As you know, there are two main types of diabetes, also known as type 1 and type 2. Type 2 is the most common form of the disease. If you are someone who is at higher risk of diabetes, it’s important to take the necessary steps early to prevent it. Studies have shown that those who are overweight, have high cholesterol, or have a history of diabetes in their family are at the highest risk. If you fall under one of these categories, here are 4 diabetes prevention tips to know about:
1. Lose Extra Weight
As previously mentioned, those who are overweight are at a greater risk of suffering from diabetes. If you have been diagnosed with prediabetes, one of the first steps to take is to try and lose weight. The American Diabetes Association recommends that those with prediabetes lose between 7 and 10 percent of their overall body weight in order to prevent disease progression. The important thing to remember when trying to lose weight is that it’s not going to happen overnight. If your weight loss goal is 20 pounds, just focus on losing a couple of pounds each week instead of the total weight loss number.
2. Stay Active
When focusing on weight loss, there are two factors that come into play, eating right and exercising. In addition to losing weight, there are a number of health benefits to staying active, including lowering your blood sugar. As with weight loss, it’s important to start slow. You don’t have to start out by going to the gym for multiple hours a day. Begin by breaking up long periods of inactivity with things such as walking or stretching and then work your way up to longer bursts of aerobic exercise. It is recommended that adults get at least 30 minutes of physical activity each day.
3. Make Good Dieting Choices
Now that we have covered exercise, let’s talk about meal planning. As easy as it is to pick up fast food on the way home, eating healthy is one of the best diabetes prevention tips. When choosing your meals, it’s important to look for two main food groups, healthy plant foods and healthy fats. Each of these will help those that are at a greater risk of diabetes, and those who have been diagnosed with prediabetes. If you are looking for food recommendations, try things such as leafy vegetables, whole grains, nuts and seeds, and salmon.
4. Check Out Natural Supplements
Scientists have spent recent years studying all types of different ways to fight against diabetes, including with natural supplements. Studies show that taking a supplement alongside diabetic medication may enable your doctor to decrease your medication dose. Some of the best supplements for diabetes are probiotics, vitamin D, and magnesium. We also offer a diabetic health kit that has professional-grade vitamin packs which include all sorts of vitamins and supplements!
Would you like to learn more about diabetes prevention? Contact our Grand Rapids pharmacy today and we will be happy to answer any questions that you may have! We look forward to hearing from you!
