Best Foods to Control Diabetes

Looking foods to control diabetes? Before jumping on to the list of foods, let’s first get an overview of what diabetes is?

THE ONLY ‘CONSTANT’ IN THE WORLD IS ‘CHANGE.’ AS IRONIC AS IT MAY SOUND, IT IS BUT THE ONLY TRUTH. THE WORLD IS EVOLVING AND PROGRESSING AT AN EXPONENTIAL RATE, WHICH IS GETTING ALMOST DIFFICULT TO KEEP UP WITH. THE DEFINITIONS OF LITERALLY EVERYTHING UNDER THE SUN HAVE CHANGED AND WE ARE LIVING A LIFE THAT IS HECTIC AND FRENZIED.

Industrialization, globalization, and advancements in science and technology have made our lifestyles and routines quite different from our parents’. Almost all kinds of work take place through the click of a button accompanied by keyboarding. Our generation leads a more stressful life, both, professionally and personally. Achieving targets, getting promoted, and balancing this out with a personal life takes its toll on people.

In today’s day and age, we are judged based on our levels of activity on social media sites. As if this wasn’t enough, all that stress translates itself into the very notorious lifestyle diseases. How? Well, stress- busters nowadays involve going out for a drink with friends, taking that puff or binging in front of Netflix for hours, to run marathons of favorite shows. These apparent relaxing times translate, unfortunately, into a plethora of health issues.

All of this stress, worry, anxiety, combined with an unhealthy, unbalanced diet and negligible physical activity is the perfect disaster recipe for the initiation of conditions like obesity, hypertension, diabetes and even cancer.

But before all this comes into view, obvious signs of stress are visible on our skin. Wrinkle lines near the eyes or pale skin are signs of stress. Apart from the stress, pollution also plays a part in ruining the texture and elasticity of the skin. Of course, all this can just decrease with stress management and taking precautions, but diet and supplements are equally crucial.

WHAT ARE LUTEIN AND ZEAXANTHIN?

Oxidative stress due to free radicals causes an array of dysfunctions that may work at the DNA level, up the ladder to the development of diabetes, neurodegenerative diseases, and skin aging. Free radicals are generated because of strenuous activities like vigorous exercise, due to pollution and unhealthy dietary and lifestyle choices. While our body has an elaborate antioxidant system, the overproduction of free radicals may overwhelm this system and create oxidative stress within the body. Thus, to supplement our defense against oxidative stress, it is vital to consume a diet that is rich in natural and potent antioxidants.

Our fruits and vegetables come in different shades of the basic colors. Vibrant, fresh, and attractive, the colors are due to the presence of various pigments, two of them being lutein and zeaxanthin. Since they cannot be produced by our body, diet and supplements are the only ways to get them.

Dietary sources of high-quality antioxidants like lutein and zeaxanthin include broccoli, kale, spinach, other green, leafy vegetables, zucchini, eggs, and orange pepper. Commonly known as the ‘eye vitamins’, they belong to the family of pigments known as carotenoids. They are the most common, naturally occurring carotenoids that are concentrated in the macula region of the eye. They exhibit anti-oxidation properties and protect the eyes from macular degeneration, cataracts, and damage due to light.

Related: Yoga for Your Eyes!

Another site of the natural occurrence of these “wonder nutrients” is our skin. Their intrinsic anti-oxidation properties protect the skin, improve moisture retention, and have anti-aging effects. Since skin aging and other skin- related conditions can be attributed to oxidative stress, the use of lutein and zeaxanthin as supplements can offer beneficial effects.

EFFECTS OF LUTEIN AND ZEAXANTHIN

An application study conducted by OmniActives evaluated the effects of Lutemax® on skin health. In the 12 weeks of the trial, participants were randomized into two groups- one that received Lutemax® and the other that received a placebo. The participants were asked to perform a self- assessment along with assessments by experts. At the end of the 12 weeks, a noteworthy improvement was observed in participants who used Lutemax®.

Supplementation with Lutemax® led to evenness and lightening of the skin tone, improved skin clarity, and decreased skin irritation; and the skin lightening was due to the enhancement of the antioxidant properties of the skin. In the other group, however, there was an increase in facial fine lines and wrinkles.

The obvious question here is about the possible side- effects due to prolonged use of lutein and zeaxanthin supplements. Commercially available skin lightening creams and lotions do have a percentage of side- effects attached to them. They may cause infections, hyperpigmentation, photosensitivity, and even inflammatory reactions. On the other hand, lutein and zeaxanthin have been studied for more than three decades, involving more than 10,000 participants with a variable dose range and no adverse effects have been reported 1.

Related: Study shows, Lutein has a positive impact on Brain Health Setu’s Eye Max, formulated from natural sources, which is just the right combination of lutein and zeaxanthin. Apart from protecting the eyes, which is the natural utility of the supplement, it can prove to be great for your skin health.

So instead of spending hours in the salon, trying to get that perfect glow for the special occasion, go natural and opt for Setu’s Eye Max and keep glowing forever!