Wake up, New Zealand! We have a blood sugar problem

Rates of diabetes in New Zealand have risen by 44% over the last 10 years, but fortunately some key lifestyle changes can lower your risk.

By Paula Goodyer

Not so long ago, COVID-19 had New Zealand pushing the panic button and doing all we could to prevent furthering the epidemic. 

So why aren’t we panicking about the epidemic of diabetes? A disease so common that around 300 of us are newly diagnosed with it each day.

In fact, 20% of New Zealand adults are affected by prediabetes, meaning levels of blood sugar (blood glucose) are higher than normal but not high enough to cross the line into diabetes.

Diabetes is highest in approximately 20% in people aged over 65 years and the number is also increasing in younger age groups in New Zealand.

Yet this tsunami of illness could be reined in if we were savvier about keeping blood sugar levels healthy. That’s because while there are two main types of diabetes, the most common, type 2, is often preventable by keeping weight off, eating better and moving more.  

Why is type 2 diabetes increasing?  

“More of us are older and the risk of type 2 diabetes increases with age but, compared to 50 years ago, we’ve also created an environment where it’s easy to overeat and hard to exercise,” says Associate Professor Neale Cohen of The Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute.

Type 2 diabetes also lacks the ‘shock’ factor of cancer or heart disease, he adds. “It’s ‘invisible’ in that people often don’t look or feel sick, even though the consequences of diabetes can be very serious.”

How high blood sugar messes with our health 

• Over time, high levels of blood sugar can damage blood vessels, making them more likely to develop fatty deposits. With diabetes, your chances of dying of heart disease are the same as someone who’s had a heart attack, according to the Heart Foundation.
• Diabetes can increase the risk of dementia by 60 per cent compared to people without diabetes, the report adds.
• It’s also the most common cause of end-stage kidney disease and vision loss – and increases the risk of amputation of feet and legs caused by ulceration, resulting from damage to blood vessels by excess blood sugar.

What sets us up for pre-diabetes and diabetes? 

Family history can play a part, but risk factors we can control include being overweight (especially around the middle), physical inactivity, poor diet, smoking and high blood pressure. 

What makes blood sugar get too high?

Blood sugar comes from the food we eat. It’s the job of insulin (a hormone made in the pancreas) to move glucose from our blood into our cells which use it for energy.

But in some people these cells don’t respond as well to insulin, making the pancreas pump out extra insulin to keep glucose levels normal. This is called insulin resistance and increases the chances of pre-diabetes and diabetes. Inactivity and being overweight raise the risk of insulin resistance.

Smart ways to keep blood sugar levels healthy

Get to know ‘slow’ carbs

“Eat more lower GI foods like wholegrains, legumes, pasta and most fruit and vegetables - they’re more slowly digested, causing a smaller rise in blood glucose,” says Melbourne- based dietitian Joel Feren. “Unlike high GI foods like white bread that are rapidly digested, lower GI foods help keep blood glucose levels healthy and fuel you long after you’ve finished eating.” 

You can still eat high GI fruit and veg (like white potatoes) – just be conscious of what you eat them with, he adds.  

“Teaming a high GI carb with foods that are high in fibre, protein or healthy fats like extra virgin olive oil, nuts and seeds, or avocado will help slow digestion. For instance, you could team your potato with lentils or beef mince, and salad vegetables dressed with extra virgin olive oil.”

Check out Citro’s article on the Mediterranean diet.

…but skip the ultra-processed foods  

UPFs are those highly processed packaged foods made with ingredients you wouldn’t find in a home kitchen like emulsifiers and hydrogenated oils. Some studies link eating too many UPFs to a higher risk of diabetes. Because many of these foods contain little fibre and are high in added sugars, they’re rapidly digested, causing blood glucose levels to rise quickly, says Diabetes Australia.

Take an exercise pill

The closest thing we have to an anti-diabetes pill? Exercise.

“Active muscles need blood glucose for fuel so when we’re physically active, muscles take up glucose from the bloodstream,“ explains exercise physiologist Nicole Cheung, a spokesperson for Exercise and Sports Science Australia. “But exercise helps in other ways too. 

“High blood sugar often goes together with [being] overweight, high blood pressure and high cholesterol, which increase the risk of type 2 diabetes. Regular exercise helps control weight and reduce blood pressure, and also helps insulin work better at moving glucose from the blood into our cells.”

What kind of exercise works best?

“Aerobic exercise (brisk walking, running, cycling, swimming) because it helps us use up blood sugar but strength training is important too. It helps build more muscle and more muscle means you can take up and store more glucose, keeping it out of the bloodstream,” Nicole says.

Ideally we need our exercise ‘pill’ daily, clocking up 150 minutes each week of moderate to vigorous aerobic exercise, and 2 to 3 sessions of strength training, she says.

“Being consistent with exercise across the week helps regulate blood sugar - try not to skip more than one or two days between sessions. “

What if you already have prediabetes?

“[High blood sugar levels are] not always a precursor for diabetes – there’s still time to rewrite your health story,” says Joel Feren.  “Along with movement, healthy eating including plenty of fruit, vegetables, whole grains, dairy, and lean proteins is key to good blood sugar control.”

“And losing just 6 to 7 percent of body weight with exercise and a better diet can reduce diabetes risk by 60 per cent,” adds Nicole.

Getting expert advice

Got high levels of blood sugar? Talk to your GP. You may be eligible for sessions with an Accredited Practising Dietitian and/or Accredited Exercise Physiologist with a Medicare rebate.  

The information on this page is general information and should not be used to diagnose or treat a health problem or disease. Do not use the information found on this page as a substitute for professional health care advice. Any information you find on this page or on external sites which are linked to on this page should be verified with your professional health care provider.