Healthy Lifestyle Changes Can Prevent Diabetes
If you’ve been diagnosed with pre-diabetes, there’s some good news: Look at it as your chance to prevent progression to type 2 diabetes. People who are pre-diabetic show elevated blood sugar levels that often signal the development of diabetes over the near term. But there’s a vast amount of research showing that at this stage, numerous people can still back their bodies away from the brink of having to live with the serious condition of diabetes. For many, all it takes is some lifestyle changes.
Physicians experienced in working with people with pre-diabetes and diabetes can share the best ways of preventing the disease, and actively work with their patients on wellness plans to accomplish that goal. There will be some positive new habits to adopt, and some harmful ones to give up. For many, the needed changes may not come easily, but they’re worth it in terms of preventing a major disease, adding years to their lives, and feeling at their best.
Lifestyle-focused diabetes-prevention plans center on two areas: One is exercise and maintaining a healthy weight. The other involves eating a nutrient-rich diet while avoiding the empty “bad” sugars and carbohydrates.
Weight loss and fitness for the win
Carrying excess weight—defined as a body mass index over 25—is one of the biggest contributing factors for developing type 2 diabetes. So one of the most important steps you can take toward lowering your risk of developing diabetes is to lose weight.
The American Diabetes Association (ADA) advises overweight people at risk of diabetes to lose at least 7 to 10 percent of their total weight to boost the odds of avoiding the disease. The more weight a person loses—within a healthy range—the greater the likelihood of not developing diabetes. In one study, participants who lost about 7 percent of their weight reduced their risk by close to 60 percent.
Most doctors advise a plan centered on regular exercise and a healthy diet, with the goal of losing weight at a sustainable pace—for most people, that’s about 1 to 2 pounds a week.
Aerobics, resistance, and activity bursts
Regular aerobic exercise—focused on increasing the heart rate through rhythmic movement of large muscles—is one of the best ways to lose weight. Generally recommended types of aerobic exercise include running, swimming, riding a bike, and walking at a brisk pace.
Resistance exercises that improve tone and balance—think yoga and weightlifting—are also helpful for overall fitness and reducing susceptibility to diabetes.
In addition, inserting short activity bursts into sedentary routines can be helpful. If you’re working at a keyboard or another sedentary task, take a short walk around the room, or do some light movement exercises every half hour or so. Studies show this simple change can assist in regulating blood sugar.
The additional benefits of regular exercise include increasing a person’s insulin sensitivity. The more sensitive the body is to the presence of insulin in the bloodstream, the better it becomes able to manage blood sugar levels.
Fabulous fiber
Foods rich in fiber—also known as roughage—should be at the core of any diabetes-prevention diet. The natural fiber content in foods provides a greater feeling of satiety, which helps control the urge to overeat. Fiber-rich foods also reduce inflammation, help lower blood pressure, keep the body from absorbing excess fat and cholesterol, and slow down sugar absorption.
There are a wide variety of fiber-rich foods. These include the whole grains in quinoa, whole oats, and whole-grain brown rice; leafy green vegetables like broccoli; beans and legumes, nuts and seeds; and fruits like berries, apples, guava, passionfruit, tomatoes, and avocados.
In fact, there’s plenty of research—including a May 2017 study published in the Journal of Geriatric Cardiology—that supports a plant-based diet as one of the most effective ways to prevent type 2 diabetes. Plants supply key vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients, in addition to fiber and the healthy carbs your body needs to function properly.
Carbs, calories, and cholesterol – the good and the bad
Then there are the other carbs, the ones you need to consistently avoid with a diabetes-prevention diet: high-fructose corn syrup; processed foods laden with sugar; and pastries, pastas, and other foods made with white flour—meaning flour that’s been so refined its nutritive and fibrous content is basically zero.
It’s also wise to limit other high-calorie, fatty foods that contribute to excess weight gain. What you’re trying to minimize here is the amount of “bad”—i.e., saturated—fats you consume. Dairy and meat products are a big part of the problem here, so try exploring low-fat dairy and lean meats.
Ask your doctor about how to incorporate healthy monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats into your diet to keep your cholesterol levels in check and increase cardiovascular health. Think of oils like olive, canola, and sunflower; pumpkin and flax seeds; nuts; and salmon, cod, and other fatty fish rich in heart-healthy omega-3 “good” fatty acids.
Long-term change for lifelong gains
Achieving a healthy weight and blood sugar levels is a marathon, not a sprint. Keep in mind that your doctor will want to see you on a comprehensive nutritional and exercise plan that enables you to lose weight at a healthy pace. This also makes it easier to keep weight off than drastic dieting.
Popular diets may promise short-term miracles, but in order to enjoy your best health over the long term—and prevent diabetes—work with your doctor to create the best strategy for you: one that includes healthy changes that will be, as you make them increasingly part of your everyday life, a pleasure to maintain.