Getting Proactive About Diabetes: If, in most cases, type 2 diabetes is a preventable illness why do we wait to treat the illness instead of working harder to prevent it? That’s a question posed by the UK based diabetes.org. They’ve come up with a solution.

As of this report there are around 2,000 individuals signed up to raise funds, donate, get the word out or adopt a healthier lifestyle as part of the Get Serious program. It’s a start.

So, what does this program aim to do? According to the website…

Get Serious is a national campaign underlining the seriousness of diabetes, led by Diabetes UK. Diabetes UK is the leading charity for the three million people in the UK with diabetes.

Get Serious aims to bring together everyone who has a connection with Diabetes UK as well as supporters and members of the public new to the cause – all working towards a shared goal: to Get Serious about diabetes.

Get Serious will get people involved in helping us achieve our mission; that is – to improve the lives of people with diabetes and work towards a future without diabetes.

The impact of this goal is to work first at mobilizing those who have diabetes and then spreading the message of better health, a more mobile lifestyle and a diet that promotes wellness without necessarily sacrificing taste to others.

The diabetes.org website even provides a menu planning option. For the purpose of this article I selected a male between the ages of 30-59 weighing 91 Kg (200 pounds), is moderately active and wishes to lose weight.

Here’s what this individual was offered as a menu…

Breakfast
Small glass of fruit juice or a portion of fruit (see below for what’s a portion)
4 tablespoons of muesli or 4 tablespoons of porridge oats or 2 weetabix or 2 shredded wheat or 6 tablespoons of other cereal with 200mls semi-skimmed/skimmed milk or 2 slices of toast or 2 crumpets or 1 bagel or 1 muffin with 2 teaspoons of sunflower or olive oil spread and 2 teaspoons jam/marmalade/honey

Lunch
sandwich made with 4 slices bread or 2 bread rolls or 2 pitta or 2 tortilla/wrap or 8 crispbreads with salad and
4 – 6 oz (120 – 175g) of cooked meat/poultry or vegetarian alternative or 8 – 10oz (240 – 300g) tuna/sardines/mackerel or 7oz (200g) cooked prawns or 2 boiled eggs and
2 teaspoons low fat mayonnaise
with 2 teaspoons of sunflower/olive oil spread or 4 teaspoons of low fat spread
Dessert: 1 low fat or diet yogurt

Dinner
9 tablespoons pasta/cous-cous/bulgar wheat/noodles or 6 tablespoons easy cook rice/basmati rice or 6 egg sized potatoes
with 6 tablespoons vegetables or large portion of salad with low calorie dressing
4 – 6 oz (120 – 175g) of meat/poultry or 8 – 10 oz (240 – 300g) fish or 4 eggs or vegetarian alternative or 6 tablespoons pulses, beans or lentils
Dessert: 1 scoop ice cream and a portion of fruit (see below for what’s a portion)

Additional daily milk allowance

1/3 pint (200mls) milk

Snacks
2 portions fruit + 2 biscuits or a cereal bar + small slice cake. 1 portion =1 banana, apple, orange, pear, 1 slice of a large fruit like melon or mango, 2 small fruit such as plums or apricots, handful of grapes, cherries or berries, 1 tablespoon of dried fruit.

Finding ways to be proactive will be the world’s best hope at reversing what is commonly referred to as a pandemic. By working to lose weight and adopt a healthy lifestyle before the onset of diabetes we can reverse a trend that is alarming medical professionals around the world.