Help Lower Your Chances of Developing Type 2 Diabetes
There are 3 types of diabetes: Gestational, Type 1 and Type 2.
The first type only affects pregnant women.
Type 1, also called insulin-dependent diabetes, is an unpreventable disease which normally starts in childhood.
Type 2 diabetes is the most common form of the condition, and while it's not possible to prevent certain risk factors, there are some things you can do to lower your chances of suffering from it.
Factors Beyond Your Control Unfortunately, there are two risk factors for diabetes you can do absolutely nothing about.
The first is family history: close relatives with diabetes are an indicator that you may develop the condition.
The second is age: the older you become, the greater your chances of suffering from it.
Being aware of these factors is important, since if you are at particular risk, you should take immediate steps to form a prevention strategy.
Risk Factors you Can Control There are three main risk factors which you can control.
Excess Weight Being overweight is by far the greatest risk factor in contracting type 2 diabetes, in fact close to 9 out of every 10 people diagnosed with type 2 diabetes are overweight.
It is though that excess fat prevents the body utilizing insulin properly.
So, maintaining an appropriate weight for your height (by calculating your Body Mass Index, or BMI), is one of the best things you can do to help prevent yourself developing diabetes.
Diet Research suggests that diets high in carbohydrates, such as potatoes, white bread and white rice, may cause people's cells to become insulin-resistant, which is indicative of type 2 diabetes.
Eating a diet rich in vegetables, fruit and fiber is beneficial in reducing your diabetes risk.
It has also been shown that magnesium may help; this mineral is found in whole grains.
Exercise Yes, the dreaded 'E' word, I'm afraid! Regular physical activity has been shown to reduce your chances of developing the disease by making your muscles more sensitive to insulin, and therefore more able to process blood sugar effectively.
If you want to do three things to help cut your risk of Type 2 diabetes; then exercising regularly, adopting a healthy diet and reducing your weight will reap the greatest rewards.
The first type only affects pregnant women.
Type 1, also called insulin-dependent diabetes, is an unpreventable disease which normally starts in childhood.
Type 2 diabetes is the most common form of the condition, and while it's not possible to prevent certain risk factors, there are some things you can do to lower your chances of suffering from it.
Factors Beyond Your Control Unfortunately, there are two risk factors for diabetes you can do absolutely nothing about.
The first is family history: close relatives with diabetes are an indicator that you may develop the condition.
The second is age: the older you become, the greater your chances of suffering from it.
Being aware of these factors is important, since if you are at particular risk, you should take immediate steps to form a prevention strategy.
Risk Factors you Can Control There are three main risk factors which you can control.
Excess Weight Being overweight is by far the greatest risk factor in contracting type 2 diabetes, in fact close to 9 out of every 10 people diagnosed with type 2 diabetes are overweight.
It is though that excess fat prevents the body utilizing insulin properly.
So, maintaining an appropriate weight for your height (by calculating your Body Mass Index, or BMI), is one of the best things you can do to help prevent yourself developing diabetes.
Diet Research suggests that diets high in carbohydrates, such as potatoes, white bread and white rice, may cause people's cells to become insulin-resistant, which is indicative of type 2 diabetes.
Eating a diet rich in vegetables, fruit and fiber is beneficial in reducing your diabetes risk.
It has also been shown that magnesium may help; this mineral is found in whole grains.
Exercise Yes, the dreaded 'E' word, I'm afraid! Regular physical activity has been shown to reduce your chances of developing the disease by making your muscles more sensitive to insulin, and therefore more able to process blood sugar effectively.
If you want to do three things to help cut your risk of Type 2 diabetes; then exercising regularly, adopting a healthy diet and reducing your weight will reap the greatest rewards.
