Health Tips A to Z

Health Tips – How to prevent diabetes?

There is no cure for diabetes. However, research shows that the disease can be prevented or delayed, simply by making small, but important, changes to your lifestyle. Eating nutritiously, exercising regularly and maintaining a healthy weight will significantly reduce your risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Even if you have already been diagnosed with diabetes, a healthy lifestyle will help you keep the disease under control and reduce your risk of complications.

Here are some steps that you can take to prevent diabetes:

• Increase your physical activity – Regular exercise has many health benefits. It increases your energy levels, improves the health of your heart and lungs, decreases insulin resistance, improves blood glucose control and helps with weight loss. Try to find fun and interesting ways to build exercise into your day. Just 30 minutes of walking at a moderate intensity every day will decrease your risk of developing type 2 diabetes by 47% over a six year period

• Increase the amount of fresh fruit and vegetables you eat – Fruits and vegetables are packed with essential vitamins and minerals and are low in fat. They also contain antioxidants that help fight disease. The most nutritious fruits and vegetables are brightly coloured – your best choices are red, yellow, orange or deep green. Try to eat 5 to 10 servings every day

• Increase the amount of whole grains and low glycemic index foods in your diet – The type of food you eat can affect your blood sugar levels. All foods are broken down into glucose at different rates. Foods that are broken down more slowly have a low glycemic index and will help to keep your blood glucose levels under control. Low glycemic foods are often high in fibre, which is another important part of a healthy diet

• Reduce the fat in your diet – Restrict the amount of saturated fat  and trans-fatty acids that you eat – choose unsaturated fats whenever possible. A diet high in saturated fats can contribute to weight gain, which increases your risk of diabetes. Try to include more foods that are rich in polyunsaturated omega-3 fatty acids, including soybean oil, canola oil, flaxseed, eggs and deep-sea fish or “fatty fish,” such as mackerel and wild salmon. They are a very healthy alternative to saturated fats and will also help to reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke

• Maintain a healthy weight – Keeping your weight within a normal range is one of the best ways to reduce your risk of developing diabetes. If you carry any extra weight around your abdomen, your chances of developing diabetes are even higher. By losing as little as 5% to 10% of your body weight, you can improve your blood sugar levels and improve your body’s ability to use insulin. The best way to lose weight is to reduce the number of calories that you eat and increase the amount of physical activity in your day.