Raise Your Hand to Stop Diabetes

November is American Diabetes Month, a time dedicated to raising awareness about how diabetes affects the lives of millions of Americans. The American Diabetes Association is asking people to “Raise Your Hand to Stop Diabetes” by making a personal pledge to take action against this deadly disease.

Type 2 diabetes, formerly called adult onset diabetes, is striking people at younger ages and the rates are skyrocketing as the population grows heavier and gets less exercise. Fortunately, there are several steps you can take to help prevent it.

Follow these helpful prevention tips:

1. Put exercise first. Regular exercise by itself can cut diabetes risk. Choose to do things you enjoy and do them every day.
2. Keep your weight in check. Being a healthy weight is the best thing you can do to lower your risk of diabetes. Need to lose weight? Exercising and eating a healthy diet – slowly – and with smaller portions are your best bets.
3. Choose healthy fats and proteins, and skip the red meat like steaks and hamburgers, and processed meat such as bacon, hot dogs and deli meats. A diet rich in mono and polyunsaturated fats like canola and olive oil, avocados, nuts and seeds, can help lower your risk of diabetes and heart disease.
4. Focus on plant foods. A diet high in whole grains can help lower the risk of diabetes and keep appetite in check. Choose a good variety of whole grain foods prepared in interesting ways.
5. Cut back on refined carbs and sugary drinks. Bread, rice, pasta and potatoes that are white cause fast and furious increases in blood sugar, as do sugary drinks, fruit punch and fruit juice. Over time, eating lots of these refined carbohydrates and sugar may increase your risk of type 2 diabetes. To lower your risk, switch to brown rice or whole wheat pasta and drink water, coffee or tea instead.

Source: Harvard School of Public Health