Type 2 diabetes is the number one killer globally today. It is a lifestyle disease that affects millions across the world. If you cannot prevent or manage it after onset, it can damage your organs permanently. It also impacts eyesight and causes blindness. Some people do not even know that they have diabetes. Only after they are hospitalized for another reason do they realize that they have it.
Many people also have borderline diabetes. If you can start controlling the blood glucose when levels are low, there is a chance that you can prevent it or delay it. Sometimes, the reasons are genetic, and you have no control over them. However, you can manage the disease with some lifestyle changes.
With that in mind, here are some ways you can prevent or at least manage its occurrence.
Omit Carbohydrates and Sugars
If you eat too many carbohydrates and refined sugars, you put your body at risk. Your body breaks down these foods into sugars and absorbs them into the bloodstream. This stimulates your pancreas to produce insulin, which helps convert the sugars into energy for the body cells. However, if you have prediabetes, the body cells are immune to insulin. They do not absorb the sugars and let them float in the bloodstream.
In an attempt to cover up, the pancreas makes more insulin. It leads to many insulin and sugar reserves in the blood. This ultimately results in type 2 diabetes. Carbohydrates eventually break down in the body to form sugars. That is why you ought to stay away from both.
Drink Beverages
Apart From drinking loads of water, you can also compensate with coffee. However, you have to ensure to leave out sugars from the diet. Caffeine has anti-oxidants that care called polyphenols that help to protect against diabetes. There are various types, like the caffeinated and decaffeinated variety. And it is known to reduce the risk of diabetes to a considerable extent. It is instrumental in the prevention of diabetes.
Caffeine is an enzyme that leads to high levels of SHBG hormones. It helps prevent diabetes. Thus, you can say that it performs a more protective than a curative role in diabetes prevention. A coffee maker is a great addition to any home for this very reason. Have at least two cups of black coffee to help you delay diabetes or prevent it.
Exercise Regularly
Daily exercise can also help prevent diabetes. Those diagnosed with prediabetes can also return to normal levels by working out daily. Exercising increases the insulin sensitivity of your cells. When you exercise, the body requires less insulin to keep sugar levels under control.
Aerobic exercises and high-intensity interval training are especially useful in controlling it. If you can burn at least 2,000 calories per week, you can prevent the onset of the disease. Moreover, the majority of people who are overweight are known to have blood glucose. Those who have prediabetes tend to carry a lot of fat around their mid-section and liver. This fat is called visceral fat. Losing even a small amount of fat can remove the risk of developing diabetes. You should indulge in exercises such as aerobics and yoga to lose weight and reduce obesity. A BMI of 25 or lower is ideal.
Get Your Regular Dose of Vitamin D
Vitamin D has been known to reduce the incidence of blood glucose. Those who lack this essential vitamin are at a greater risk of developing diabetes. You can satiate your need for Vitamin D by taking fatty fish and Cod liver oil. You can also spend a lot of time in the sun to increase the levels of Vitamin D in the blood. If you make it a habit to take adequate doses of Vitamin D from childhood, you can also prevent Type 1 Diabetes.
Vitamin D is also known to control glycemic activity and insulin sensitivity in both types of diabetes. It is also possible to take supplements to benefit from their positive effects. Apart from its direct benefits, it can also reduce belly fat and visceral fat. It also regulates appetite and provides a feeling of fullness. Thus, apart from the direct effects, it also works on diabetics in a roundabout way.
Practice Portion Control
You should break up all your meals into five to six meals throughout the day. It helps to reduce the effects of diabetes and also manage it. If you are at the risk of developing the disease, too much food in one go can increase insulin and glucose levels. Thus, the body has to work harder in converting sugars to energy. However, if you control portion sizes, the body gets time to prevent this response.
These are a few ways you can prevent or control diabetes. Rather than seeing prediabetes as a precursor to diabetes, you can see it as a warning sign to start controlling it. Eat the right foods, avoid the wrong ones, and make exercise a daily routine.