This week, we will be discussing ways to prevent diabetes. Like other diseases, there are preventative measures you can take in your daily life to lower or delay the chance of becoming diabetic. As you will see throughout this blog, these preventative measures revolve around your lifestyle choices. The chief cornerstones in regards to these lifestyle choices include managing weight and physical activity. With that being said, we will discuss the importance of these cornerstones when it comes to preventing diabetes.
As we discussed in last week’s blog How Obesity Affects Diabetes, one of the main risk factors of diabetes is being overweight or obese. A poor diet and lack of physical activity contribute to excessive fat in the body. This excess weight can potentially lead to the cells in the body becoming less sensitive to insulin. This may further worsen the problem if someone is prediabetic, diabetic, or predisposed to diabetes.
The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) -sponsored Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP) discusses some of the successes they have had with preventing and delaying diabetes. In the study design, participants were put in three different groups: lifestyle change group, metformin group, and placebo group. In the lifestyle change group, “participants tried to lose 7 percent of their body weight and maintain that weight loss by eating less fat and fewer calories and exercising 150 minutes per week.” In their 10-year follow up, “participants from the DPP Lifestyle Change Program ages 60 and older had a delay in the development of diabetes by 49 percent.”
Monitoring and maintaining your weight can be done through a combination of physical activity and a proper diet. When it comes to physical activity, you want to ensure that you don’t overwhelm or harm yourself by going overboard. If you feel it’s difficult to start off with doing cardio or weight training, you can start off slowly by doing things like: parking a bit further away from your destination so you can walk, taking the stairs instead of the elevator, walking in place while waiting for something, doing exercises in your chair if you’re sitting, etc. Afterwards, you can start mixing in a variety of exercises in order to make sure that you are working out the different parts of your body. You can jog or run around the block, start off with light weights, or join a class. For some ideas of exercises you can do at home, you can look at our blog Home Exercise Ideas and Equipment.
When it comes to a proper diet, one way it could improve is by replacing refined carbs and highly processed carbs with whole grain and whole grain products when possible. Foods with refined carbs have a high glycemic index and glycemic load which means that they can cause an increase in blood sugar. Refined carbs consist of refined sugars and refined grains. When refined carbs are being processed, the original nutrients they contain (like fiber which is beneficial for bowel movements and can potentially assist in weight loss) are removed. An additional tip is reducing calories, especially if overweight. If it proves helpful, you could create a meal plan of foods you like to eat that are low-calorie and nutrient dense like: fish, cucumbers, spinach, boneless skinless chicken breast, vegetables, fruit, etc.
You can also consult your doctor to ask them questions or discuss your concerns regarding any potential risk for diabetes, discuss any family history that might put you at risk, and if need be, take the required tests to see your blood glucose levels. After all, with the appropriate information in hand you would be better able to see what next steps may need to be taken. They may also be able to connect you with specialists regarding weight loss or diabetes that could better assist you with your journey.
Feature Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash
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Kay Loughrey, MPH, RDN, LDN
Transformational Speaker, Breakthrough Coach, Nutritionist-Dietitian
Blessing Bolomope, Student Intern
B.S. Nutrition & Food Science – Dietetics
University of Maryland, College Park | 2020