Destined DIABETES? FOR

Lifestyle changes can lower your risk

BY KAREN RICE NORTHWEST ARKANSAS DEMOCRAT-GAZETTE

Diabetes is a disorder in which the body cannot properly store and use the energy found in food. Insulin, which is produced in your pancreas, helps your cells use glucose to fuel your body. If you have diabetes, your body either doesn’t make enough insulin and/or doesn’t use insulin well, so that too much glucose stays in your blood. Over time, this can cause serious health problems like heart disease, stroke, amputation, kidney disease, blindness and

even death.

Type 1 diabetes

accounts for 5% of all diabetes diagnosis. It is an autoimmune disease in which the body wrongly identifies and then attacks pancreatic cells, which causes little to no insulin production. It is often referred to as juvenile diabetes because it is usually diagnosed in children and young people. Those with type 1 diabetes usually must rely on insulin shots to remain healthy.

Type 2 diabetes

is the more common form of diabetes. With type 2, the pancreas may still produce insulin, but not enough to meet the demands of the body. Insulin resistance occurs in some cases because a consistent high blood-glucose level causes cells to be overexposed to insulin and then makes cells less responsive or immune to its effects.

Gestational diabetes

occurs in pregnant women and usually goes away after the baby is born. However, it can increase the risk of later

developing type 2 diabetes, for both mother and child

Prediabetes

Here are some great ways to shift your risk and change your diabetes destiny:

Go for the grains

Eat fewer refined carbohydrates (sugary and processed foods, pizza, ice cream, white bread and pasta) and eat more “complex” carbs instead (like whole grains, veggies, fruits, beans, nuts and seeds).

Research shows that eating just two servings of whole grains a day can reduce your risk of type 2 diabetes by 21 percent. Conversely, processed grains like white rice and white flour cause a rapid blood sugar spike. Try to make at least half your grains whole grain. Look for the word “whole” on the package and among the first few items in the ingredient list.

How does it work?

These “whole” foods actually flow the flow of glucose from the intestines into your bloodstream, which helps keep your blood sugar steady. A study of prediabetic subjects found that a high fiber diet could help control blood sugar levels and reduce progression of the disease by 62%. Another bonus is that eating high-fiber foods tends to make you feel fuller, so you’ll eat less.

Shed the weight

Obesity is a trigger for diabetes, since fat interferes with the body’s ability to use insulin, the hormone that helps move glucose out of your blood and into your cells. So weighing less is an effective weapons in the diabetes war.

Your health will improve with every pound you lose

In fact, according to the American Diabetes Association losing as little as 10 to 15 pounds can make a big difference for people looking to reduce their risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

Participants in one large study who lost a modest amount of weight—around 7 percent of their initial body weight—and exercised regularly reduced their risk of developing diabetes by almost 60%.

Focus on fitness

Inactivity is another diabetes trigger. And while exercise is not a cure for diabetes, it is certainly a step…a hop…a jump in the right direction. You already know that exercise burns calories and boosts metabolism, so it can help you lose weight, which reduces your diabetes risk. But did you know that exercise can help regulate blood sugar and help the body use insulin more effectively as well?

Exercise makes it easier to control diabetes

A combination of resistance training and aerobic exercise is ideal in helping to lower insulin resistance. Studies have shown that all forms of exercise helped people with diabetes control their blood glucose level.

Resistance-type exercises, in addition to walking or jogging, give you strong, bones and build muscle in place of fat. That’s important when you have type 2 diabetes because muscles use more glucose. The more you use your muscles, the better you can control you blood glucose level.

A study of nearly 14,000 subjects found that for each 10% increase in muscle mass there was a 23% drop in prediabetes.

A move in the right direction

Exercise can also help people with type 2 diabetes avoid long-term complications like heart disease, since people with diabetes are more likely to develop blocked arteries and an increased risk of heart attack or stoke. Exercise help you maintain good cholesterol too, avoiding the build up of plaque in your arteries. Studies have shown that people with diabetes who walked at least two hours a week reduced their risk of dying of heart disease. And those who exercise three to four hours a week cut their risk even more.

If you are diabetic and use insulin, it’s a good idea to test your blood sugar before and after exercising. Exercise can sometimes spike blood sugar levels. The best time to exercise is one to three hours after eating.

Also, make sure you always wear a medical alert bracelet if you are diabetic, and keep hard candy or glucose tablets with you while exercising in case of blood sugar drops. Always consult with your doctor before beginning any exercise routine.

With these small changes to your lifestyle, you may be able to control your diabetes more effectively, or even avoid a diabetes diagnosis altogether.

Two servings of whole grains a day = 21% decreased risk of type 2 diabetes

Less will get you more: 7% weight loss = 60% reduced risk of diabetes

10% more muscle = 23% less risk