Are you worried about developing Diabetes? Do you have a parent, uncle or aunt who is diabetic? If the answer to any these questions is yes, no need to worry. Research has revealed that lifestyle modifications including diet and exercise have been shown to prevent or delay the onset of diabetes.
According to the world health organization, Diabetes is a chronic, metabolic disease characterized by elevated levels of blood glucose (or blood sugar), which leads over time to serious damage to the heart, blood vessels, eyes, kidneys and nerves. Diabetes can be classified into Type 1 and Type 2 depending on beta cell activity, presence or absence. Type 2 is the most common and it’s a progressive decline in beta cell function; meaning the body doesn’t use insulin properly.
For people that have already developed diabetes, there are management options involving both lifestyle modification and drugs. Your Doctor in agreement with you will decide on which option is best for you and will prescribe the right medication. You can speak with your pharmacist to advice on everything related to your prescribed medication.
Lose some weight: About 7% reduction in your body weight would offer some advantage in preventing diabetes. Marrero in an article on webMD says “You lose 7% of your body weight, you cut your risk [of developing diabetes] by 60%. And, in fact, if you’re over 65, it’s over 70%.”
Get regular exercise, at least 2.5 hours of exercise per week: Apart from helping you to maintain a healthy weight, it helps your body make better use of insulin and reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. There are different exercises; walking, jogging, skipping, dancing, swimming, weight lifting etc. It’s best to speak with your doctor first before embarking on exercising. You could also join a gym with fitness experts to help you develop a tailored exercise routine.
Reduce or cut fat and calories off your meal: It’s as simple as removing the skin from your chicken, cutting of the fat from your meat before cooking etc. Checking the label on the food we consume helps us to make better choices in terms of calories and fat. Other tips include grilling your chicken and meat instead of frying in oil, you could also use an air fryer instead.
Get plenty of fiber, You should have 14g of fiber for every 1000 calories: The American Heart Association Eating Plan suggests eating a variety of food fiber sources. Total dietary fiber intake should be 25 to 30 grams a day from food, not supplements. There are various ways of getting more fibre into your diet, for example, you could cook brown rice instead of white, sprinkle some oat or wheat bran on your cereal to mention a few
Quit Smoking: According to the FDA, Smokers are 30 to 40 percent more likely to develop type 2 diabetes than nonsmokers. Smoking can also make managing the disease and regulating insulin levels more difficult because high levels of nicotine can lessen the effectiveness of insulin, causing smokers to need more insulin to regulate blood sugar levels.
If you are in doubt or need more information, speak to a pharmacist, call us on 07010669470 or send a message on WhatsApp or SMS. Follow Renovo Pharmacy on Instagram and Facebook for more tips on living a healthy lifestyle, drug information and more health related topics.
References: