People who develop type 2 diabetes usually have pre-diabetes, a condition in which people have high levels of glucose in their blood but not enough to be diagnosed with diabetes. There are ways to prevent diabetes, read on if you are prone to getting it.
The action to avoid getting diabetes consists of the habits you have. As a start towards better health, you must begin to get rid of all the bad habits that could risk your health.
Being prediabetic does not mean that you are going to get diabetes, it means that you still have time to straighten the path by changing some habits; That can improve blood glucose levels and completely stop your chances of going straight to type 2 diabetes.
Don't forget that if you have already been diagnosed with pre-diabetes, you still have an opportune time to reverse it more easily. The following are 7 things you should consider doing immediately upon diagnosis to stop the possibility of reaching a more advanced state of this condition.
1. Do physical activity
Being active by doing physical activities is one of the biggest changes you can make to prevent type 2 diabetes. If you are already tired of not exercising, you can start by doing light exercise, then gradually increase the intensity. Perhaps, if you use an elevator, it is better to take the stairs, and if it is not a very far distance, choose to go shopping at the store on foot, instead of getting in the car.
Incorporating physical exercise will benefit you in trying to balance blood sugar levels and will also help you reduce body fat if you are overweight.
2. Lose weight to prevent diabetes
Being obese is one of the reasons for type 2 diabetes, however, it is not necessary to lose many kilos to make a difference with diabetes. If you are overweight, just reducing 7% of your total weight will help reduce your risk of contracting diabetes to 58%.
Losing weight improves your health, and as your health improves, blood sugar levels do too. Keep in mind that you should not overdo it in weight loss, always regulate this with a specialist.
3. Improve sleeping habits
Sleeping the right hours always means that insulin is used more efficiently. People who do not get optimal sleep often have problems losing weight, therefore, insulin will not be used efficiently.
You should adopt sleep habits that benefit you, for example, going to sleep and getting up at the same time daily; Don't use electronic devices once you're in bed and try to do some activity to relax before turning off the lights. Don't consume caffeine either.
4. Find a support group
Doing all these things to improve your health and prevent diabetes, for example, losing weight, eating a healthy diet and starting to exercise, you can do better together with people who are doing the same thing as you. This helps avoid the mental and physical breaking point since everyone helps each other to continue with the goal.
5. Improve your diet
Start by adding more foods with dietary fiber to your diet, and choose whole grains instead of refined and processed ones, such as whole wheat instead of white and refined flour, brown rice instead of white rice, etc. That is, avoid the famous “white poisons” that we usually eat and which are refined and bleached foods and always choose organic. Go for green leafy vegetables, such as broccoli, spinach, lettuce, eat plenty of carrots, green beans and collard greens, and avoid those that contain starch. Avoid dairy products, or at least those that are high in fat and do not come from free-range animals, that is, choose low-fat organic ones, but if possible, it is better to completely eliminate dairy products from your diet. If you want more information you can read our article: 3 salads that help control diabetes.
Regarding fruits, their consumption has always been a concern for both pre-diabetics and diabetics, due to their high sugar content, however the American Diabetes Association says which fruit is recommended when used The glycemic index as a guide to choosing foods.
6. Visit your doctor regularly
It is always recommended that you closely follow your doctor's recommendations if you have already been diagnosed with diabetes. Seeing him every 3 and 6 months is of great importance because, if your situation has improved, always reaffirming with your doctor that you are on the right track, helps enormously and will give more value to your work achieved, but if your situation is still in process of improvement, the support of your doctor so that you can return to it and support you with some other recommendation that you may have overlooked, will help you continue with your goal.
7. Commit
Commitment to changing your lifestyle is the most important key to the success of the process. You get to understand the fact that you're not going to make changes perfectly every day, but you are committed to doing the best you can most of the time.
There is nothing like the will to commit to this path to health. The success of your process will depend on that. It doesn't mean you have to do everything perfectly, but intentional steps, even small ones, are good. Challenges will come and so will crises in this process, but that will make you know yourself even more and make the appropriate changes. Remember that you are your own experiment. Do it with respect for your life.
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