Body Wellness: Diabetes – A Trinidad Perspective

Today I had the pleasure of meeting with the President of the Diabetes Association of Trinidad and Tobago, Mr. Carlton Phillip and I was able to get a clear picture of Diabetes from a Trinidad Perspective.

I was absolutely shocked to learn that Trinidad and Tobago ranks 5th in the world in terms of Diabetes. And although we have on record 143,000 confirmed cases, chances are that this is just the tip of the iceberg. In developing countries such as ours, many cases go unreported and worse yet, undetected. And the complications of Diabetes aren’t pretty – we’re talking about amputations, blindness and erectile dysfunction to name a few.

These numbers are clearly a factor of our lifestyle – our diet is generally rich in high-glycemic carbs like rice, potato salad, roti and breads and generally lacking in the number of fresh fruits and veggies that the experts are recommending for optimal health. It’s not uncommon for a Trini Sunday meal to include at least 2 high-glycemic carbs or more! To add insult to injury, the infiltration of the US fast food chains into our market beginning in the 1980’s has only exacerbated the situation.

As far as the exercise piece goes, Mr. Phillip states that because many have long commutes to work they just don’t seem to be able to carve out the time to develop any kind of sustainable exercise program. With this combination of diet and sedentary lifestyle, our Diabetes statistics begin to make a whole lot of sense.

So how do we go about changing this culture? For one, I think awareness and education has got to be at the top of the list. The Diabetes Association of Trinidad and Tobago is doing their part but much more is needed if we want to reverse this trend – there is an urgent need to develop lifestyle intervention programs.

For me, I have decided that I can help by spreading the word about low-glycemic foods as the way forward in terms of diet – one rich in fruits, veggies, lean meats, good fats and legumes. A list of low-glycemic foods can be found in my Learning Hub as well as an explanation of the Glycemic Index. There are also loads of low-glycemic recipe videos in my Michelle Live feed.

There is also a successful internet-based lifestyle change program, one that I have been trained and certified to lead which has shown impressive clinical results. To learn more click here.

Come on my people – our health is on the line. Without our health we have nothing!