Diabetes is a disease caused by high blood sugar levels. The body cannot transport glucose from the blood to the cells. Prediabetes is an early stage of type 2 diabetes. During this stage, the blood sugar level is higher than the usual standard. But not too high to cause type 2 diabetes symptoms. If you suspect you may be at risk, here are tips on how to prevent diabetes.
1. Exercise Regularly
Insulin sensitivity increases when you exercise. Regular exercise also helps to regulate the blood sugar level. There is a 6% decrease in developing type 2 diabetes for every 500 calories burned weekly.
One effective way to prevent diabetes is by exercising. Blood sugar that accumulates in the body will burn off through regular exercise. The engagement of muscles during training consumes blood sugar for muscle contraction. There are lots of mobile applications that help with your exercise routine.
2. Maintain a Healthy Weight
A prevalent cause of type 2 diabetes is obesity. The presence of excess fat in the body makes it resistant to insulin hormones. Accumulation of fat is not healthy for the body. This is especially true for the abdominal cavity, also known as Visceral fat.
To prevent diabetes, you have to burn some amount of fat. Avoid losing weight only to add it later. Adding weight after weight loss in diabetes-prone people increases the risk of diabetes. Your doctor should recommend the best weight loss program for you to follow.
Related: 10 Foods to Avoid With Diabetes
3. Quit Smoking To Prevent Diabetes
The chances of a smoker developing diabetes are three times higher than a non-smoker’s. Cigarette smoking reduces the ability of the body to make use of insulin. The blood sugar level increases after smoking. Non-smokers with second-hand smoking exposure will increase the risk of type 2 diabetes. Get away from smokers and improve your quality of life.
The chances of developing diabetes are also raised by 41% in smokers and 61% in heavy smokers. A smoker must quit smoking to prevent diabetes. Non-smokers must avoid second-hand smoking exposure to prevent diabetes.
4. Do away with Sugar and Refined Carbs from Your Diet
High sugar and refined carbs intake can increase the risk of developing diabetes. Sugar and refined carbs are broken down by the body into glucose. It then undergoes absorption into the bloodstream as energy, to feed the cells.
In people with type 2 diabetes and prediabetes, cells do not absorb the glucose in the blood. This happens because they have developed resistance to insulin.
The glucose remains in the bloodstream, and the blood sugar level rises. The effect is more insulin production by the pancreas to lower blood sugar. When this happens, the risk of developing diabetes multiplies. The only way to prevent all this from happening is to completely cut refined carbs and sugar from your diet.
Related: Living With Diabetes – Tips and Advice
5. Increase Your Fiber Intake
Fiber is good for maintaining a healthy weight as it reduces hunger. Fibre also slows down the amount of sugar absorbed by the body and the carbs digested. Insoluble fiber helps lower blood sugar levels by improving sugar intake in the body. A regular intake of both soluble and insoluble fiber is an excellent way to prevent diabetes.
Soluble fiber slows down the body’s digestion of food to reduce the blood sugar level. Foods like legumes, beans, vegetables and fruits, nuts, and grains are high in fiber. So, you should include them in your diet.
6. Drink A Lot Of Water
Water is the only liquid that has little or no side-effect. A regular intake of water helps regulate blood sugar levels. This also helps to keep the body hydrated and blood flowing well. Sugary liquids like sodas have links to an increased risk of diabetes. You should also reduce alcohol intake for better results.
A regular intake of water also helps the body flush out excess sugar, which the kidney gets rid of through urine. Beverages with zero calories, as well as water, help to prevent diabetes.
Read: 10 Best Foods For Healthy Liver
7. Change Your Diet
To maintain your weight or lose weight, you have to reduce your intake of calories. Don’t forget to limit fatty foods as well. You have to include foods high in fiber, like beans, vegetables and fruits, grains, and nuts. These should be part of your everyday meal.
You also have to start taking water as a replacement for alcoholic beverages. You could include beverages with zero calories as an alternative to water. But you cannot replace water with any fluid.
Taking green tea and black tea can also help prevent diabetes. The results of a study performed in Singapore show that the consumption of black tea and green tea was associated with a reduced risk for type 2 diabetes
8. Move Around More than usual
A sedentary lifestyle will increase the risk of diabetes. Lying or sitting down for a long time can increase body weight, a common cause of diabetes. People who have a sedentary lifestyle have a ninety-one percent risk of diabetes. Take a break from sitting down at work. Go on a walk or ride a bicycle to prevent diabetes and build strength.
If you are at home, dance to music while doing your chores. You should also give yoga a try by adding it to your exercise routine. Set reminders on your phone or computer to tell you when to exercise. It may be difficult at first, but after a while, your body will adjust to it.
Read: 23 Best Foods That Help Lower Blood Pressure
9. Increase Your Vitamin D Intake
Vitamin D deficiency can be a risk factor for diabetes type 2. Vitamin D has many benefits to the body. One of its advantages is to improve the sensitivity of the body to insulin. Insulin helps to regulate the blood sugar level and keep your system balanced. Increasing your Vitamin D intake also helps regulate the blood sugar level.
Vitamin D also helps maintain and lose weight, thereby reducing the risk of obesity. In case you don’t know, obesity does lead to diabetes. Vitamin D also reduces the visceral fat in the body. A significant source of Vitamin D is the early morning sun, but you can also get it in supplements.
Foods containing vitamin D include; fatty fishes like tuna and salmon. You can also get it from dairy products like soy milk, cheese, and egg yolks. Take a walk in the morning and add foods high in Vitamin D to your diet to prevent diabetes
10. Ration Your Food Portion
Overeating can increase insulin and blood sugar levels. That is why rationing your food part is a way to prevent diabetes. Here are some tips to help you ration your food potions.
- Take a large cup of water before your meal
- Avoid rushing when eating
- Eat slowly and take breaks
- You could use visual references to compare your food portion to objects and utensils.
- Serve your food in small bowls and plates
- Use a fork and knife instead of a spoon to eat.
Read: 10 Health Benefits of Turmeric
11. Reduce The Amount Of Processed Foods You Take
Increased consumption of processed foods can lead to diabetes risk. Processed foods are high in additives and refined grains and vegetable oil. If you eat them too much, you can get diabetes.
Processed food contains a large amount of refined carbohydrates the body turns into sugar. Processed foods do not have nutritional value, so stay away from them as much as you can. Meals from eateries and restaurants contain too much artificial stuff, which is not suitable for you. Processed foods also cause health issues like obesity and blood vessel disease.
12. Ensure You Rest And Sleep Well
An effective way to prevent diabetes is by getting a good night’s sleep of at least six hours. Lack of sleep (insomnia) can cause the level of cortisol to rise. An increased level of the hormone cortisol can increase the insulin level of the body.
An increased insulin level causes an imbalance in the blood sugar level. Inadequate sleep increases the body’s craving for food high in calories. To get a good night’s sleep, make your bedroom comfortable and quiet. You should also avoid sleeping in the afternoon and eat a light dinner.
Read: 5 Top Benefits of Getting More Sleep
13. Increase The Natural Herbs You Take
Natural herbs can help fight almost all kinds of diseases or infections. Diabetes is not an exception. There are some herbs that, when taken, are adequate to prevent diabetes.
An example of natural herbs that can prevent diabetes is Aloe Vera. Taking Aloe Vera protects and repairs the pancreatic cells that produce insulin.
Berberine is a traditional Chinese treatment for diseases and infections existing for ages. Berberine has blood sugar-reducing properties and also increases insulin sensitivity.
14. Regular Health Check-Up
Symptoms of diabetes will not always be visible. You can increase your chances of survival by performing routine check-ups. Make sure you visit your doctor for a health check-up, at least once a quarter. Diabetes can be hereditary, and the symptoms may not appear for a long time.
A check-up is a way to detect if you have diabetes, so you can find ways to prevent it. Checking your blood sugar level, blood cholesterol level, and blood pressure are critical.
Increased blood pressure can cause obesity, which in turn can cause diabetes. Seeing a doctor will keep you up to date and make it easy to manage your diabetes.
Read: 20 Tips On How To Prevent Obesity
15. Add Spice To Your Diet
Studies have also proven that adding spices to your diet prevents diabetes. Spices like cinnamon stabilize blood sugar levels and reduce cholesterol development. Cinnamon is an excellent oxidant that increases insulin sensitivity to prevent diabetes.
Ginger is another anti-diabetic spice rich in antioxidants that regulate blood sugar levels. Looking for how to prevent diabetes? Spice up your diet. Spices are not only full of diabetes-fighting compounds; they make your meals delicious. You can add spices even after cooking to increase the effects.
16. Never Skip Breakfast
The most important meal of the day is breakfast. Ensure you never skip your breakfast as it helps to prevent diabetes. A tasty and nutritious breakfast will manage the high-calorie foods you consume.
Eating a good breakfast keeps you full most of the day and helps maintain good health. Skipping breakfast can spike up your blood sugar after taking lunch and dinner.
Read: 24 Healthy Snacks to Help Curb Food Cravings
17. Avoid Stress To Prevent Diabetes
Stress makes everything worse, including diabetes. There are lots of complications associated with anxiety that increases diabetes. Avoiding any type of stress is a smart way to live your life in happiness and free of disease. Anything that can traumatize you should have to go away. While you also control your work, stress, hostility, and anger.
A stressed life will result in a poor diet and excessive consumption of alcohol. People who have too much stress also find it hard to sleep at night. These are all factors that can aid the development of diabetes. To prevent diabetes, avoid anything that can cause you stress.
18. Include Foods Rich In Soy Into Your Diet
Foods rich in soy regulate blood sugar levels and increase sugar tolerance. So, people with diabetes will gain a lot, adding it to their diet. Soy is an excellent source of isoflavones (a bioactive compound).
Isoflavones improve insulin sensitivity, so it fights diabetes. This compound also reduces the risk of diabetes as well as both heart and kidney disease. Soy also increases healthy cholesterol in the body. There are different soy preparation recipes online for you to copy. Create excellent meals and enjoy food that reduces the risk of diseases.
Read: 10 Benefits of Eating Plant-Based Diet
19. Increased Intake Of Vegetables
There are lots of vegetables that should be added to your diet if you want to prevent diabetes. These vegetables have antioxidants that regulate blood sugar levels and resist damage to blood cells.
When you consume these vegetables, you get plenty of fiber into your system. This reduces the amount of sugar and carbs digested by the body.
20. Reduce Your Intake Of Meat
According to an article on Diabetes Care, frequent use of high cooking methods to prepare poultry and red meat increases the risk of diabetes type 2. In addition to the cooking methods, poultry and beef have high iron content that can increase your chances of developing diabetes.
There are excellent replacements for meat and poultry in your diet. Add legumes and beans, to supply healthy plant protein to your body. Vegetables and fruits, whole grains, and dairy products are also excellent choices.
