Diabetes is a chronic disease that affects millions of people around the world. Uncontrolled cases can cause blindness, kidney failure, heart disease and other serious illnesses.
Before diabetes is diagnosed, there is a time when blood sugar levels are high, but not high enough to be diagnosed as diabetic. This is called pre-diabetes. It is estimated that up to 70% of people with pre-diabetes develop type 2 diabetes. Fortunately, the transition from pre-diabetes to diabetes is not inevitable.
While there are some things you can’t change – like your genes, age, or past behaviors – there are many things you can do to reduce your risk for diabetes.
Here are 2 simple and effective ways to avoid diabetes before it’s too late:
- Cut down on sugar and refined carbohydrates from your diet
Consuming sugary foods and refined carbohydrates can put people at risk on the fast track to diabetes. Your body quickly breaks down these foods into small sugar molecules, which are absorbed into your bloodstream. The resulting increase in blood sugar stimulates your pancreas to make insulin, a hormone that helps sugar get out of the bloodstream and into your body cells.
In people with pre-diabetes, cells in the body resist the action of insulin, so sugar remains high in the blood. To compensate, the pancreas makes more insulin and tries to bring blood sugar back to a healthy level. Over time, this can lead to a gradual increase in blood sugar and insulin levels, until the condition eventually turns into type 2 diabetes.
Many studies have shown a link between frequent consumption of sugar or refined carbohydrates and the risk of diabetes. Plus, replacing them with foods that have less of an effect on blood sugar can help lower your risk.
A detailed analysis of 37 studies found that people with the highest intakes of fast digesting carbohydrates were 40% more likely to develop diabetes than those with the lowest intakes.
- Exercise regularly
Regular physical activity can help prevent diabetes. Exercise increases the insulin sensitivity of your cells. So when you exercise, less insulin is needed to control your blood sugar. A study in people with pre-diabetes found that moderate-intensity exercise increased insulin sensitivity by 51% and high-intensity exercise by 85%. However, this effect only occurred on training days.
Many types of physical activity have been shown to reduce insulin resistance and blood sugar levels in overweight, obese and pre-diabetic adults. These include aerobic exercise, high intensity interval training, and strength training.
Exercising more frequently appears to lead to improved insulin response and function. A study of people at risk for diabetes found that you had to burn more than 2,000 calories per week while exercising to achieve these benefits. Therefore, it is best to choose a physical activity that you enjoy, that you can do regularly, and that you can do for the long term.
