Best Practices to Curb Diabetes
Diabetes is a disease that affects millions of people the world over. When people talk about the prevention of chronic disease, it is usually about preventing type-2 diabetes. In most cases, Type 2 diabetes is brought on by lifestyle factors that can be changed, thereby reducing the risk of the disease. Some of the major lifestyle factors contributing to the development of diabetes include an unbalanced diet, lack of activity, stress, lack of sleep, smoking, and alcohol intake. Uncontrolled cases can cause more serious conditions such as heart disease, kidney failure, and blindness. Although there are some factors that are simply not in your hands, such as your age, genes or past habits, the following changes can easily be incorporated:
Exercising regularly A sedentary lifestyle has been known to cause a lot of problems, high sugar levels being one of them. Regular physical activity can aid in preventing diabetes by cutting down on glucose content in the body. Regular exercise boosts the production of good cholesterol and decreases the presence of unhealthy triglycerides, which in turn keeps your blood flowing smoothly; this keeps the stress at bay and therefore, many other afflictions.
Avoiding unhealthy food: food is exceptionally high in calories, trans fat, and possesses no nutritional value. The reason why we all love junk food is due to the presence of hydrogenated fats that lends the food its good taste. However, these fats pose a health hazard and lead to diabetes as well as a host of other diseases such as obesity, atherosclerosis, hypertension, and heart diseases. Even while picking up processed food or food from outside, aim to go for those with less than 1% trans-fat.
Regularly checking your blood sugar levels Unless diagnosed with high sugar levels, many don’t bother with regular blood tests. When done annually, a quick test will give you an idea about what kind of changes you should make to your diet or lifestyle. But a check-up more regular is recommended, especially for those over the age of 30 years. One may even buy a glucometer online to test for sugar regularly so changes may be incorporated immediately. You can get one here.
Avoiding alcohol and smoking Excess alcohol intake encourages weight gain and high blood pressure. Limit your intake to a drink a day so as to not raise blood pressure. Smoking adds further stress on the arteries and escalates blood sugar levels. So alcohol consumption should be contained, and smoking should be avoided altogether.
