Diabetes Prevention: Step Up Your Game to Fight Diabetes

According to the Cleveland Clinic, More than 28 million Americans have prediabetes, and another 86 are teetering on the edge of this chronic disease. But here’s the kicker: Research indicates that by the time most people get diagnosed with diabetes, they already have about ten years of damage to their blood vessels! In other words, classic symptoms like frequent urination and unquenchable thirst arrive ten years after the disease begins, according to Cleveland Clinic’s Medical Director, Roxanne Sukol. So there’s no time like the present to shift any habits that put you at risk. What can you do you might be wondering?

1. Walk it Out. Five or 10 minutes is a lot more than nothing, and new research shows that even modest physical activity is linked to an improvement in insulin resistance, which precedes diabetes.
2. Write it Down. Take some time to keep a food diary for 2-3 days. When you’re done, highlight foods and drinks that are high in carbohydrates (sugar, white flour, and corn starch) or manufactured, processed oils. Begin to transform your meals by making whole plant foods like vegetables, lentils, whole grains, and fruit the foundation of each meal and snack. Make sure to get some good quality protein and nourishing fat with each meal, and minimize added sugar.
3. Relax. Since chronic stress can increase blood sugar and body weight, find ways to be kind to yourself, make peace with your mind, and relax,” says Sukol. Take a yoga class, mediate, or spend a weekend afternoon laying on the couch and reading a novel.