Eat Healthy On The Go Jo
29. Have a big vegetable salad with low-calorie salad dressing when eating out. Share your main dish with a friend or havethe other half wrapped to go.
30. Make healthy choices at fast food restaurants. Try grilled chicken instead of a cheeseburger.
31. Skip the fries and chips and choose a salad.
32. Order a fruit salad instead of ice cream or cake.
What You Can Do
Metformin may help prevent long-term health complications from type 2 diabetes. But you may be able to stop taking it if your doctor thinks you can maintain your blood sugar without it.
You may be able to successfully lower and manage your blood sugar without medication by making lifestyle changes such as the following:
- maintaining a healthy weight
Commit To Regular Sweat Sessions
Commitment to regular workouts can prevent the progression of diabetes. Find something you enjoy doing that fits your schedule. The most important goal is to get moving and gradually increase the time you spend doing it. A few minutes a day can quickly become a habit.
Already a regular? Increase the positive effects on your health by upping the intensity or duration of your workout. Aim to vary your activities, mixing walking or jogging with weight training, swimming, or a weekly class. Your doctor can help you choose the type and intensity of workout thats best for you.
Try a workout app that gives you easy access to motivation and support. Some popular and highly rated options include:
Read Also: What Foods Help Produce Insulin
If I Have Prediabetes Can I Avoid Developing Diabetes
If you have prediabetes, the best way to avoid developing type 2 diabetes is by making changes in your lifestyle.
- Lose weight. If you are overweight, losing just 7 percent of your starting weight can help delay or prevent diabetes. That means if you weigh 200 pounds, losing 14 pounds can make a difference. Weight loss also helps lower your blood pressure and cholesterol levels.
- Exercise regularly. Exercise is an important part of diabetes prevention. Your exercise routine should include 30 minutes of moderate physical activity at least 5 times a week. This could include brisk walking, riding a bike, or swimming. Ask your doctor what exercise level is safe for you.
- Follow a healthy diet. Eat foods such as vegetables, fruits, whole grains, lean proteins such as fish or chicken, and low-fat dairy. Dont eat a lot of processed, fried, or sugary foods. Eat smaller portions to reduce the number of calories you take in each day. Drink water instead of sweetened drinks.
Your doctor might refer you to a dietitian or diabetes educator to help you change your eating and exercise habits.
Some people take medicine to help prevent or delay diabetes. Ask your doctor if this is a good option for you.
Join The Lifestyle Change Program
Find out if the lifestyle change program is right for you. Find a class near you .
If your blood test confirms you have prediabetes, join the CDC-recognized National Diabetes Prevention Program lifestyle change program to learn how to make lasting lifestyle changes to prevent or delay type 2 diabetes:
- Work with a trained lifestyle coach, who will help you take small, manageable steps that fit in your schedule and in your life.
- Discover how to eat healthy and add more physical activity into your day.
- Find out how to manage stress, stay motivated, and solve problems that can slow your progress.
Don’t Miss: How Much Insulin To Take
Can You Just Take A Pill
Sorry theres no magic med. In the Diabetes Prevention Program study, people who used metformin, a common prediabetes drug, reduced their risk of developing diabetes by 31 percent. But those who exercised and lost 7 percent of their body weight cut their risk by 58 percent. Metformin is also more effective for those ages 25 to 44 than in older adults. Healthier eating and physical activity that is the magic bullet, Simonson says. It should be the cornerstone of all diabetes prevention.
The Facts About Diabetes
It’s estimated that 4.5 million people are living with diabetes in the UK. A further 1.1 million people may have diabetes but haven’t been diagnosed.
9 out of 10 of these cases are type 2 diabetes, the preventable form of the condition.
Although we dont know the causes, there are a number of factors that can increase your chance of developing type 2 diabetes, so by taking simple steps, you can lower your chances of getting it.
Read Also: Just Found Out I Have Diabetes
Lose Weight If Youre Overweight Or Obese
Although not everyone who develops type 2 diabetes is overweight or obese, the majority are.
Whats more, those with prediabetes tend to carry excess weight in their midsection and around abdominal organs like the liver. This is known as visceral fat.
Excess visceral fat promotes inflammation and insulin resistance, which significantly increase the risk of diabetes (
25 ).
One study of more than 1,000 people with prediabetes found that for every kilogram of weight participants lost, their risk of diabetes reduced by 16%, up to a maximum reduction of 96% .
There are many healthy options for losing weight, including low-carb, Mediterranean, paleo and vegetarian diets. However, choosing a way of eating you can stick with long-term is key to helping you maintain the weight loss.
One study found that obese people whose blood sugar and insulin levels decreased after losing weight experienced elevations in these values after gaining back all or a portion of the weight they lost .
SUMMARY:
Carrying excess weight, particularly in the abdominal area, increases the likelihood of developing diabetes. Losing weight may significantly reduce the risk of diabetes.
31 ).
In an analysis of several studies totaling over one million people, smoking was found to increase the risk of diabetes by 44% in average smokers and 61% in people who smoked more than 20 cigarettes daily .
You Can Lower Your Risk For Type 2 Diabetes With Some Basic Lifestyle Changes Such As Losing Weight Stopping Smoking And Staying Active
You cannot prevent all types of diabetes: Type 1, which accounts for 5 percent to 10 percent of all cases of diabetes, is an autoimmune disorder that is usually diagnosed during childhood or young adulthood and occurs when the body’s immune system attacks and disables the pancreas’ insulin-producing cells. It can be controlled with insulin therapy and other treatments.
But type 2once called adult-onset diabetesis a whole other story. You may be able to stop it before it startsand doing so will put you at a lower risk of joining the almost 30 million Americans who deal with this chronic condition, which puts you at risk for problems like kidney disease, high blood pressure, stroke, blindness, and nerve and circulation damage that can lead to foot and leg amputations.
In type 2 diabetes, your body is unable to use insulin properlya problem known as insulin resistance. The pancreas makes extra insulin to keep up with the demand. But, over time, the pancreas is unable to do the work that helps maintain normal blood glucose levels.
What’s frightening is that type 2 diabetes is showing up in teenagers and children. What’s perhaps even more frightening is that of the people who have it, almost 6 million don’t even know it.
But there is good news: About 9 out of 10 cases of type 2 diabetes can be avoided. A few simple lifestyle changes can lessen your chances of being diagnosed with diabetes or delay its onset.
Get screened for prediabetes
Be active.
Don’t smoke.
Don’t Miss: Marijuana And Type 1 Diabetes
Say Adios To Sugar And Refined Carbs
Learn to tell empty carbs from whole carbs. Sugars and simple starches are easily broken down in your bloodstream to produce glucose, the energy for your cells.
This rise in blood glucose triggers the release of insulin, a hormone produced in your pancreas that moves glucose from your bloodstream to your cells.
When you have prediabetes or diabetes, your body becomes resistant to insulin, so sugar remains in your bloodstream. This causes your pancreas to release even more insulin, thus starting the unhealthy cycle that is diabetes.
Cutting down on sugar and refined carbs is one way to break the cycle. Blood sugar spikes lead to cravings, but low-glycemic foods dont cause spikes in blood sugar, stopping cravings before they start.
Eat these:
- multigrain, rye, and sourdoughbreads and crackers
- porridge made with rolled oats, bircher muesli, and all-bran cereals
- apples, strawberries, apricots, peaches, bananas, pears, and kiwi
- carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, celery, tomatoes, and zucchini
- sweet potatoes , corn, and yams
- legumes such as chickpeas, baked beans, and kidney beans
- whole-grain pastas like soba noodles, vermicelli noodles, and rice noodles
- nutrient-rich rice like basmati, Doongara, long-grain, and brown
- whole grains like quinoa, barley, pearl couscous, buckwheat, freekeh, and semolina
- healthy fats like milk, cheese, yogurt, soy milk, and almond milk
The following foods contain few or no carbohydrates and therefore dont have a GI value:
What about legit sugar?
What Is Needed To Cure Type 2 Diabetes
Type 2 diabetes is the most common kind of diabetes mellitus, and in many ways, its much more complicated than Type 1 diabetes. In Type 2 diabetes, the pancreas makes insulin, but the body doesnt respond to insulin like it should. This is called insulin resistance. But, people with Type 2 diabetes are not all the same, and Type 2 diabetes can have many different causes. Genetics play a role. Other factors can contribute, too, such as:
-
Having overweight or obesity
-
Having high levels of stress
-
Not getting enough good quality sleep
There are a lot of medications that can treat high blood glucose in T2D, but none of them are cures.
Right now, the closest thing to a cure is a sustained lifestyle change that includes exercise, weight loss, and a healthier diet. And heres the exciting thing: For some people, this can slow or even reverse the progression of Type 2 diabetes. Even if it doesnt reverse T2D completely, it can help to reduce the need for medication, and can significantly improve health complications of diabetes, such as kidney and eye problems.
The largest clinical trial so far on this subject showed that lifestyle changes can stop the progression of diabetes and even bring blood sugar levels to normal. Other research that supports this data includes this study, which showed that lowering body mass index and reducing fat around the waist can bring glucose levels back to normal.
Here are some helpful and free tips to try at home:
Curing gestational diabetes
Recommended Reading: Insulin Pump That Checks Blood Sugar
Snack On A Veggie Reggie
17. Buy a mix of vegetables when you go food shopping.
18. Choose veggie toppings like spinach, broccoli, and peppers for your pizza.
19. Try eating foods from other countries. Many of these dishes have more vegetables, whole grains, and beans.
20. Buy frozen and low-salt canned vegetables. They may cost less and keep longer than fresh ones.
21. Serve your favorite vegetable and a salad with low-fat macaroni and cheese.
What Exactly Is Diabetes
It is a chronic disease that takes place when the pancreas is no longer able to produce insulin , or when the body cannot make proper use of the insulin it creates.
All of this can lead to raised glucose levels in the blood and over a long period of time, high glucose levels are associated with damage to the body and failure of several organs and tissues.
There are three different types of diabetes: Diabetes type 1 , diabetes type 2 and gestational diabetes .
The one I would like my focus to be is type 2, the one that can be prevented and reversed.
Recommended Reading: How To Administer Insulin Pen
Prediabetes Means Your Blood Sugar Is Higher Than Normal But Not High Enough To Be Classified As Type 2 Diabetes
But prediabetes often can be reversed. Losing as little as 7 percent of your weight can prevent it from progressing to type 2 diabetes, according to the Diabetes Prevention Program, a landmark prediabetes study of more than 3,000 adults published in the New England Journal of Medicine in 2002.
Weight gain causes harmful changes that strain your ability to properly use insulin, says Samar Hafida, M.D., an endocrinologist with the Joslin Diabetes Center in Boston. Hafida adds that overweight people are up to five times more likely to develop diabetes than someone at a normal weight.
When Is It Ok To Stop Taking Metformin
Metformin can be an important part of an effective diabetes treatment plan. But reducing the dosage of metformin or stopping it altogether is safe in some cases if your diabetes is under control.
If you want to stop taking diabetes medications, talk with your doctor or healthcare provider about what steps you need to take to do so.
Everyone who has diabetes can benefit from changing certain lifestyle habits, even those taking medications.
Losing weight, eating better, and exercising are the best ways to help reduce blood glucose and A1C. If you can manage these through such lifestyle changes, you may be able to stop taking metformin or other diabetes drugs.
According to experts from the American Diabetes Association, you usually need to meet the following criteria before you can stop taking diabetes medications:
- Your A1C is less than 7 percent.
- Your fasting morning blood glucose under 130 milligrams per deciliter .
- Your blood glucose level at random or after a meal is below 180 mg/dL.
Its risky to stop taking metformin if you dont meet these criteria. And keep in mind that these criteria can change based on your age, overall health, and other factors. So, its important to talk with your doctor before changing your metformin plan.
Recommended Reading: A 1 Diabetic And Medical Supplies
How Can I Protect My Kids From Developing Type 2 Diabetes
These steps can help reduce your kids’ risk for developing type 2 diabetes and the health problems it can cause:
- Make sure kids eat a healthy diet. Encouraging your kids to eat low-fat, nutrient-rich foods like whole-grain cereals and breads, fruits, vegetables, dairy products, and lean proteins can help prevent excessive weight gain, a major risk factor for type 2 diabetes.
- Limit sugary foods and beverages. Consuming lots of sugar-filled foods and beverages like sodas, juices, and iced teas can lead to excessive weight gain.
- Encourage lots of physical activity.Staying active and limiting the time spent in sedentary activities like watching TV, being online, or playing video or computer games can help reduce the risk of weight gain and help prevent the onset of type 2 diabetes. Being active can be as simple as walking the dog or mowing the lawn. Try to do something that gets you and your kids moving every day.
If you think your child may be overweight and at risk for type 2 diabetes, talk to your doctor or a registered dietitian. They can help you learn what your child’s weight goals should be and how to reach them.
Make Healthy Food Choices
Find ways to make healthy food choices. This can help you manage your weight and lower your chances of getting type 2diabetes.
Choose to eat more vegetables, fruits, and whole grains. Cut back on high-fat foods like whole milk, cheeses, and friedfoods. This will help you reduce the amount of fat and calories you take in each day.
You May Like: Diabetes High Or Low Blood Sugar
How To Stop Prediabetes From Turning Into Diabetes
Prediabetes is an early warning sign that you may be headed towards full-blown type 2 diabetes. Prediabetes means you have a higher than normal blood sugar , but not high enough to be considered type 2 diabetes.
While prediabetes may put you at a higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and stroke, lifestyle changes can prevent or delay type 2 diabetes and other serious health problems.
Does It Matter When You Eat
Healthy, modest-sized meals and snacks spread through the day help keep blood sugar stable. Going hungry most of the day may mean youll eat more at night, and thats harmful. If you eat most of your food at night, it may be harder for your body to manage those carbohydrates without extra insulin, Wright says. Research suggests that people are more insulin resistant at night, she adds.
You May Like: Drug Assistance Programs For Insulin
Does Prediabetes Always Lead To Type 2 Diabetes
About 15 percent to 30 percent of people with prediabetes will develop type 2 diabetes within five years if they dont lose weight or engage in moderate physical activity, the CDC reports. And those percentages increase as people age: A 45-year-old with prediabetes has a 74 percent lifetime risk of progressing to type 2 diabetes, says a study published in the Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology.
How To Prevent Type 2 Diabetes
Every day we make choices that affect our health. Take these important five steps to make your lifestyle healthier and to start to prevent or reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes, and pre-diabetes:
Recommended Reading: How Much Does Aflac Pay For Diabetes