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Last Updated: Oct 23, 2019
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Prevent Diabetes with Lifestyle Changes!

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Dr. Anuj MaheshwariDiabetologist • 33 Years Exp.MBBS, MD - General Medicine, FACE, FACP, FRCP (London)
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Diabetes is a metabolic disorder that results in high blood sugar levels in the body. It basically means that the body is either insensitive to insulin or the insulin production levels in the body go down. The various symptoms of diabetes are blurred vision, weight loss and hunger.

Some other symptoms of diabetes are

  1. Excessive urine output
  2. Wounds that take time to heal
  3. Yeast infections
  4. You may experience fatigue on a regular basis
  5. Frequent Mood Changes

Diabetes is also known as a Lifestyle disease. From the food you eat to the amount of activity, they are all connected to diabetes prevention. The various modifications that you may carry out to prevent diabetes are:

1. Exercise

You should exercise on a regular basis as it increases your overall wellbeing. It helps you to lose weight and allows you to maintain optimal blood sugar levels. It can also improve your body's sensitivity to insulin to prevent blood sugar problems. Exercise helps in increasing endorphin levels in the body which are responsible for keeping you happy & satiated, thereby avoiding depression and over-eating.

2. Eat more whole grains

Unlike simple carbohydrates, whole grains are complex carbohydrates that raise your blood sugar steadily instead of spiking it suddenly. Avoid refined grains as most of the important nutrients are stripped from refined grains. A Well-balanced diet with adequate amounts of PUFA/MUFA help in increasing the insulin sensitivity, reducing cholesterol and heart problems, etc.

3. Eat a lot of fiber

If you have type 2 diabetes, you should be, including high-fiber foods in your diet is a healthy way to control high blood sugar. Fiber does not raise blood glucose levels. Because it is not broken down by the body, the fiber in an apple or a slice of whole grain bread has no effect on blood glucose levels because it isn't digested. The grams of fiber can actually be subtracted from the total grams of carb you are eating if you are using carbohydrate counting for meal planning. Fiber helps you in feeling satiated, thus prevents you from overeating. It also improves your blood sugar levels and decreases your chances of getting affected by heart disease.

4. Lose weight

You should aim to maintain a healthy weight level as it also decreases the risk of diabetes. It also helps in improving your cardiovascular health. Follow a regimen, which is based on a balanced diet and moderate amount of exercise. Losing weight is the best way to keep diabetes away. Weight is something that we can keep under control. The waist size of men and women should not be more than 150 cm and 90 cm respectively. Always maintain your ideal body weight as per your BMI (Body Mass Index). Globally, obesity is one of the leading causes of diabetes.

5. Avoid sugary drinks

With ten teaspoons of sugar in every 12-ounce can or bottle, sweet drinks can send your blood sugar soaring and boost your risk for weight gain, high blood pressure, stroke, and heart disease. One sugary drink a day adds 150 empty calories and 40 to 50 grams of blood-sugar-raising carbohydrates to your diet, and can lead to a weight gain of 15 pounds per year. Switching to healthier drinks can save hundreds of calories and a lot of carbohydrates.

6. Avoid Stress

When you are stressed, your blood sugar levels rise. Stress hormones like epinephrine and cortisol kick in since one of their major functions is to raise blood sugar to help boost energy when it's needed most. You can't fight danger when your blood sugar is low, so it rises to help meet the challenge. Both physical and emotional stress can prompt an increase in these hormones, resulting in an increase in blood sugars and diabetes. Ensuring a stress-free life is very important if you want to stay away from diabetes. Avoid stress by going out for garden-walks, indulging in social causes/activities, yoga, meditation, etc. In case you have a concern or query you can always consult an expert & get answers to your questions!

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