With all the attention preventative healthcare is getting these days, the subject of diabetes prevention is seeing its fair share of the spot light, too. No wonder, either, since some 16 million people in the U.S have Type II diabetes (1) and it’s the country’s sixth leading cause of death (2). The good news, though, is that you don’t have to knock yourself out in the gym or go on any weird diets to avoid developing diabetes.
Step 1: Follow a diabetes prevention diet
Eating right is critical when you’re aiming to prevent diabetes. You don’t need to follow dietary guidelines for diabetics just yet, but cutting back on sugary and starchy foods is definitely a good idea. So instead of curing your next attack of the munchies with a candy bar, opt for a filling low-sugar, high-protein snack like tortilla chips with bean dip.
Believe it or not, it’s also important to eat fruits and vegetables in a wide variety of colors. Studies have shown fruit and plant pigments, known as flavinoids, enhance insulin production, which helps your body use food sugars efficiently. Cutting back on saturated fats and eating more healthy, monounsaturated fats from plant sources like avocados, nuts, and olive oil can also help.
Step 2: Get moving
Adding moderate exercise to your weekly routine is the next step in reaching your diabetes prevention goal. That’s because regular exercise improves blood flow throughout your body, which help keep your blood sugar at a healthy level. If you’re not exercising at all right now, start out easy by taking a fifteen minute walk on your lunch break. You can build up a little from there by adding another 5 or ten minutes every week.
Step 3: Keep track of your health
Before the onset of diabetes, you body enters a stage known as pre-diabetes. This is when your blood glucose levels are above the healthy range, but you’re not quite diabetic yet. In this stage, prevention of diabetes is still possible. If you’re over 45 or you have close relatives with diabetes, have your doctor test your blood glucose levels at least once every three years. That way if you do develop pre-diabetes, you’ll know in time to take step that will keep full-on diabetes at bay.
The important thing to understand is that diabetes prevention is within your power even if genetics aren’t in your favor or you aren’t in top shape now. Preventing diabetes is relatively simple, but if you think you may be at risk, you need to start your prevention strategy as soon as possible in order to avoid developing diabetes.
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Tue, Jan 27, 2009
diabetes management