diagnosed with it, it's absolutely important to transition into a healthier lifestyle and maintain it for as long as you can.
For more lifestyle content, head out to GMA's Lifestyle page.
You might also want to read about a 4-step program on how to eat healthy and why being a night owl is bad for one's health.