How to make smart changes when you have Type 2 diabetes

The French Chef, Julia Child, was a CIA intelligence officer before she moved to Paris with her husband at the age of 36 and discovered the joy of cooking. That’s a pretty big lifestyle change! Well, if you’re overweight or obese and have Type 2 diabetes, it’s also a great idea to make far-reaching lifestyle changes. A new study reveals how to do it safely, so you gain control of your diabetes and protect your heart.

Researchers have published a study in Diabetes Care that took a second -and more in-depth -- look at data from the NIH’S Look AHEAD study. They found that for 85% of people in that study, lifestyle interventions that triggered weight loss and increased physical activity reduced potential cardiovascular problems and optimized the wide range of physical and emotional benefits that come from upgraded lifestyle habits.

But -- and there’s always a but -- for folks in that study who had poor blood sugar control, the lifestyle interventions were actually risky! It turns out that upgrading your lifestyle without first gaining control of blood sugar levels makes it 85% more likely you’ll have a cardiac event.

So if you’re ready to conquer your Type 2 diabetes, talk to your doctor about first making sure your blood sugar is well controlled through medication and food choices. Once that is established, then you’re ready to start a weight loss and exercise program that will let you make as dramatic a shift in your life trajectory as Julia did. Time to check the numbers.