Prevent Type 2 Diabetes With Diet and Exercise
May 8, 2009 by Tisha Tolar
Filed under Health Issues
One of the best way to prevent and deal with Type 2 diabetes is with dieting and exercising. Type 2 diabetes, sometimes called adult-onset diabetes, is experiencing rapid growth in the United States. About 20 
years ago, it was thought that teenagers and young adults were immune to Type 2 diabetes, but even this group of people are experiencing the disease. Why the sudden increase in the number of Type 2 diabetes cases? The national lifestyle, from our diets, reduced activity levels to increased waistlines are all playing a large role in contributing to the increase of diabetes.
Type 2 diabetes is a serious problem. The disease kills more Americans per year than breast cancer and prostate cancer combined.
Because the disease is often brought on by your lifestyle, and because your lifestyle can be changed – your risk of developing diabetes can be reduced simply by increasing your exercise, and watching your weight with a well balanced diet. In fact, according to the National Institutes of Health, if you are at risk for Type 2 diabetes you can reduce your risk by more than half, by exercising 30 minutes per day and choosing low-fat foods. In a study, participants who walked 30 minutes per day (or did some other low-intensity exercise for at least 30 minutes per day) and ate a low-fat diet lost an average of 6% of their body weight, and reduced their risks for Type 2 diabetes by 58%.
Tips for reducing your risk for Type 2 diabetes:
Increase Physical Activity: Type 2 diabetes starts when muscle cells lose sensitivity to insulin. Insulin is a pancreatic hormone that controls the amount of sugar in your blood. Exercise gives your muscles improved ability to accept insulin. Studies completed by the Cooper Institute for Aerobics Research found that an individual’s fitness level was the best predictor of diabetes, and was more telling than the family history of the disease, obesity, high blood pressure or age. If you’re fairly sedentary now, look for ways to make small lifestyle adjustments that will increase the amount of physical activity on a daily basis, slowly, but with a goal of getting at least 30 minutes of moderate exercise daily.
Focus on a Healthy, Low-Fat Diet: Choosing a diet that is low-fat and includes fruits, vegetables and whole grains is your best defense against Type 2 Diabetes. People who eat large amounts of simple sugars with little fiber are twice as likely to develop the disease over those who eat a low-sugar, high-fiber diet. Also, people who have an impaired sugar tolerance (an early warning sign of diabetes) are more likely to become diabetic if their diet includes a lot of saturated fats. Sticking to low fat, high-fiber diet that avoids simple sugars is your best bet for prevention.
Visit Your Doctor: A simple blood test will detect diabetes or pre-diabetes conditions. Detection in the early stages gives you better opportunities to get it under control, so it is a good idea to get tested – particularly if you feel you exercise regularly and eat healthily but can’t seem to lose weight. You may find you are insulin resistant or have another condition that is linked to Type 2 diabetes.
