A nutritious breakfast is necessary to start the day. It helpskeep diabetes at bay too, writes Nadia Badarudin
WE’VE heard so many reasons and excuses for skipping breakfast, from not having time and not wanting to go to the toilet while stuck in traffic to not being hungry and too sleepy to eat.
Such unhealthy habits have, sadly, become the norm. We can blame time constraints on everything but human beings often make time for something important.
It all means that breakfast is not our priority.
The downside of this is that recent studies have found a link between missing breakfast and an increased risk of diabetes, specifically Type 2.
The International Diabetes Federation (IDF) recently estimated that diabetes afflicted 382 million people across the globe, with half yet undiagnosed.
By 2035, 592 million people or one person in 10 will have the disease. IDF also indicated that 316 million people are at high risk of developing Type 2 diabetes, with the number expected to rise to almost 500 million within a generation.
THE LINK
Consultant endocrinologist associate professor Dr Norlaila Mustafa says eating or skipping a meal can make a difference to one’s diabetes risk profile.
In her presentation on The Breakfast And Diabetes Connection In Women, Children And Everyone Else, she explains that at its most basic level, breakfast staves off hunger and helps prevent over-eating later in the day.
Considering that the last meal you had was three hours before bed, a good and nutritious breakfast is necessary to start the day.
Dr Norlaila says: “Having breakfast leads to a more reasonable food intake that can reduce the risk of obesity, a major diabetes factor. Many Malaysians miss breakfast purposely and eat brunch instead. But we tend to be too hungry to think rationally by this time and are likely to over-eat.”
Eating breakfast has positive physiological effects too. Research shows that women who eat breakfast have lower insulin resistance and cholesterol levels.
“Lower cholesterol levels are associated with a lower risk of developing heart disease,” says Dr Norlaila.
Insulin resistance is a condition where the hormone is unable to transport glucose effectively into the body’s cells. This causes the cells to starve while glucose accumulates in the blood and damages blood vessels. If it worsens over time, insulin resistance can lead to full-blown diabetes.
Breakfast also benefits adolescents and young adults. Studies have shown that those who eat breakfast have better weight management and improved lipid profiles, making them less likely to develop cardiovascular diseases.
CHANGE FOR GOOD
With most people living a hectic and sedentary lifestyle, eating healthy is important to ensure a well-functioning body.
A healthy diet is a must and should begin at home. For a start, Dr Norlaila suggests that families eat together at breakfast instead of dinner.
She says: “Wake up a little earlier to make time for the meal. Plan the menu in advance to save time.”
It is also equally important to watch what we eat if we do not want to be part of the global diabetes epidemic. Dr Norlaila says: “Instead of nasi lemak or fried rice, have a peanut butter sandwich or an omelette instead. If you eat nasi lemak, have it without the extras (like rendang etc) once in a while and control the portion. Eat less rice and more cucumber and half-boiled eggs (minus the yolk).
“If there’s a diabetic in your family, prepare a healthy meal for the whole family rather than make a separate meal for the diabetic.”
She says the change may sound easier said than done, but it’s not impossible.
CURB THE TREND
Consultant endocrinologist Datuk Dr Mohamed Badrulnizam Long Bidin says the National Health and Morbidity Survey showed 2.6 million diabetics in our adult population in 2011. The number is projected to increase to 4.5 million by 2020.
“We can expect a commensurate explosion of diabetic complication cases including heart attack, heart failure, kidney damage, eye disease, nerve damage and leg amputations,” says Dr Mohamed Badrulnizam who is World Diabetes Day 2014 organising chairman.
Something must be done to curb this dangerous trend, he says.
“It’s another version of Vision 2020 that we shouldn’t allow it to happen especially when diabetes (Type 2) can be prevented by practising a healthy diet and being physically active. It’s not difficult, but it does require a conscious effort to change for the better,” he says.