Diabetes can be a very scary health condition. If you have been told that you are at risk for it or if it runs in your family, it is important to do all that you can to prevent type 2 diabetes from affecting you. Here are some of the things that you should know about preventing type 2 diabetes.
Knowing the Risk Factors
In order to prevent yourself from developing diabetes, it is important to know if you are at a greater risk than most people. Being overweight, not having a regular exercise routine,Â Â Â and having high triglycerides, high blood pressure, impaired glucose tolerance or impaired fasting glucose, and low HDL cholesterol puts you at risk.Â Women who have given birth to a baby over 8 pounds or have had gestational diabetes are at risk. Age is another factor which plays a role in the onset of diabetes. Those who are 45 years of age or older are most at risk for developing diabetes. Those who are of Hispanic/Latin American, Asian American, Non-Hispanic Black, American Indian, or Alaskan native descent are also more at risk for developing type 2 diabetes. Having a family history of diabetes, of course, also puts you at risk of the condition.
Exercise and Healthy Diet
Two of the main keys to diabetes prevention are following a regular exercise routine and sticking to a healthy diet. Doing cardiovascular exercise for thirty minutes three to five times a week is a great way to shed the extra weight that puts you at a greater risk for diabetes. Eating a well-balanced diet that consists of mostly vegetables, lean proteins, and whole grains is also ideal. Avoiding foods that are high in sugar, including sugar that is naturally found in fruits or vegetables, can help greatly reduce your chances of developing diabetes. If you are diagnosed with high blood pressure or any other health problems that may increase your risk of developing diabetes, it is best to try to treat or manage them.
Routine Doctorâ€™s Visits
Visiting the doctor on a regular basis is ideal for anyone who wants to prevent diabetes. The reason is because your doctor can test in order to see if there is a chance that you have pre-diabetes, which is when blood glucose levels are higher than they should be but are still not high enough to be considered diabetes. Many people do not begin taking action to prevent diabetes until they have been diagnosed as having pre-diabetes first.
These are just a few of the things that you can do to prevent diabetes from affecting you. Since it is a condition which is not easily treated, you should not take the risk of diabetes lightly. Doing all that you can to prevent diabetes is in your best interest.