Preventing Diabetes

Keeping weight in check, being active, and eating a healthy diet can prevent most cases of type 2 diabetes. 

There’s good news and bad news about type 2 diabetes, which used to be called adult onset diabetes. The bad news? It’s striking people at younger and younger ages, and rates are skyrocketing globally as the population grows heavier and gets less physical activity. The good news? It’s highly preventable.

1. Put exercise first—and put television last. Regular exercise by itself can cut diabetes risk. That it also helps keep weight in check adds even more benefit. Choose things you enjoy and do them every day. Too much television-watching ups diabetes risk—an increase of 20 percent for every 2 hours you watch. So trade some of your sit-time for fit-time.

2. Try to keep weight in check. Being a healthy weight is the best thing you can do to lower your risk of diabetes. Need to lose weight? Getting active and eating a healthy diet, with smaller portions, s-l-o-w-l-y are your best bets.

3. Choose healthy fats and proteins, and skip the red and processed meat. Sure, they’ve got long names, but a diet rich in mono and polyunsaturated fats can help lower your risk of diabetes and heart disease. Canola oil and olive oil are great choices, as are the fats in avocados, nuts, and seeds. For protein, replace the steaks, chops, hot dogs, and bacon with nuts, beans, poultry, or fish.processed meat.

4. Focus on plant foods. A diet high in whole grains can help lower the risk of diabetes and keep appetite in check. Choose a good variety of whole grain foods prepared in interesting ways, such as Mollie Katzen's recipe for couscous-quinoa tabouli.

5. Cut back on refined carbs and sugary drinks. White bread, white rice, white pasta and potatoes cause fast and furious increases in blood sugar, as do sugary soft drinks, fruit punch, and fruit juice. Over time, eating lots of these refined carbohydrates and sugar may increase your risk of type 2 diabetes.  To lower your risk—switch to whole grains and skip the sugar, especially the sugary drinks. Drink water, coffee or tea instead.

 Keeping weight in check and being physically active can help prevent most cases of the disease. Choosing a diet rich in whole grains and healthy fats adds even more protection—skip the refined grains and sugary soda. Limiting red meat—steak, hamburger, pork chops, and the like—and avoiding processed meat—bacon, hot dogs, and deli meats—can also help lower diabetes risk. Go for healthier protein sources instead, such as nuts, beans, poultry, and fish.