Nationwide, 20.8 million people have diabetes, a disease where the body doesn’t produce or properly use insulin. Even more frightening: 6.2 million of those don’t know they have the disease. While Type 1 diabetes is unavoidable, Type 2 is a result of insulin resistance, with risk factors that can be addressed. Whether you have a family history of the disease, have been diagnosed with metabolic syndrome—a group of metabolic risk factors that includes
insulin resistance or glucose intolerance—or have no idea if you are at risk for diabetes,
following are 25 ways you can help prevent the disease and improve your overall health.
Know your risk factors. There are many risk factors for diabetes, and knowing which ones you have is important—some are controllable, others are not. Jason Kennedy, personal trainer at the Club, has worked with many clients who are diabetic
or have metabolic syndrome. He says risk factors include: age 45 and older; excess weight, especially around the abdomen; a family history of diabetes; gave birth to a baby that weighed nine pounds or more; low HDL cholesterol; high TGY; hypertension; impaired glucose tolerance; poor diet; and those of African American, Hispanic American or Native American descent.
Use skim milk and lowfat dairy products. Making these simple changes
can save a lot in the way of fat and
calories. If you are accustomed to
whole milk, work slowly down to
2 percent, 1 percent and finally
skim or fat-free milk.
Reduce your portion sizes. Having healthy eating habits is one of the two most important things people can do to reduce the risk of diabetes (the other being regular exercise). Reducing portion sizes can go a long way for both reducing risk and losing any extra weight.
Remember that poultry, meat and fish portions should be three ounces—about the size of a deck of cards. At-home meals can be served on a salad plate—it will make less food look like more. Eat slowly. It takes 20 minutes for your stomach to tell your brain you are full.
Catch up with friends during a walk instead of on the phone. Getting more activity into a day can be hard, but is a necessary
part of preventing diabetes. Take simple, everyday things like catching up with friends and family on the phone and turn it into a time for activity. Take a walk with your friend instead of chatting on the phone, or, if the person lives too far away, cell phones now make it possible to talk while walking.
Make small changes in your lifestyle instead of trying to tackle everything at once. Completely overhauling what you eat and how active you are all at once can prove to be too much, setting you up for failure. Instead, do at least one new thing a week. Start with taking the stairs instead of the elevator. Then, try switching to lowfat dairy products. If lifestyle changes are adopted slowly over time, you’ll be more likely to stay on the track to a healthy, diabetes-free life.
Get help and involve your family in changes. Making lifestyle changes is not easy, and having the help and support of family is essential to success. Try involving them in activities or trying out new, healthy dishes during family meals.
Get tested for diabetes. While it might not prevent the disease, diabetes goes undiagnosed in millions of people, putting them at risk for complications. If you are in a high-risk category, talk to your doctor about getting tested. And remember that everyone 45 and older should have their blood glucose checked every three years.
Consider breastfeeding: It might lower your children’s risk for developing the disease. Moms who were diagnosed with gestational
diabetes when pregnant have a lifelong risk
of getting diabetes—and so do their children.
According to the National Diabetes Education Program, breastfeeding your child might help lower their risk for the disease. In addition, children should receive healthy foods and stay active.
New moms should try to reach pre-baby weight in the six to 12 months after giving birth. If you had gestational diabetes, your risk for getting the disease is greater. Make sure you are tested again after the baby is born and then every one or two years. Another way to help ward off diabetes is to try to lose any baby weight within a year after giving birth. Then if you are still overweight, work
to lose 5 to 7 percent slowly and keep it off.
Use a pedometer. These gadgets count the number of steps you take in a day, and come in a variety of styles, with various features. Although exact numbers vary because of differences in stride length, about 2,000 steps equals one mile. Slowly increase how much you are walking until you reach 10,000 steps per day. To increase your steps, try parking in the farthest corner of the parking lot, walking instead of driving from store to store in an outdoor mall and getting up to take five-minute breaks during the workday to do a lap around the building.
Get treated for depression. A Northwestern University study found that depression is strongly correlated with future diabetes risk. That might be because depression can negatively influence eating, sleeping and exercising habits. Remember that eating right and exercising are just two ways to beat the blues. Also find time for relaxation and connecting with friends and family. If you
think you might be depressed, get treatment.
Keep a food diary. Having a written record can help you identify when you tend to overeat and what you reach for. It can also identify those hidden calories you forget about—taste tests while cooking or
a bite of a friend’s dessert.
Pack a healthy lunch the night before heading off to work. The easiest way to eat healthfully is to be prepared. Avoid unhealthy workplace snacks and restaurant lunches by packing snacks and meals the night before—this also avoids skipping preparing healthy lunches due to the morning rush.
Take half your restaurant meals to go. Because restaurant meals are large, having half packed to go will leave you just as full and give you something to eat the next
day. Other restaurant tips include ordering first so you aren’t influenced by others, choosing steamed, grilled or broiled dishes, and ordering salad dressing, gravy, sauces and spreads on the side.
Eat fiber. A study published in the New England Journal of Medicine in 2000 found that patients who included 50 grams of fiber in their daily diet lowered their blood glucose by 10 percent. Patients with Type 2 diabetes had decreased insulin levels and lowered their blood lipid concentration by eating a high-fiber diet. Try to eat 25 to 50 grams a day from high-fiber foods like fruits, vegetables, beans, whole grains, nuts and seeds.
Eat rainbows. Getting enough fruits and vegetables is important, and to get all your
nutrients plus prevent boredom, try choosing from all the colors available. Load up meals with greens, reds, oranges, purples, yellows and blues as much as possible.
Skip fad diets. Many of these diets limit what you can eat, which can backfire once you’ve lost the weight. You might quickly gain weight back and you might be missing important nutrients by limiting what you’re eating. Instead, eat a variety of foods prepared in a healthful way that have little to no added sugar.
Eat whole grains. They’ll fill you up faster, for longer, than their counterparts. Try whole-wheat and whole-grain bread, brown rice, oats and other whole grains, such as barley, quinoa and wheat berries.
Determine if you are a pear or an apple. Where you carry your extra weight can affect your risk of diabetes. Those people with an apple shape—extra weight around the
middle—are at a higher risk of diabetes (and heart disease) than those shaped like a pear—extra weight around the hips and thighs. While everyone should aim for a healthy weight, if you are an apple it’s even more important to start working up to 30 minutes of physical activity a day.
Meet with the Club nutritionist. Trying to eat a variety of fruits and vegetables, eat whole grains, get enough fiber and cook in a healthful way can seem incredibly daunting, especially for busy families. If you feel overwhelmed in the kitchen or have no idea what to order
in a restaurant, try meeting with the Club’s nutritionist. Cherie Valley can help you find foods that work for you and your family. Nutrition services include visiting a local grocery store to find what should always be in the pantry, examining what you already stock in your house and what might be healthier alternatives, and eating at a restaurant to learn the best items to choose on a menu.
Pamper yourself to reduce stress. Find ways to relax,
be it deep breathing, yoga,
a massage, an easy walk
or a good book.
Aim to lose 5 to 10 percent of your body weight if you need to. One study found that overweight adults who lost this much body weight and exercised regularly reduced their risk of developing diabetes by 58 percent over three years.
Meet with a trainer at the Club. The American Diabetes Association strongly suggests
physical activity as one of the first steps to take. Starting a workout regimen can be hard and confusing—that’s where a Bellevue Club trainer can help. A personal trainer can design a program with your goals in mind that will help you avoid boredom and plateaus.
Know your heart-rate workout zones. There is an old formula of 220 minus your age to determine how many times per minute your heart should be beating for the most effective workout. This, says Jason, really tells you nothing. The most accurate way to determine your heart rate zones is by taking the Aerobic Capacity Assessment offered at the Club. It will determine the most effective zones for you to exercise in for maximum benefit. Regular physical activity lowers blood sugar and boosts your sensitivity to insulin, helping you keep your blood sugar within a normal range.
Stretch. You won’t continue to exercise if your body hurts or you get injured. Avoid these pitfalls
by stretching daily. Remember to move slowly, avoid bouncing, and only go as far as what is comfortable. The Bellevue Club has a variety of yoga classes and a Stretch for Life class, all of which can help you gain flexibility safely, under trained supervision.
Diabetes can be scary, but people diagnosed with the
disease can live long, healthy, happy lives. For more
information about diabetes, visit www.diabetes.org.
