World Diabetes Day: Benefits of breakfast for diabetes Fuel your body with a fresh start

BY NOEL CUNNINGHAM

We all know that food plays a big role in our health and the purpose of food is not only to fulfil cravings or hunger, but to nourish our body. The food we eat daily can benefit or affect our body based on our lifestyle and eating habits. As we approach World Diabetes Day I want to focus on how eating breakfast can help our bodies natural insulin, and how it can curb or prevent diabetes with some help from Nutritionist-Educator Deborah Johnson.

Diabetes is a chronic (long-lasting) health condition that affects how our body turns food into energy. Most of the food we eat is broken down into sugar (also called glucose) and released into your bloodstream. When your blood sugar goes up, it signals your pancreas to release insulin. When you are diabetic, your body doesn’t produce enough insulin if any at all. Diabetes can also lead to serious health conditions and in many ways, can be preventable.

For 2020, the World Diabetes Day campaign focuses on promoting the role of nurses in the prevention and management of diabetes. World Diabetes Day is every year on November 14th, first created in 1991 by the International Diabetes Foundation and the World Health Organization.

Eating a balanced and healthy diet is important for everyone, but persons with diabetes need to be careful when it comes to their diet. One of the main meals that you need is breakfast and I’ll tell you why. Did you know that people who regularly eat breakfast lowered their chances of developing type 2 diabetes?

This week I got some help from Nutritionist-Educator Deborah Johnson, who is a Community Nutritionist. She holds a Master of Science degree in nutrition and she is the founder of My Temple Wellness.

Breakfast is important for everyone but why is it super important for someone with diabetes?

DJ: When we wake up in the morning, our blood sugar or glucose level is generally low or stable. While no two persons are alike, people with diabetes do not respond to insulin the same as most, and their fasting blood sugar reading can go up in the morning, even if that person is following a strict diet.

The foods that people with type 2 diabetes (T2D) eat to break their overnight fast, also known as breakfast, is the first meal of the day that is why this meal has been described as “the most important meal of the day” and is particularly vital for people with T2D. On most days for breakfast, people eat high carbohydrate or sugary: breakfast like cereals, donuts, muffins, bagels, and pancakes that cause blood sugar to rise rapidly. This rapid rise triggers the pancreas to release the hormone insulin. Insulin helps to lower blood sugar to a stable or normal range.

As we know, what goes up must come down, and it is no different with our blood sugar. The rise in insulin can cause the body to become insulin resistant that ultimately causes T2D. As a result, the pancreas is unable to produce enough insulin due to being overworked from producing extra insulin to deal with the constant rise and fall of blood sugar.

So what is the takeaway from all of this? Eating breakfast is of great importance for people with T2D, but the type of breakfast is even more important to keep the blood sugar level stable. Your breakfast must include the three macronutrients: protein, carbohydrates, and fats.

Do you believe having breakfast can also prevent diabetes?

DJ: I do not believe that having breakfast will prevent type 2 diabetes. However, studies have indicated that eating a healthy balanced breakfast reduces the risk of obesity and chronic diseases such as type 2 diabetes.

So there you have it; the importance of breakfast and how it affects our body and blood sugar. This week, look out for my healthy breakfast egg muffin cups using whatever veggies you have in your fridge.