When looking at the different causes of diabetes, we often have to look at many factors both internally and externally. Several mechanisms and hormones play into the overall picture of whether or not someone develops the condition. One external cue is when someone is carrying an excess of body fat – we know this is a risk factor for the development of diabetes and is fundamentally due to consuming an excess of calories beyond what the body needs to maintain a healthy weight. The excess calories cannot be used as energy if the body has a surplus or expenditure is too low, so they are stored as reserves for later in the fat cells. As this imbalance continues over time, we see the weight increase, body fat percentage rise and the risk of diabetes increases as insulin resistance begins to mount.
The common thought would be that as one sees their weight increasing, they could start cutting back on calories or increasing exercise to shift the body out of the excessive calorie balance. This normally would result in weight and fat loss. But sometimes there are internal factors that may make it more difficult for certain individuals to do that, especially from the eating perspective. This is where leptin comes into play as it relates to hunger. Leptin is a hormone that is released by fat cells and binds to leptin receptors in the brain. The brain responds to the hormone, which normally signals that the body has consumed enough food and we should stop eating. Too much leptin, however, can lead to a condition called leptin resistance, in which the brain stops responding to leptin and therefore doesn't receive the signal to stop eating. Overeating ensues and the weight starts to increase. The problems then multiply as more fat cells are now producing more leptin and this leads to even further insulin resistance, similar to what happens in insulin resistance that leads to diabetes. And as you can see, the two processes actually progress hand in hand.
The best defense to stopping both of these conditions from progressing, or developing in the first place, is to start with the diet. Yes, exercise is just as important, but the calories you burn can’t make up for a diet that is poor in quality and driving things such as insulin resistance. In order for us to feel a sense of fullness or satiety, it all starts with the TYPES of foods we eat. Diets high in processed foods with too much sugar that spikes insulin, refined grains that are lacking in fiber, and food additives that actually stimulate hunger will undermine the best weight management strategies. Therefore, the basic strategy is to focus on whole foods for the majority of your diet. Fruits and vegetables will supply most of your fiber, healthy carbohydrates and many vitamins, and should be the bulk of your diet. Lean meats, beans and nuts and seeds will offer protein, healthy fats, fiber and minerals. Essential fats should come from healthy oils like coconut, olive and grapeseed and foods like avocados, olives and fatty fish. And we should always be consuming at least half of our body weight in ounces of water for proper hydration. Taking these steps will not only give us a natural sense of satiety since the foods will not cause a blood sugar roller coaster, but they will also begin the process of reversing insulin and leptin resistance, making you more likely to stay on track with a better diet that will lead to lower weight and a healthier body.
Food choices are always important when looking to reduce our risk of major diseases such as cancer, stroke, heart attack and diabetes. Eating more foods daily like vegetables, fruits, beans and fatty fish that have important nutrients to fuel our bodies and protect them properly should always be a priority. But even if you are eating a wide variety of healthy foods, you may be undermining your best efforts by the way you are cooking those foods. A new study is suggesting that changing the way you cook could help reduce your risk of getting one of those major diseases - type 2 diabetes.
When you fry, grill or bake foods, which are all “dry-heat “cooking methods, foods produce substances called advanced glycation end products (AGEs). Higher levels of AGEs have been linked to insulin resistance, stress on the body's cells and inflammation, according to the study authors. These are all contributing factors in terms of diabetes risk, especially the insulin resistance. When the cells begin to become resistant to the effects of insulin, less sugar from the foods we eat is able to get into the cells to be used for energy. Too much sugar then remains in the blood, which promotes inflammation and stress on the body, which can manifest in the kidneys, eyes, heart or any other tissue. Therefore, other cooking methods such as boiling, steaming and poaching look like the safest way to go, the researchers say.
"When you look at people with chronic diseases like type 2 diabetes or dementia put on a high-AGE diet or a low one, those on the low-AGE diet show signs of decreasing inflammation," said the study's lead author, Dr. Jaime Uribarri. The researchers wanted to see if a low-AGE diet could offer protection to people already at risk of developing type 2 diabetes. For the study, the researchers randomly assigned study participants to either a high- or low-AGE diet. All were at least 50 years old and they had at least two of the following five health concerns (or were on medications for these problems): a large waist circumference (40 inches for men, 35 for women); high blood pressure; low HDL (good) cholesterol; high triglycerides; or elevated fasting blood sugar levels. Those in the low-AGE group were told to avoid frying, baking or grilling foods. Instead, they were encouraged to boil, steam, stew, cook with water, or poach their meals. Some examples of the changes made included substituting boiled eggs for fried eggs, poached chicken instead of grilled chicken, or beef stew instead of grilled steak, according to the study.
In the low-AGE group, "all the parameters in stress and inflammation we tested for improved. And we showed that insulin resistance came down," Uribarri said. Body weight also dropped slightly in the low-AGE group. So while we need to be paying attention to the types of foods we eat, it may also be beneficial to change the way we cook those foods.
