You can prevent diabetes once and for all if you develop these 7 habits

Nothing is impossible if you are headstrong enough to make things work. In fact, if you lead a healthy life, you can prevent diabetes; a lifestyle disease that has spread its net far and wide in the last few years.

Did you know? Diabetes is on the rise, according to WHO, and it is one of the major reasons that people are suffering from issues like blindness, heart attack, and stroke?

The Centre for Disease Control and Prevention suggests that if your age is 45 and above, if you are overweight, less active, if it runs in your family, and if you have PCOS, then you are at a high risk of getting diabetes.

To understand more about this disease, we have got in touch with Dr Deepak Verma, internal medicine, Columbia Asia Hospital, Ghaziabad, who tells us all about the disease, and a few ways that make one prone to diabetes.

The first group is known as type 1 diabetes. It is a chronic disease caused by destruction of cells in the pancreas that make insulin, forcing the body to stop insulin production.

Then, there are people with type 2 diabetes, a lifestyle disease that develops in stages, such as prediabetes, and over the years, the body becomes resistant to insulin, and sugar levels spike up.

“Type 2 diabetes is totally avoidable, and can be maintained if the person just avoids the habits that I have listed,” concludes Dr Verma.

But the fact is that while type 1 diabetes may not be averted, it is possible to control prediabetes and type 2 diabetes by following these seven foolproof measures below:

1. Go low on sugar

Reducing or eliminating sugar and refined carbs from your diet is the first step to controlling diabetes. Get rid of packaged food, juices as well as junk food. Opt for fresh vegetables, fruits, nuts and healthy oils such as mustard oil and olive oil.

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2. Reduce the portion size

If you are overweight, this is important, irrespective of how healthy the food is.

3. Limit smoking and drinking

Both heavy smoking and alcohol can make you heavily prone to diabetes. Quit smoking and limit yourself to social drinking, if unavoidable.

4. Workout regularly

Aerobic exercise, high-intensity interval training and strength training can be useful to prevent diabetes. Practicing moderate to intense exercise for 30 minutes daily can help much more than intense workouts done once in a while.

5. Sit less and move more

Using handheld gadgets extensively, prolonged sitting hours and similar habits can increase the risk of diabetes. Look for opportunities to move instead.

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6. Manage weight

People with obesity, especially abdominal fat, are more prone to diabetes. If diet and exercise does not work, check with your doctor for endocrine issues such as that of thyroid gland.

7. Maintain vitamin D levels

Studies have found that people with higher levels of vitamin D were 43% less likely to develop type 2 diabetes. Consult a doctor if exposure to sunlight is enough for your vitamin D needs, or you need supplements.

So, get moving ladies and keep the diabetes monster far from sight!