10 Ways to Prevent Diabetes

2.6million Malaysians have diabetes as of 2011, find out how you can change your lifestyle and prevent the disease.

There is no cure once you get diabetes, but there are ways to prevent it by changing your lifestyle.

1. Move it, move it!

You can’t get away from exercise if you are to get away from all those haunting health problems. We love our food so much but actively ignore the gym – only 6.48% of Malaysians exercise. Physical activities lower blood sugar and boost insulin sensitivity. You need a wide variety of exercise in order to prevent diabetes. First up, 30 minutes of aerobic exercise five times a week (brisk walking, dancing, tennis, aerobic classes, etc). Besides that, take up resistance exercises to strengthen your muscles because they absorb blood sugar and get it out of the bloodstream. For the busy bees, try squeezing in 10 minutes of various exercises daily.

2. Go for whole grains

Bid adieu to your white bread, they are both bad for your waistline and glycemic index (which increases blood sugar and insulin level). Opt for refined carbohydrates – wholemeal bread and less sugar cereal, because they slow down carbs absorption in our system.

3. An (spoonful of) apple (cider vinegar) a day

One or two tablespoons of apple cider vinegar a day lowers your blood sugar. You can either consume it as is, or make it into vinaigrette with olive oil (2 parts of vinegar and 1 part of olive oil) to dress your salad or steamed vegetables.

4. Go green

If you opt for the vinaigrette salad, it means killing two birds with one stone. It is suggested that you have a diet high in fibre, mineral, and vitamins to prevent diabetes – which means you can’t diss your greens anymore. Only 7.5 per cent of Malaysians follow the World Health Organisation’s recommendation of consuming five servings of fruit and vegetables daily.

5. Alternate between meat and soy

If you currently consume meat every day, dedicate some days to go meat-free and have soy products instead, eg. tofu. Soy protein helps regulate glucose and insulin level. Besides, you could find yourself shedding some pounds as soy products are low in calorie, has no saturated fat, and is very low in cholesterol.

6. Ditch the Coke

Canned and other packed drinks are very high in sugar, and gulping them all at once create a sugar blast that your body might not be able to take. Did you know that Malaysia is the eighth country with most sugar consumption in the whole wide world? A survey in Harvard involving 90,000 women shows that those who consume soft drinks regularly are twice more likely to develop type-2 diabetes. And nope, it does not mean you should switch to diet soda because it makes you hungrier and crave for more.

7. Take a chill pill

Many experts believe that stress increases sugar level in the bloodstream. Richard Surwit, Ph.D., the chief of medical psychology at the Duke University Medical Center, suggests people to take up yoga, meditation, prayer, and other emotional healing to de-stress. Check out our 5 instant, inexpensive ways to de-stress for more options.

8. Good morning, sunshine!

We have grown to avoid any exposure to the sun for many beauty (and health) reasons, and we tend to forget that the morning sun is an indispensable source of vitamin D. Before kick-starting your cubicle day, spend 15 minutes under the morning sun (7-9AM). Apply your sunscreen beforehand if you are still paranoid of the rays.

9. Get some sleep, seriously!

An 8-hour sleep is travesty in this hectic, hyper-connected world we are living in. A study conducted at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston reveals that impaired sleep significantly increases risks of diabetes. Lacking of sleep can cause your insulin level to drop as much as 32%. Whereas, our body needs insulin to stabilise sugar level in our bloodstream.

10. Quit smoking

A study at Harvard School of Public Health reveals that smokers are 50% more likely to develop diabetes. Heavy smokers are even worse. If you are clueless of how to, read our writeup on ways to quit smoking.

Besides the lifestyle changes stated above, you should also cut down on sugar and get your blood glucose level checked annually, especially if you are 45 or older.

Credits: New Straits Times