Diabetes Prevention Tips

by | Nov 5, 2019 | Tips

According to statistics by the WHO, “The number of people with diabetes has risen from 108 million in 1980 to 422 million in 2014.” Also, “In 2016, an estimated 1.6 million deaths were directly caused by diabetes. Another 2.2 million deaths were attributable to high blood glucose in 2012.”
It is astounding how many people are affected by this chronic disease. Diabetes occurs when the pancreas does not produce enough amounts of insulin for the body or when the body cannot effectively make use of the insulin it produces. Insulin is essential to the body as it is responsible for regulating blood sugar. Unbalanced (high) blood sugar levels are what causes diabetes.
Diabetes is categorized into the following four types:

Figure 1: Types of diabetes

Insulin is the hormone which is highly essential for maintaining proper blood sugar levels, for the adequate functioning of the entire body. If, for some reason the body produces unbalanced levels of this hormone, over time, high blood glucose can lead to the following problems:

Figure 2: Problems due to high blood glucose levels

 

Diabetes imposes many restrictions on life and one can take several steps to prevent developing it. Here are some of the suggested diabetes preventions tips:

Exercise daily:

The most common advice anyone can give to stay mentally and physically fit is to workout daily. The applications of exercising daily are endless and when it comes to preventing diabetes, it is highly beneficial. Exercising regularly increases the insulin sensitivity of your cells. This basically means that less insulin is used up to keep your blood sugar levels under control.

A study published on NCBI found that people with prediabetes who trained under moderate-intensity experienced an increase in insulin sensitivity by 51%. And people who adopted high-intensity exercises measured an increase of 85%.

Even though the results vary, it’s totally up to you to choose what style of training program you wish to follow. Straining your body will do you no good, but also taking it casually will never be beneficial.

Quit Smoking:

Smoking has been associated with many major diseases and conditions. It has been proven to be the major cause of many health conditions, which includes heart diseases and cancer to various organs, such as the lungs, mouth, breast, digestive tract and prostate. Tobacco usage has no proven benefits and even second-hand exposure to tobacco smoke can be very harmful.

A research paper published in 2012 on the NCBI website states that smoking and second-hand smoke exposure is linked to type 2 diabetes.

An analysis of over one million people, showed that smoking was found to increase the risk of diabetes by 44% in average smokers.

Once you quit smoking, the effects on the body it had seem visible as they subside. Smoking is closely linked to the risk of diabetes, and quitting has been shown to reduce this risk.

Avoid processed foods:

Fitness cannot be achieved if you aren’t doing justice with your diet. Any experienced athlete or bodybuilder will always say one thing, 70% diet and 30% gym is what results in a fine toned body. Processed or “junk” food damages your body from both the inside and outside. It is linked to various heart diseases, obesity and to diabetes.

These food products are high in vegetable oils, refined grains and preservatives, which when consumed over a long period of time, increase the risk of developing diabetes. Cutting back on these unhealth packaged foods can prove to be very helpful.

To be healthier, from both the inside and outside, it is recommended to adopt a diet consisting of minimum amounts of carbs and a diet high in fiber. Also portion control is one thing that people should be conscious about. Believe it or not, eating an unhealthy amount of healthy food can also lead to many unwanted problems.

Visit your doctor from time to time:

Get yourself checked annually. One of the best ways to stay on top of any disease or ailment is to be aware of it before the symptoms start to set in. At your annual physical, make sure to get a blood pressure check, an eye exam, and screenings for other complications such as kidney damage, nerve damage, and heart disease. To make sure you aren’t developing diabetes, blood-glucose levels also need to be measured.

Prevention is always better than cure! Follow these tips to notice a change in your lifestyle.

Turacoz Healthcare Solutions aims to spread awareness about diabetes. We urge the people to exercise regularly and stay fit. Adopting a balanced diet and limiting the intake of sweet substances is highly beneficial and helps in cutting down the risk of developing diabetes. Smoking is one habit that should be dropped. Quitting the use of tobacco products not only helps with reducing the risk of diabetes but also other bodily diseases such as cancer and heart diseases.

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