Helpful Tips For Preventing Diabetes

Written By Lewis Robinson / Reviewed By Ray Spotts

Millions of people around the world have been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. It is a chronic condition and, if it remains uncontrolled, may cause heart disease, kidney failure, blindness, and more.

Before diagnosing diabetes, there is often a period where your blood sugar levels are high, but not so high you are diagnosed as diabetic. This period is called prediabetes. Unfortunately, 70 percent of people who have prediabetes will develop type 2 diabetes; however, you can take steps to prevent this from happening.

While there are some factors you have no control over, such as past behaviors, age, or genes, there are other things you can do to reduce your risk of diabetes. Keep reading to learn more.  

Reduce Your Consumption of Refined Carbs and Sugar

If you eat refined carbs and sugary foods, you increase your risk of developing diabetes. Your body quickly breaks these types of foods down into sugar molecules, which are then absorbed into your bloodstream. This causes an increase in blood sugar and results in insulin being produced by your pancreas.

Insulin helps remove sugar from the bloodstream. If you have prediabetes, it means your body’s cells are resistant to insulin, which causes sugar to remain in your blood. To compensate for this, the pancreas will produce additional insulin to try to bring blood sugar levels down to normal, healthy amounts.

As time passes, it can cause higher insulin and blood sugar levels. At some point, you will develop type 2 diabetes if this continues. Studies have also shown a link between the frequent consumption of refined carbs and sugar and the risk of diabetes.

If you are diagnosed with prediabetes, it’s smart to use a continuous glucose monitor to keep track of your sugar levels to know when changes should be made.

Stay Active

Engaging in physical activity regularly can also help prevent diabetes.

Exercise works to increase the insulin sensitivity of your cells. Every time you exercise, less insulin is needed to keep blood sugar under control.

Several types of physical activity can help reduce insulin resistance and blood sugar in prediabetic, obese, and overweight adults. Some of the best ones to engage in include strength training, high-intensity interval training, and aerobic exercises. Also, working out more frequently can improve insulin function and response.

Make Water Your Main Beverage

Water is the most natural beverage available. Also, when you stick to water, you can avoid beverages that are higher in preservatives, sugar, and other potentially harmful ingredients.

Studies have proven that beverages such as punch and soda have been linked to increased latent autoimmune diabetes and type 2 diabetes in adults. LADA occurs in individuals over the age of 18 and is a form of type 1 diabetes.

LADA does not develop quickly, unlike the symptoms seen during childhood with this condition. It also requires more intensive treatment as the disease progresses.

Individuals who consume over two servings of sugar-sweetened beverages per day have a 99 percent higher risk of developing LADA and a 20 percent higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

Drinking more water offers some potential benefits. In fact, some studies have shown that increasing your water consumption will result in better insulin response and blood sugar control.

Lose Weight

While not everyone with type 2 diabetes is obese or overweight, many are.

Individuals who have prediabetes are those who typically have excess weight in their midsection around their abdominal organs, such as the liver.

This is called visceral fat. This can cause insulin resistance and inflammation, which will increase the risk of developing diabetes. Losing a small amount of weight will help reduce this risk. You will also see several other benefits.

Preventing Diabetes

It is possible to prevent diabetes. However, you have to commit to the things mentioned above to do this. While it can seem difficult at first, over time, you will get used to the changes and enjoy the healthier lifestyle you have adopted. 

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Written By:

Lewis Robinson is a freelance writer and expert in health and fitness. When he isn’t writing he can usually be found reading a good book or hitting the gym.

Reviewed By:

Founder Ray Spotts has a passion for all things natural and has made a life study of nature as it relates to health and well-being. Ray became a forerunner bringing products to market that are extraordinarily effective and free from potentially harmful chemicals and additives. For this reason Ray formed Trusted Health Products, a company you can trust for clean, effective, and healthy products. Ray is an organic gardener, likes fishing, hiking, and teaching and mentoring people to start new businesses. You can get his book for free, “How To Succeed In Business Based On God’s Word,” at www.rayspotts.com.

Photo by Towfiqu barbhuiya on Unsplash