How to Prevent Diabetes

07 Dec

Posted by admin as Diabetes Prevention

Unfortunately there are no guarantees when it comes to preventing diabetes. The truth is that science does not fully understand why we get the disease. The consensus is that a combination of things causes diabetes, one of which is that you may be pre-disposed to getting the disease by your hereditary. In this case there is not really much you can do to prevent diabetes. However other potential causes can be reduced. This article will cover some of the ways to reduce potential causes in the context of the two main types of diabetes that occur.
Type 1 diabetes, also known as juvenile diabetes because it generally happens in children or young adults is an autoimmune disorder. This means that the body destroys the cells that produce insulin. Insulin is the hormone that reduces blood sugar levels. When the body can’t reduce blood sugar levels it is said to have diabetes. There is not much you can do about type 1 in terms of prevention.

Type 2 diabetes is the most common of the two forms. It is described as an epidemic by the World Health Organization. It is increasing dramatically in all age groups and is now common in children. Type 2 is marked by the body’s resistance to insulin. In this respect the body continues to produce insulin but for some reason the insulin does not work effectively in reducing the blood sugar level or not enough is produced.

A common form of treatment for type 2 diabetes is to modify your diet and take on more exercise. The treatment can also be applied to prevention too. By modifying your diet and taking on more exercise you can decrease your risk of becoming resistant to insulin and thus prevent diabetes.

Dieting to prevent diabetes

Most type 2 diabetics are over weight and this theory has been put forward to explain why people are acquiring the disease at an unprecedented rate. The theory goes that too much weight causes insulin to work harder and thus become ineffective. The key is to keep the weight to a normal level. The diabetic food pyramid is a good guide for preparing a normal diet. It splits foods into groups and suggests amounts of foods to be eaten. It is primarily used for diabetics but can also help people that want to eat a normal diet.

On a general level, you should avoid simple carbohydrates. Complex carbohydrates like oatmeal and brown bread with wholegrains are the way to go. Balance all fats, carbohydrates and protein (as described in the diabetic food pyramid). Do not eat all of one or all of another. Also, eating at least five or six small meals a day is beneficial to keeping your blood sugar and insulin levels where they should be. It could be that large spikes in your blood sugar level could increase the chances of developing insulin resistance. A constant blood sugar level is best for the body.

Exercise to prevent diabetes

Exercise works on the same principle as the diet. You should want to control your weight with exercise. Exercise is also good in reducing blood sugar rapidly because the body needs energy that it gets from blood sugar.

Start off small if you are new to a regular exercise program. Consult your doctor on a recommended starting point. This may be a bit of walking each day. You can increase this as you get more comfortable or take on more strenuous activities like squash or running.

Other useful information available on web:

1. Diabetes Exercise - DiabetesMellitus-Information.com
2. Natural Cure for Diabetes - MorphemeRemedies.com
3. Diabetes Cure - AyurvedicCure.com

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