Simple Steps to PREVENTING DIABETES

Understanding diabetes

Diabetes mellitus, commonly known as diabetes, is a metabolic disease that causes high blood sugar. With diabetes, your body either doesn’t make enough insulin or can’t effectively use the insulin it does make.

Untreated high blood sugar from diabetes can damage your nerves, eyes, kidneys, and other organs.

There are a few different types of diabetes:

Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease. The immune system attacks and destroys cells in the pancreas, where insulin is made. It’s unclear what causes this attack. About 10 per cent of people with diabetes have this type.

Type 2 diabetes occurs when your body becomes resistant to insulin, and sugar builds up in your blood.

Prediabetes occurs when your blood sugar is higher than normal, but it’s not high enough for a diagnosis of type 2 diabetes.

Gestational diabetes is high blood sugar during pregnancy. Insulin-blocking hormones produced by the placenta cause this type of diabetes.

Diabetes prevention: Seven tips for taking control

It's important to make diabetes prevention a priority if you're at increased risk of diabetes, such as if you're overweight or you have a family history of the disease or you have been diagnosed with prediabetes.

Making a few simple changes in your lifestyle now may help you avoid the serious health complications in the future. Consider these diabetes prevention tips from the American Diabetes Association.

1. Get more physical activity

There are many benefits to regular physical activity. Exercise can help you lose weight, lower your blood sugar and boost your sensitivity to insulin – which helps keep your blood sugar within a normal range.

Research shows that aerobic exercise and resistance training can help control diabetes. The greatest benefit comes from a fitness program that includes both.

2. Get plenty of fiber

Fiber may help you reduce your risk of diabetes by improving your blood sugar control, lower your risk of heart disease and promote weight loss by helping you feel full. Foods high in fiber include fruits, vegetables, beans, whole grains and nuts.

3. Go for whole grains

It's not clear why, but whole grains may reduce your risk of diabetes and help maintain blood sugar levels. Try to make at least half your grains whole grains.

Many foods made from whole grains come ready to eat, including various breads, pasta products and cereals. Look for the word "whole" on the packaging and among the first few items in the ingredient list.

4. Limit red meat and avoid processed meat

The evidence is growing stronger that eating red meat (beef, lamb) and processed red meat increases the risk of diabetes, even among people who consume only small amounts. Choose nuts, beans, whole grains, poultry, or fish instead.

5. Lose extra weight

If you're overweight, diabetes prevention may hinge on weight loss. Every pound you lose can improve your health, and you may be surprised by how much. Participants in one large study who lost a modest amount of weight – around seven per cent of initial body weight – and exercised regularly reduced the risk of developing diabetes by almost 60 per cent.

6. Skip fad diets and just make healthier choices

Low-carb diets, the glycemic index diet or other fad diets may help you lose weight at first. But their effectiveness at preventing diabetes and their long-term effects aren't known. And by excluding or strictly limiting a particular food group, you may be giving up essential nutrients and often craving such foods. Instead, make variety and portion control part of your healthy-eating plan.

7. Don’t smoke

Add type 2 diabetes to the long list of health problems linked with smoking. Smokers are roughly 50% more likely to develop diabetes than nonsmokers, and heavy smokers have an even higher risk.

When to see your doctor

The American Diabetes Association recommends blood glucose screening if you're age 45 or older and also if you're an overweight adult of any age, with one or more additional risk factors for diabetes, such as a family history of diabetes, a personal history of prediabetes or an inactive lifestyle.

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