If you want to learn how to avoid diabetes, the answer is simple: diet and exercise. Actually practicing this lifestyle, however, can be tough. Temptations are all around us. Who wouldn’t go for a burger and some salty fries right now? Being in tune with your body and what it really needs is important though, and while sitting in front of the TV with a bag of chips is enjoyable, it is not the best thing for your body.
Diabetes can be a horrible disease to endure. It has the power to bring about stroke, seizure, coma, and even death. Although part of the cause of diabetes is genetic, you are not under any kind of death sentence yet. If you have not, been diagnosed with diabetes, you still have time to make lifestyle changes and learn how to avoid getting diabetes.
For the most part, type 2 diabetes (the most common type of diabetes) is caused by insulin resistance. Insulin is the hormone that helps the cells to take in sugar (glucose) from the blood. The problem with type 2 diabetics is that they have enough insulin, but the cells no longer respond to the hormone. So, the sugar remains in the bloodstream, damaging the body. When we eat a lot of foods that are high in carbohydrates or sugars, over time the cells begin to ignore the insulin that is trying to bring in more unneeded sugar. In response the pancreas makes more insulin to get the cells to respond. Just like building a tolerance to a drug, as this happens more and more the cells are less and less responsive to the insulin produced.
Excess weight and lack of physical exercise are major contributors to this problem. If you want to know how to avoid diabetes, remove most carbohydrates and sugars from your diet and exercise a minimum of 30 minutes daily. Centering your meals on fruits and vegetables, and lowering the portions of food that you eat, staying active, and losing any excess pounds is really all that it takes. Then you can begin teaching others how to avoid diabetes.
How to Avoid Gestational Diabetes
Any woman, who wants to have a baby, wants to have the healthiest pregnancy possible. So, one of the things that a woman must concentrate on is learning how to avoid diabetes during pregnancy, especially if they have a family history of the disease. First of all, it is important to know if you are at a high risk of getting diabetes. According to EverydayHealth.com, you are at high risk for gestational diabetes if:
- You are overweight or obese
- You have previously give birth to a baby that weighs nine pounds or more
- You have had gestational diabetes in a past pregnancy
- You have a strong family history of diabetes
- You have had high levels of sugar in your urine at one time or another.
Talking with your doctor is the first step to learning how to avoid diabetes during pregnancy. Try to plan the pregnancy to ensure that you are physically, mentally, and emotionally prepared. Also, have your blood sugar tested before you get pregnant, and try to keep your weight within a normal range before and during your pregnancy. Ask your doctor what exercises you should do throughout your pregnancy. Finally, commit to a dietary food plan which is low in sugar and carbohydrates. It may be wise to speak to a dietician about how to avoid diabetes.
