November is American Diabetes Month, and you can use this month to increase your knowledge of the risk factors and encourage people you care about to make healthy changes to avoid being diagnosed with the disease. More than 30 million Americans already have Type 2 Diabetes, and another 84 million adults are at high risk of developing the disease.
Type 2 Diabetes (T2D) is one of the leading causes of death and disability in the United States. When left uncontrolled, it can cause blindness, nerve damage, kidney disease, and other serious health problems. The root cause of T2D is chronic systemic inflammation which you cannot feel, but you will find out you have it when it rears its ugly head as T2D or one of the other related diseases.
Small changes over time can make a significant impact on preventing inflammation. Once you have the first two tips mastered, gradually incorporate the remaining tips below until they all become habits. Maintaining healthy behaviors can significantly lower your risk of inflammation and help prevent T2D.
- Get Off the Blood Sugar Roller Coaster: Eating easy-to-digest carbohydrates (like added sugar, flour, and refined grains) alone can cause blood sugar to peak quickly and fall rapidly. When this occurs regularly, inflammation is increased, making the cells insulin resistant. When you combine complex carbs with healthy fat and protein, you reduce the chance of spiking blood glucose.
- Veg Out: There’s no limit to the number of servings of non-starchy vegetables you can eat, but most American’s don’t come close to eating the recommended three cups each day.
- Eat Real: More often, choose foods that closely resemble how they appeared in nature. These include unstripped grains, beans, and whole vegetables and fruit (rather than juices)
- Eat with Intention: Eat when you are hungry and be mindful of how the food satisfies your needs.
- Whittle Your Waist: Excess weight, especially around the middle, increases the risk of chronic inflammation and puts added stress on the heart and joints.
- Move it: If you are sedentary for hours on end, inflammation increases. Set a goal to walk around for five minutes every hour.
- Eat early: Our bodies are more adept at blood sugar management early in the day. Plus, eating late at night can negatively impact sleep.
- Sleep Sufficiently: Lack of sleep may negatively impact your food choices and your weight.
- Cultivate Calm: Stress triggers the production of life-saving hormones, but when hormone levels are not rebalanced, the body cannot neutralize molecules that are responsible for inflammation.
- Seek Support: Sometimes, it takes more than knowledge to achieve your goals. Find a local registered dietitian to help you get started on your journey. I recommend this resource: https://www.eatright.org/find-an-expert.
Not only can these tips help prevent T2D, but they also can help you effectively manage the disease if you already have it.
Nancy Teeter is a Registered Dietitian and a SaddleBrooke resident. Though she is mostly retired, she is passionate about sharing her nutrition knowledge with others. This article should not replace advice from your medical provider.
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