Updated: 11/15/2019
CONTENTS
Overview
Diabetes is generally a chronic disease affecting millions of people all around the world. Uncontrolled cases can lead to blindness, heart disease, kidney failure as well as other serious conditions. So, diabetes prevention is an important step. There are a lot of simple actions that you can take to lower the risk of diabetes. Making several changes in your lifestyle may help you stay away from the serious health problems of diabetes. Consider the top 12 simple tips on how to prevent diabetes from Effectiveremedies.com. Let’s get started!
How To Prevent Diabetes Naturally?
1. Reduce Weight
Carrying excess weight, especially in the abdominal area can increase the likelihood of developing diabetes. According to a study, excess visceral fat enhances inflammation and insulin resistance, which remarkably increases the chance of diabetes[1]. Another study found that interventions to decrease the risk of diabetes should target weight reduction primarily[2]. You can lose weight easily by many healthy options such as the Mediterranean, paleo, low-carb and vegetarian diets.Therefore, losing weight is an excellent tip on how to prevent diabetes naturally.
Note; Diabetics need a lifestyle change. Hence a diet needs to be designed for them especially. A tailor-made diet works best. They shouldn’t follow any diet, every parameter needs to be kept in check before planning a diet for them.
Read more: natural home remedies for weight loss fast
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2. How To Prevent Diabetes – Follow A Low-Carb Diet
Some studies have indicated that very-low-carb diets may reduce insulin and blood sugar, increase insulin and decrease other diabetes risk factors[3] [4]. Your blood sugar levels will not rise very much after eating if you lessen your carb intake. Hence, your body will need less insulin to remain your healthy blood sugar levels. Along with that, a low-carb diet also helps to decrease fasting blood sugar. In fact, following a very-low-carb diet is able to keep insulin and blood sugar levels under control, thereby protecting against diabetes.
Note: This needs to be done under the supervision of an expert. Cutting down carbs can be harmful if the patient has recurrent episodes of hypoglycemia or is on insulin. A doctor needs to be asked before any such diet is taken.
3. Quit Smoking
According to a study, smoking contributes to or causes many serious health problems such as heart disease, cancers and emphysema of the lung, prostate, breast, and digestive tract[5]. Another study also showed that active smoking is related to an increased chance of type 2 diabetes[6]. Smoking is strongly associated with the risk of diabetes, particularly in heavy smokers. Thus, quitting smoking can help to decrease this risk over time.
4. How To Prevent Diabetes – Watch Portion Sizes
It is vital to stay away from large portions of food to decrease the chance of diabetes especially if you’re overweight. A 2005 study showed that consuming too much food at the same time caused higher insulin and blood sugar levels in people at risk of diabetes[7].Another study found that the group practicing portion control reduced their insulin and blood sugar levels significantly after three months[8].In fact, you can reduce insulin & blood sugar levels and lower the risk of diabetes by avoiding large portion sizes.
Use smaller plates to eat and avoid late night or heavy meals at night. Start meals with a bowl of salad and a glass of buttermilk.
5. Consume A High-Fiber Diet
According to a study, a fiber diet can help to keep insulin and blood sugar levels low[9].Taking plenty of fiber is also beneficial for weight management and gut health. Therefore, consuming a high fiber diet can help to prevent spikes in insulin and blood sugar levels, which may decrease your chance of developing diabetes.
Include foods that are rich in fiber. Fruit, vegetables, bulgur wheat, brown rice, broken wheat, oats, quinoa, etc.
6. How To Prevent Diabetes – Optimize Vitamin D Levels
A study showed that dietary vitamin D supplementation was related to the reduced chance of type 1 diabetes[10]. Another study also showed that people who did not take enough vitamin D have a greater chance of all types of diabetes[11].Vitamin D rich foods include cod liver oil and fatty fish. Plus, sun exposure can also increase levels of vitamin D in the blood. For a lot of people, supplementing with around 2,000 to 4,000 IU of vitamin D every day may be necessary to maintain and achieve optimal levels. Hence, taking vitamin D supplements or eating vitamin D rich foods can aid in optimizing vitamin D blood levels, thereby reducing your risk of diabetes.
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7. Drink Tea Or Coffee
Consuming processed foods are often associated with all sorts of health issues such as diabetes, obesity and heart disease. A study suggests that minimizing the packaged foods that are high in refined grains, vegetable oils and additives may decrease the risk of diabetes[14]. Another study indicated that a poor-quality diet increased the chance of diabetes by 30%. Therefore, you should minimize processed foods and focus on whole foods to reduce the chance of diabetes.
8. Cut Refined Carbs & Sugar From Your Diet
According to many studies, there was a link between the risk of diabetes and the frequent consumption of refined carbs or sugar[15] [16]. Eating foods rich in sugar and refined carbs increases insulin and blood sugar levels, which may cause diabetes over time. Thus, avoiding these foods can help to reduce your risk of diabetes.
9. How To Prevent Diabetes – Work Out Frequently
Doing physical activities on a daily basis may help to prevent diabetes effectively. Particularly, exercise aids in increasing the insulin sensitivity of the cells. So, less insulin is needed to keep the levels of blood sugar under control when you exercise. A study found that high-intensity exercise raised insulin sensitivity by 85% and moderate-intensity exercise increased it 51 %[17]. Many physical activity types have been shown to decrease blood sugar and insulin resistance in obese, prediabetic and overweight adults. These include strength training, high-intensity interval training, and aerobic exercise. In fact, regular doing physical activity can increase insulin sensitivity and secretion, which may aid in preventing diabetes. Or, you can try yoga, Zumba, pilates as well.
10. How To Prevent Diabetes – Avoid Stress
Many studies have shown that stress hormones change the levels of blood glucose directly and lift the chance of diabetes. You can practice meditation, listening to music, practice meditation and do any activity, which makes stress free and you happy.
11. Get Enough Sleep
According to The Mayo Clinic, sleep disorders or issues may increase the risk of insulin resistance[18]. So, getting enough sleep daily is a must to prevent the chance of diabetes. Enough sleep will keep the energy levels high all day and it will lessen your cravings for high-calorie foods. If you do not sleep well, you might end up craving for sugar-filled foods or drinks.
12. How To Prevent Diabetes – Take Natural Herbs
Basically, there are several herbs that can help to increase insulin sensitivity and decrease the likelihood of diabetes progression altogether.
Berberine
Berberine has been used for thousands of years in traditional Chinese medicine. According to a study, berberine fights inflammation and reduces cholesterol as well as other heart disease markers[19]. Along with that, it also contains strong blood-sugar-lowering agents.
Curcumin
As you know, curcumin is a main component of turmeric. It contains strong anti-inflammatory agents and has been used for centuries in India as a part of Ayurvedic medicine. A study found that curcumin can fight against arthritis and decrease inflammation in people with prediabetes[20]. Besides, it can decrease the chance of diabetes progression and reduce insulin resistance.
In fact, the herbs berberine and curcumin reduce blood sugar levels, increase insulin sensitivity, and may help to prevent diabetes.
Read more: health & beauty benefits of turmeric
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You can promote healthy insulin and blood sugar levels to avoid diabetes by adopting other lifestyle behaviors and eating the right foods. You can visit our main Prevention page to read more about other such articles. If you know more about other tips on how to prevent diabetes naturally, share your experience or tips with us by leaving a comment below.