You Are What You Eat is back, headlined by Trisha Goddard and Dr Amir Khan. The latest episode has mentioned a common condition which can be triggered by diet – diabetes. Here’s one thing which can be increasing your risk and where to find it on your body, according to Dr Amir.
Diabetes is a chronic condition in which your blood sugar levels become too high.
It occurs when your body has problems with insulin production.
The insulin produced is either not effective, there’s not enough of it or there’s none at all, Diabetes UK explains.
The place on your body to watch for type 2 diabetes is your tummy, Dr Amir mentioned on the show.
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The doctor told one of the show’s guests trying to lose weight: “One of the things I was really worried about for you… all the weight you had on you was around your tummy.
“That increases the risk of heart disease and type 2 diabetes.”
Visceral fat is the type of body fat that is stored inside of the belly around internal organs, such as the liver, pancreas and intestines.
Higher amounts of visceral fat are linked to an increased risk of type 2 diabetes, according to Diabetes.co.uk.
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This type of fat is also associated with insulin resistance, which can lead to the blood sugar condition.
Insulin resistance happens when cells in your muscles, fat and liver don’t respond well to insulin and can’t take up sugar from your blood, the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases explains.
This happens due to the protein called retionol-binding protein 4 secreted by visceral fat, the diabetes charity adds.
The fat stored on the inside can lead to diabetes even in people that appear thin on the outside.
People like these are called Tofis – thin on the outside, fat on the inside.
Another problem with fat is that it’s causing weight gain which can affect diabetes control, Diabetes UK adds.
The good news is that if you’re prediabetic, losing even a small amount of weight and regular physical activity can cut the risk of type 2 diabetes, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports.
Which is exactly what Dr Amir prescribed guest Leonie with, to reduce the weight around her tummy.
Leonie’s previous diet consisted of biscuits, white bread, bacon, chocolates, pizza and more carbohydrates.
Being faced with what she eats in a week laid out on a table, Leonie noted: “It’s all beige food as well.”
The host Trisha Goddard added: “Beige – the colour of processed meals, usually high in refined carbs, sugar, salt, or fat and almost all of the goodness stripped out.
“These are the foods that can lead to serious health issues like obesity, heart disease, high blood pressure and diabetes.”
Stripping your diet of beige foods like these and targeting the fat around your tummy may help to cut your risk of developing diabetes.
