Unlike many conditions, type 2 diabetes is a condition where you CAN control your own destiny. And when trying to figure out how to prevent diabetes it is important that we realize something. It doesn’t take as much work as you may think.
Maybe your doctor told you that your sugar is borderline or that you are prediabetic. Or maybe you have seen a family member suffer with type 2 diabetes. If so, I can understand your concern and I congratulate you for taking action to delay or prevent the onset of diabetes.
But first, there is something that I want to make very clear. Type 2 diabetes is all about your pancreas and the cells of your body, which can become resistant to insulin.
When your pancreas slows down, you may require drugs or insulin to help it keep up. And if your cells aren’t responding properly to insulin, known as insulin resistance, you may need to reverse this.
How To Prevent Diabetes
One major study called the Diabetes Prevention Program, which involved 3,234 people who were at high risk for developing type 2 diabetes, showed that just 30 minutes of some form of physical activity 5 days per week, coupled with 5-7% weight loss reduced type 2 diabetes risk by 58%.
If you can’t find 30 minutes for 5 days out of the week for some form of physical activity and lose 5-7% of your body weight then something is wrong. On someone who is 150lbs that’s 7.5lbs.
As far as physical activity, it doesn’t have to be – go out and run 10 miles. You can simply go out and walk at a brisk pace for 30 minutes, 5 days per week.
The other change that I would recommend is that you watch your relationship with food. One big problem is portion size. This gets a lot of people in trouble. Another problem is choosing the wrong type of carbohydrates. Refined carbohydrates such as desserts, sugary beverages and all of that kind of stuff in excess only add fuel to the fire. Before long, poor eating habits cause big problems.
While sweets and these refined carbohydrates taste good, they have been stripped away of their nutritional value and are almost like fake foods. I’m not saying that it’s necessary to avoid them altogether because I don’t believe in restrictive diets and such. But I am saying keep in mind that foods with the more nutritional value are much better for you in the long run.
Prior to using any of this material, please consult with your physician.