Diabetes is on the rise. About 1 in 3 Americans has type 2 diabetes or prediabetes, a condition of impaired glucose tolerance that increases a person's risk for developing the disease. Fortunately, type 2 diabetes is also one of the most preventable diseases. Things like losing weight and exercising regularly can roll your blood sugar back to healthy levels, helping you avoid a lifetime of finger pricks, blood sugar monitoring and medications, as well as serious health problems like blindness, heart disease and stroke that diabetes can bring.
Stop worrying about your blood sugar with these simple ways to stay healthy
#1: Stay Physically Active
Regular physical activity, 30 minutes a day, will elevate your fitness, confidence and mood while lowering your blood sugar! During even moderate exercise, glucose is released from cells to provide much needed energy to your muscles during the activity. Exercise also boosts your sensitivity to insulin, the hormone that diabetics don't produce enough of that keeps blood sugar in check. Do whatever you can - walk, dance, lift weights, play tennis - just stay active! But challenge yourself, and you will be rewarded. A Yale study published in the Journal of Applied Physiology in January 2006 found that intense exercise is far more effective in preventing diabetes than exercise at a leisurely pace.
#2: Reduce Stress
Relax! None of life's problems are worth the health issues that surface because of stress. Consistent stress is associated with the development of type 2 diabetes in two ways. First, stressful situations release cortisol, the fight-or-flight hormone that increases glucose levels in the bloodstream. If cortisol is constantly present in your body, elevated glucose levels could lead to diabetes. A study from a January 2005 edition of Diabetes Care revealed that people under stress had higher glucose levels, for a longer period of time than the control group. Also, being stressed out will make you more likely to drop healthy, diabetes-preventing habits like eating well and exercising, and increase your chances of adopting bad habits like overeating, drinking alcohol and smoking. Good ways to reduce stress include reading a book, listening to music and meditation. Better yet, get some exercise in while reducing stress by taking a walk or going to a yoga class.
#3: Spice Up Your Life
A regular sprinkling of cinnamon can go a long way in helping control blood sugar. This sweet spice is high in polyphenols, plant chemicals that have an anti-inflammatory effect. Cinnamon also contains components that either activate insulin or have a similar effect of helping control blood sugar levels.
"Testing blood sugar level"
#4: Shed Pounds
Want to know if you're at risk for developing diabetes? Look no further than your waistline. The number one risk factor for type 2 diabetes is obesity. Luckily, obese people don't need to magically become skinny to reduce this risk. The Diabetes Prevention Program, a major clinical research study aimed at discovering whether modest weight loss through dietary changes could prevent the onset of type 2 diabetes, found that a 7 percent decrease in starting weight reduced the risk of developing type 2 diabetes by 58 percent for prediabetics. Lose weight through physical activity, making healthy food choices and reducing food portions.
#5: Avoid Fad Diets
The Atkins Diet, the glycemic index diet, acai berry diet, the 3-day diet, cabbage soup diet...the list goes on and on. While these diets may help some people lose weight in the short term, they haven't proven to be effective methods for preventing diabetes in the long term, and by restricting or eliminating certain food groups from your diet, you may be giving up essential nutrients that your body needs. Instead, control your portions and choose a variety of healthy foods.
#6: Switch to Whole Grain
Obviously starchy white carbs are tempting treats, but ditching the Wonder bread for a whole grain one has many health benefits, including possible prevention of diabetes. Fiber, which is bountiful in whole grains, helps lower blood pressure and balance cholesterol. In a recent study, researchers from the Harvard School of Public Health found that eating two or more servings of brown (whole grain) rice every week was associated with a lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes. On the flip side, eating five or more servings of white rice per week was associated with an increased risk for the disease. Other whole grain options include oatmeal, whole grain pasta and fiber-rich cereals.
#7: Maintain Quality Sleep
Long sleep durations are associated with the development of diabetes. The Finnish Diabetes Prevention Study aimed to examine the association between sleep duration and the development of type 2 diabetes. After studying 522 individuals ages 40 to 64, researchers found that people who averaged more than 9 hours of sleep had increased type 2 diabetes risk. Short sleep duration is also commonly associated with type 2 diabetes. Your best bet is to get about eight hours of quality sleep every night.
#8: Get a Blood Test
Millions of people with prediabetes are unaware of their condition because they don't exhibit any warning signs. A doctor can administer simple tests to determine if you are prediabetic. The fasting plasma glucose test (FPG) measures your blood glucose first thing in the morning before eating. An oral glucose tolerance test (GTT) measures your blood glucose level after fasting for 24 hours and again for 3 consecutive hours after quickly consuming a sugary drink. Both tests will determine whether your blood sugar is normal or if you have prediabetes or diabetes.
#9: Quit Smoking
Smoking tobacco is harmful to just about every aspect of health, so it shouldn't come as a shock that it can raise your risk of developing diabetes. A study from a 2004 edition of Diabetes Care done on behalf of the American Cancer Society, the American Diabetes Association and the American Heart Association found that men and women who smoked two packs a day had a 45 percent and 74 percent greater incidence of diabetes, respectively. Luckily, quitting smoking will reduce these rates to that of non-smokers after 5 years for women and 10 years for men.
#10: Know if You Are at Risk
There are many well-established risk factors for type 2 diabetes. If you fall under some of these categories, consider adopting a healthier lifestyle or getting tested for diabetes.
- Overweight or obese (BMI of 25 or greater)
- Age 45 or older
- Have or had gestational diabetes
- Hispanic, African American, Native American, Asian or Pacific Islander race or ethnicity
- Get little exercise or physical activity (sedentary lifestyle)
- Have high blood pressure and high cholesterol
- Have been diagnosed with prediabetes or metabolic syndrome
- Have polycisticovarian syndrome (PCOS)
- You smoke
