Diabetes is as common as the sun these days – even kids can develop them! While diabetes may be controlled, the ugly truth is once you get it, it’s yours for life – no way curing it or getting it out of your system yet. However, if you are prone to diabetes, it is good to know that you can prevent diabetes or manage your sugar levels when still in prediabetes stage – you can even make your blood glucose levels return to its normal range if you are just careful about it and adjust your lifestyle accordingly.
If you are trying to prevent diabetes, you should be able to assess your risks. Below are some of the most common risk factors for diabetes:
· Obesity or if you are overweight.
· Genes. If your family has a long history of diabetes or if it runs in the family.
· Heritage. A study showed that African Americans, American Indians, Asian Americans, Pacific Highlanders and Hispanic Americans are more prone to diabetes.
· History of having gestational diabetes.
· High blood pressure.
· Abnormal cholesterol levels.
· Lack of everyday physical activity.
If you take a look at the risk factors for diabetes, you’d see that most of it can actually be prevented if the person has taken steps to healthy living, i.e healthy diet and exercise. Notice too how important it is to stay within your ideal weight to prevent diabetes from happening.
This is also why it is important to be conscious of your eating habits. ADA or American Diabetes Association is currently running a campaign which they termed as “create your plate” campaign. This campaign is supposed to help prediabetes sufferers to adapt healthy eating habits thus preventing diabetes onset. This campaign is made famous by it use of a 9-inch plate to determine adequate eating portions. Below is a quick rundown of the campaign:
· Make it a point to always fill half of your plate of non-starchy foods such as greens, fruits etc.
· Only one-fourth of your plate is allowed to have starchy foods such as rice and noodles as well as potatoes and corn.
· Another one-fourth is for meat and meat substitute such as poultry and tofu.
· One serving of fruit or half cup fresh or canned fruit medley.
· A glass of milk or 6-ounce worth low-fat yogurt.
While this food guide is generally applicable to those with pre-diabetes, it can also be done for those who already have diabetes, although with slight adjustments to the portions. Depending on the type of diabetes you have and your risk of having one, one can adjust the food portioning accordingly just as long as the nutrient-dense choices are always there and take up the majority of your plate.