There is a quiet crisis happening on the Kenyan plate: we are eating more often, but nourishing less. We are fuller, but more fatigued. And the diseases that follow — high blood pressure, diabetes, high cholesterol — are increasingly diagnosed late.

This is not a morality story about discipline. It is a systems story about food environments, ultra-processed convenience, sugar-heavy drinks, and portion distortion. But individuals still need tools they can apply today — without expensive “diet culture” and without starving.

What prevention actually looks like (not what it looks like online)

The World Health Organization notes that type 2 diabetes can often be prevented or delayed through a healthy diet, regular physical activity, maintaining a normal body weight and avoiding tobacco. That is not a slogan — it is a framework. The trick is making it practical in real Kenyan kitchens.

The Plate Method: the simplest rule that survives real life

Forget perfection. Start with structure:

• Half the plate: vegetables (traditional greens, sukuma, cabbage, terere, kunde, spinach, mixed salad, carrots).
• Quarter of the plate: protein (beans, ndengu, eggs, fish, chicken, lean meat, yoghurt, milk, tofu).
• Quarter of the plate: starch (ugali, rice, chapati, potatoes, matoke, sweet potatoes) — portion-controlled.

Why this works: it automatically reduces sugar spikes, increases fibre, and keeps you full longer. It also avoids the common mistake where starch dominates the plate and vegetables are treated as decoration.

Sugar: the drink is often the problem

In clinics, the pattern repeats: “I don’t eat sweets” — but the person drinks sweetened tea multiple times daily, takes soda, juice, energy drinks, sweet yoghurt, or flavoured coffee. Liquid sugar hits the bloodstream fast and does not satisfy hunger.

Investigative move: Audit your week, not your intentions. Write down every sweetened drink for 7 days. Most people discover the “hidden” sugar is not hidden at all — it’s just normalised.

Salt: the blood pressure accelerator

Salt is not only what you add at the table. It is in flavour cubes, processed snacks, sausages, chips, instant noodles, take-away meals, and many restaurant sauces. Reducing salt is one of the simplest levers for blood pressure control — especially for people already hypertensive.

Fibre: the missing defence

Fibre stabilises blood sugar and improves gut function. It is found in legumes (beans, ndengu), whole grains, vegetables and fruits. When fibre is low, hunger returns quickly, and the body becomes more vulnerable to rapid glucose swings.

So what should a person actually do this week?

• Make vegetables non-negotiable at lunch and dinner (half-plate rule).
• Swap one daily sweet drink for water (or unsweetened tea).
• Add legumes twice this week (beans/ndengu) — cheaper protein, higher fibre.
• Reduce “random” snacks; replace with fruit, nuts, or yoghurt where possible.
• If overweight or at risk: track waist size — it predicts risk better than scale drama.

When to escalate: warning signs that need a check-up

Frequent urination, excessive thirst, unexplained weight loss, persistent fatigue, blurry vision, or slow-healing wounds can be diabetes red flags. Elevated blood pressure often has no symptoms. The safest path is routine screening — not waiting for a collapse.

Bottom line: Nutrition is not a personality test. It is a prevention tool. Small, consistent changes outperform extreme diets — because they actually last.