How to avoid type-2 diabetes
Diabetes
Diabetes is a disease which affects the body in using glucose. Glucose is the basic source of energy for all the body cells. The glucose is acquired through the food eaten. To use glucose, the body needs the hormone insulin, secreted by the pancreas. But in people with diabetes, the body either can't make insulin or the insulin doesn't work in the body like it should.
The two major types of diabetes are:
Type 1 diabetes. In this, the immune system attacks the pancreas and destroys the cells that make insulin.
Type 2 diabetes. In this, the pancreas can still make insulin, but the body doesn't respond to it properly.
In both types of diabetes, glucose can't reach into the cells normally. This causes a rise in blood sugar level that can make someone sick.
Although the genes inherited to you may influence the development of type 2 diabetes, it can also be due to behavioral and lifestyle factors.
Simple Steps to Lower Your Risk
Making a few lifestyle changes can dramatically lower the chances of developing type 2 diabetes.
1. Have a normal body weight
If you are overweight it may because of type 2 diabetes. Being overweight increases the chances of developing type 2 diabetes seven- fold. Being obese makes you 20 to 40 times more likely to develop diabetes than someone with a healthy weight.
Losing weight can help if your weight is above the normal healthy weight. The obese persons have double risk of type 2 diabetes.
Inactivity can also be a cause of type 2 diabetes. Hard Work done with the muscles improves their ability to use insulin and absorb glucose. This way less pressure is applied on insulin-making cells.
Walking briskly for a half hour every day reduces the risk of developing type 2 diabetes by 30 percent. This type of exercise has a lot of other advantages as well. And even greater cardiovascular and other advantages can be attained by more, and more hard, exercise.
The studies show that diets rich in whole grains protect against diabetes, whereas diets rich in refined carbohydrates lead to increased risk.
The bran and fiber present in grains make it difficult for digestive enzymes to break down the starches into glucose. This leads to gradual increases in blood sugar and insulin and results in a lower glycemic index. This way may help prevent type 2 diabetes. Whole grains are also rich in essential vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals that may help reduce the risk of diabetes.
4. Skip the sugary drinks
Like refined grains, sugary beverages have a high glycemic load, and drinking more of this sugary stuff is associated with increased risk of diabetes.
For every additional 12-ounce serving of a sugary beverage that people drank each day, their risk of type 2 diabetes rose 25 percent. Studies also suggest that fruit drinks, fortified fruit drinks, or juices are not the healthy choice that food advertisements often portray them to be.
There is mounting evidence that sugary drinks contribute to chronic inflammation, high triglycerides, decreased “good” (HDL) cholesterol, and increased insulin resistance, all of which are risk factors for diabetes.
Water is an excellent alternative to sugary stuff. Coffee and tea are also good calorie-free substitutes for sugared beverages.
The types of fats in your diet can also affect the development of diabetes. Good fats, such as the polyunsaturated fats found in liquid vegetable oils, nuts, and seeds can help ward off type 2 diabetes. Trans fats are not the good option. These bad fats are found in kinds of margarine packaged baked goods, fried foods etc.
Add type 2 diabetes to the long list of health problems linked with smoking. Smokers are roughly 50 percent more likely to develop diabetes than nonsmokers, and heavy smokers have an even higher risk.
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