Preventing Diabetes Through Healthy Diet and Exercise

Introduction: A Personal Motivation

I started my health and nutrition program study after I began reading more health literature. I had seen my father's health erode as a result of poor dieting and lack of exercise. He suffers from diabetes and is convinced it is not related to his lack of dieting or exercise, but the literature I had read convinced me otherwise. Davis (2008) showed that natives in the Marshall Islands developed diabetes when they moved away from their natural, organic diets and began consuming pre-packaged, fast foods. He initiated a program that returned them to a lifestyle of living off the land and sea, which gave them exercise and a healthy, organic diet. Their diabetes disappeared (Davis, 2008). Bray, Nielsen, and Popkin (2004) and Malik et al. (2010) have also shown a link between consumption of high-fructose corn syrup, soda, and the onset of diabetes. For me, it was a matter of reading the literature and seeing my father drink three cans of Mountain Dew every day alongside the fast food he regularly ate. I knew I did not want to go down that path, so I started focusing on my own health, nutrition, and exercise regimens. That was about a year ago.

My goals and objectives in starting a health and nutrition program were to eat organic, avoid unnecessary sugar — especially high-fructose corn syrup — and to get involved in a low-impact exercise routine. To achieve these goals, I began with a simple survey of the items in my fridge and cupboard and found far too much candy and pre-packaged food. I looked at my after-school and after-work activities and found they consisted mainly of sitting at a computer or watching television. My goals were to change these eating and exercise habits.

I did not keep any journals, not formally speaking, nor was I evaluated in any formal way. However, I am good at holding myself accountable, so I was not worried on that front. The challenge was to find out how to replace my unhealthy habits with healthy ones. I needed to know what options I had. To find this out, I turned to the Internet. I had refrained from going to the grocery store and was used to ordering on a food delivery app. I noticed a "healthy" filter option and selected it; a list of restaurants I had never visited appeared. I selected I Love Juice Bar and ordered a bowl of overnight oats. The overnight oats were delicious, so I looked up the recipe online and decided this was the type of meal I would prepare for brunch each day — no more donuts. The overnight oats recipe consisted of almond milk, almond butter, oats, blueberries (which I replaced with cut-up apples), honey, and cacao nibs. I have been enjoying overnight oats each day for a year and can honestly say that my digestion has improved, I sleep better at night, and I feel I have lost weight since I am no longer loading up on carbs and sugary snacks.

The main resources I used to learn about what foods to eat and what low-impact exercises to do were the Internet and health-conscious friends. A great deal of good information is available through social media, and it can all be verified by searching Google Scholar for scholarly resources, which I did to find information on diabetes and diet. The study by Davis (2008) on the Marshall Islands was particularly impactful for me.

Observations and Reflections

The reason I decided to learn about health and nutrition was that I saw my father's health declining and I wanted to prevent myself from going down the same path. My hope in learning was to establish a foundation of knowledge I could use to make meaningful life changes. I learned the value of having a simple, organic diet, and I also learned what a difference low-impact exercise can make. I feel so much healthier since I have moved away from sugary drinks and snacks and begun going on hikes around the neighborhood. I love reconnecting with nature, so that has been an added bonus.

My preconceived ideas were that eating healthy would be boring and mundane. I thought, wrongly, that healthy food was tasteless and bland. I also wrongly imagined that exercise would be dull and uninspiring — something like walking on a treadmill in a basement. But getting out in nature, hiking nearby trails, and eating good food made from scratch using locally sourced or organic ingredients has really opened my eyes to how flavorful and delicious food can be. I have had no urge to revisit fast food since I developed the habit of eating right.

This study was enjoyable from start to finish primarily because I was genuinely interested in the material. In a lot of mandatory research, the subject is not always personally interesting because one does not see how it applies to one's life. However, with this study I was able to apply everything I learned. I did a great deal of informal interviewing with others, talked to farmers at farmers' markets, and immersed myself in the community of growers. I found an entire sustainable culture filled with people who are passionate about good food, healthy living, and getting back to nature. Even though many of the people I met had never heard of Davis's (2008) research, they all understood the basic essence of his argument. Literally nothing about this study was difficult.

Physical changes I have noticed include more stamina and a more positive attitude. I do not feel lethargic throughout the day. I feel refreshed in the morning. I sleep better at night — I used to be bothered by stomach and gas issues. I feel fuller after eating and do not feel the need to snack all day. One good bowl of overnight oats at brunch keeps me going until dinnertime. I feel stronger since getting into the habit of hiking twice a week. I no longer feel winded walking up a hill as I used to. I have lost weight, and my posture has improved because I am more conscious of carrying myself with confidence. I feel more confident overall.

Patterns in nutrition and health that I have focused on include eating organic meals. My meals are seasonal, so I pick up locally produced fruits and vegetables, enjoy local honey, and make everything from scratch. I do not obsess over cholesterol counts or low-fat labels. I get meat from farms that are non-GMO, free-range, and organic. Very little of what I buy comes from outside my local area.

My greatest success has been my ability to maintain this habit — and I genuinely love it. I love eating right, feeling great, and making my own meals. It is deeply satisfying to take time to learn about food, connect with nature, and understand what I am putting into my body. My biggest failure has not been anything related to myself but rather my inability to get others to buy into this lifestyle. So far I have had no luck getting my father to eat better or go on hikes with me. He has switched to diet Mountain Dew and thinks this is healthy for him, which is genuinely exasperating.

One similarity I have noticed between myself and others I encounter in the organic market and sustainable culture community is that we are all like-minded. We are all passionate about healthy eating. We love learning about food and sharing news about what is going on in the world of healthy living. It is a true community.

Concepts and Generalizations

The body needs vitamins, minerals, and water to stay healthy and in good condition. Just as a car needs oil in the engine and fuel to move its pistons, the body needs vitamins, minerals, and water to keep functioning. Vitamins, minerals, and water help the immune system fight off infection and help the body regulate itself. When a person introduces unnatural pollutants into the body or overloads it with sugar such as high-fructose corn syrup, it simply makes the body work harder (Bray et al., 2004). It is like putting the worst kind of fuel in a car and only changing the oil every five years.

A healthy cardiovascular system is one in which the heart, blood vessels, and blood circulation are all working well together. There is good blood flow, and the blood vessels are not blocked or constricted by fat or stress — anxiety can restrict blood flow. One can breathe more easily and feels better in terms of stamina and strength. The effects that exercise, good nutrition, and stress management have on the cardiovascular system are that it stays in good condition overall, like a well-tuned engine. It gives a feeling of refreshment and readiness that someone who does not exercise, eat well, or manage stress never fully experiences. I can see the difference myself between my father's condition and my own.

My father monitors his blood pressure, watches his cholesterol, and watches his weight increase — he attributes the weight gain to his insulin injections and blames the diabetes itself. I, however, do not measure my blood pressure, monitor my cholesterol levels, or track my weight or body fat. I know what I am putting into my body is healthy and natural, and I know that I feel good and rested when I eat right and exercise. It is my father, who neither exercises nor eats healthily, who constantly monitors those indicators — as though if they fall within an "accepted range," he can feel confident that his health is fine. To me, this seems like a false sense of security.

Tests available to determine physical fitness include endurance testing, body mass index measurement, and other assessments such as the dead hang or the 300-yard shuttle. However, not everyone will be able to perform those tests. A simple physical endurance test can be sufficient to measure how one's heart and lungs perform during physical activity, and these tests are helpful for establishing a baseline measure.

The problem with current methods of testing is that they can give a false sense of security because they do not reveal the full picture of what preventive health should look like. A better measure is simply to examine one's diet and whether one is exercising. Tests do not have to be physical or quantitative. It is misleading to assume that numerical indicators tell more about a person's health than a simple examination of their diet and exercise habits. Qualitative assessments can often tell far more of value than a blood pressure reading alone.

HDL is considered good cholesterol, while LDL is considered bad cholesterol. Triglycerides are the most common type of fat found in the body and represent how the body stores energy. However, if a person has a high triglyceride count combined with a high LDL count, they are at greater risk of stroke or heart attack due to the strain placed on the veins and heart (Heart, 2020).

Monounsaturated fats and polyunsaturated fats are better for health than saturated fats and trans fats. The former are simple fat molecules — liquid at room temperature but solid when chilled — and they can help reduce bad cholesterol in the body. Oils high in monounsaturated fat also deliver vitamin E, an antioxidant that many Americans need more of in their diets (Heart Monounsaturated Fat, 2020).

Conclusion and Ongoing Commitment

What could be done to help others be more responsible in regard to health and nutrition is to keep sharing what I have learned and to keep pushing myself to learn more. It is not always easy to remember everything one has learned, but if one is constantly pushing to expand one's education, it becomes easier to stay ready to speak meaningfully with others. It keeps the information fresh and accessible, so one can quickly recall what someone else might need to hear to spark a new motivation.

However, as was true for me, I believe that until a person senses the personal impact of health literacy, they are not going to truly listen. I did not start paying attention until my father's diabetes diagnosis and the onset of his health issues. That was what began to wake me up to the reality of eating right and getting exercise. Today's world is, in many ways, upside down in that regard. People sit at desks for most of the day and are accustomed to eating fast food. It is a cultural problem that genuinely needs to be addressed. Helping to create the right culture for people to live by takes effort and example. It requires being a leader and being willing to promote the kind of cultural change that others can believe in and buy into.

References

Bray, G. A., Nielsen, S. J., & Popkin, B. M. (2004). Consumption of high-fructose corn syrup in beverages may play a role in the epidemic of obesity. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 79(4), 537–543.

Davis, B. (2008). Defeating diabetes: Lessons from the Marshall Islands. Today's Dietitian, 10(8), 24.

Heart. (2020). Cholesterol. Retrieved from https://www.heart.org/en/health-topics/cholesterol/hdl-good-ldl-bad-cholesterol-and-triglycerides

Heart Monounsaturated Fat. (2020). Retrieved from https://www.heart.org/en/healthy-living/healthy-eating/eat-smart/fats/monounsaturated-fats

Malik, V. S., Popkin, B. M., Bray, G. A., Després, J. P., Willett, W. C., & Hu, F. B. (2010). Sugar-sweetened beverages and risk of metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes: A meta-analysis. Diabetes Care.