7 Lifestyle Changes That Can Help You Avoid Diabetes

In this fast paced life, ironically, we hardly have time to look after our health as we are busy roping in money for our uncertain future. Being ignorant about our health is the only reason why we become compelled to spend our hard earned money in securing better health in our later age. Many studies have proved that ignoring the health and indulging in wrong eating practices, not exercising and getting stressed are the major reasons for rise in lifestyle diseases such as diabetes, thyroid, high blood pressure, heart ailments, etc.

Of these diseases, one of the most prominent disease is diabetes, which has caught a firm hold on about 415 million people across the globe (as per 2015 estimates). Medical experts have revealed that diabetes alone doubles the risk of heart ailments and reduces the life span drastically. Diabetes is basically a group of metabolic diseases in which there is high blood sugar for prolonged period and some of its common symptoms are frequent urination, increased thirst and hunger. The two most common types of diabetes occur due to either pancreas not producing enough insulin or the body’s cells not properly responding to the insulin produced.

Prevention and even treatment of this disease requires maintaining ideal body weight, healthy diet, regular workout and getting adequate rest for the body to repair and rejuvenate. Serious lifestyle changes are recommended to people who want to avoid this disease, which is largely witnessed among people following a sedentary lifestyle.

If you want to get benefited from being educated about diabetes, which was earlier perceived to be just a hereditary one, then you must definitely read and ingrain these 7 lifestyle changes that can help you avoid diabetes and gift yourself a healthy future:

1. Maintain Or Return To Healthy Weight

It’s never too late to start leading a healthy lifestyle and if you are overweight or nowhere near healthy weight recommended for your height, then with every pound you lose, you enjoy better and better health. As per a study conducted in around 20 obese volunteers, moderate amount of exercise regularly along with balanced diet, helped them reduce weight by 7 percent with a whopping drop in the risk of diabetes by almost 60 percent. Medical experts generally suggest having low fat and low calorie diet for a lifetime to enjoy better health and reduced risk of lifestyle diseases.

However, this doesn’t imply that you must follow fad diets such as low-carb diets to lose weight. This is because they may initially help you lose weight but such diets’ effectiveness in preventing diabetes is still not ascertained. Instead focus on having a nutrition rich platter that is not beyond the suggested calories consumption standards.

2. Grab More Fruits & Veggies

Source: pique news magazine

According to some dietary studies, it was found that incorporating more fruits and vegetables in the form of salads can steeply reduce the risk of diabetes. Having a plate full of salads before meals can drastically reduce your urge to overeat and thereby, you may not put on weight. Additionally, replacing your junk food snacks for a bowl of fruits can give your body the required vitamins and minerals, which will help you control your food cravings and even regularises the hormonal activities. Following such a routine everyday is found to decline the risk of diabetes by 25 percent.

3. Think That Sugar Is Poisonous For Your Health

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As per the analysis of a health data comprising results of 43960 women who consumed more than two sugary drinks each day, it was found that they were at 25 percent higher risk of suffering from diabetes as compared to their peers. Our body requires glucose to derive energy from it and whatever we eat has certain amount of glucose in it. Gulping down numerous cups of tea, coffee, cola, soft drinks, etc can load excess sugar in our body, which when doesn’t get burnt, can eventually cause gradual weight gain. Control your sugar consumption at an early age to significantly avoid diabetes in future.

Recommended: How To Prevent Diabetes That Is Hereditary

4. Get Hooked To Active Lifestyle

The sedentary lifestyle is the very reason for the rising lifestyle diseases. Sitting job, improper work and personal life balance, stress, inadequate sleep, lack of physical activities, etc have caused our health to deteriorate at a faster rate. The technological advancements have made our life so comfortable that taking the stairs for even two storeys have become a nightmare for us. Waking up early, going for morning jogs/ walks, meditating, walking for short distances instead of commuting via vehicles, taking frequent breaks at workplace for doing bit stretching exercise, etc can help a lot in making you extremely active and fit.

5. Spend Less Time With Gadgets

Source: indian express

Studies have confirmed that people who spend more time watching television, working on their smatrphones, laptops and other gadgets tend to compromise on their sleep and active lifestyle. People have developed the habit to get relaxation by watching television for long hours and addiction to smartphones and tablets has robbed off people’s sleep.

It has been researched that people who watch television for more than 20 hours a week have higher risk of suffering from diabetes. You don’t get physically involved in doing this activity and also such kind of activities that make your feel mentally exhaustive causes rise in hunger pangs owing to which you become lazy and tend to indulge in unnecessary snacking. Such kind of routine is enough to build the foundation for diabetes. Start limiting the use of gadgets to enjoy stress free life and to avoid diabetes.

6. Include More Fiber In Your Diet

The best thing about fiber is that it helps in controlling sugar level in the blood. Apart from improving the blood sugar control, diet rich in fiber helps in regularising functions of the digestive system. Fiber improves agility of the internal organs and is heart’s best friend. If you want to reduce some extra pounds, then go for diet that has goodness of fiber. Include fruits, vegetables, beans, whole grains, seeds, nuts, etc in your daily platter to get habituated of a better lifestyle and thereby, save yourself from diabetes and heart ailments.

7. Opt For Whole Grains

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There have been many studies conducted to analyse the effect of whole grains in reducing risk of diabetes, but it has been found that foods made from refined flour comprises of excessive amount of carbohydrates that becomes difficult for the body to breakdown, resulting in its storage in the form of sugar. This in turn, causes rise in weight and even enhances your chances to suffer from diabetes and obesity in the future. Go for power packed whole grain healthy foods in the breakfast to keep your energy levels high during the day and to ward off mid day hunger pangs.