Diabetes type 2 does not tend to manifest itself overnight. As a rule, the body sends silent signals months – sometimes years – ahead of a diagnosis being made.
The good news? Prevention takes place in that window.
When someone has already told you that you are at risk or you just want to be ahead of them, the actions that you can currently take are not as difficult as you may assume.
What Exactly Makes You More Risky
Getting to know what your risk is all about is not about blame; it is about information. There are aspects that are beyond your control, and there are many.
Risk factors you can’t change:
- Type 2 diabetes in family history
- Age (risk increases after 45)
- History of gestational diabetes
Risk factors you can work on:
- Being overweight, particularly in the middle part
- High content of processed food and added sugar
- Long sitting with minimal movement
- Sleep dysregulation
- Chronic, unmanaged stress
The higher the proportion of the second list that you can cover, the higher the chances that you will never get a diagnosis of diabetes.
Minuscule Things That Change a Lot
Move More
You need not become a sportsperson. Studies have always indicated that moderate and consistent physical exercise enhances the way the body processes sugar.
- Walking five days a week, lasting 30 minutes will be sufficient to make a significant difference
- Dividing long hours of sitting, even by 5-minute walks every hour, is beneficial
- Such activities as gardening, dancing or cycling are all counted
Rethink What’s on Your Plate
None of the food categories should be on the black list. However, there is a big difference in how you generally eat.
- Eat a maximum of non-starchy vegetables in every meal
- Prefer whole grains to refined carbohydrates
- Limit sugary beverages – not only soda, but also juice
- Eat more protein and fiber at meals to maintain a stable blood sugar level
These swaps do not need a special diet, just a gradual change in defaults.
Sleep Well
Your hormones will be negatively impacted by poor sleep that makes it more difficult to control blood sugar.
A single or two bad nights will not make you go off track but consistent sleep deprivation is a factual metabolic threat.
- Aim for 7-9 hours most nights
- Maintain a regular sleeping and waking schedule, even during weekends
- Leave your room cool and dark
How to Deal with Stress Before It Deals with You
Prolonged periods of stress hormones increase blood sugar. It is more important to create small, daily stress-reducing practices than the big resets that occur infrequently.
- Cortisol can be decreased even by 10 minutes of deep breathing or light stretching
- Relationship with others such as friends, community, or a care provider, is a real buffer of chronic stress
Get Checked – When You’re Not Feeling Unwell
This section is significant to a larger extent than most individuals think. Prediabetes has no symptoms. Your blood sugar can be high for years.
You can find out where you are by a simple test of your blood through your primary care provider.
Early detection and prevention of prediabetes means that you stand the best opportunity of reversing the pattern before it turns into something more difficult to handle.
Our providers at Honeycomb Clinic sit down and discuss your numbers, your lifestyle, and what prevention really means to you, not a checklist that fits everybody, but a face-to-face conversation.
Next Steps
The best prevention is a personalized one.
Honeycomb Clinic will be available to you whether you need a regular checkup, a blood sugar screening, or assistance in making a sustainable change.
Get checked today.
FAQs
Is it possible to prevent Type 2 diabetes?
Yes, to many people, particularly when they are taken at the prediabetes stage. Such lifestyle changes as better diet, frequent movement and weight control have proven to significantly lower or eliminate the risk.
What is the distinction between Type 2 diabetes and prediabetes?
Prediabetes consists of an increase in the level of blood sugar beyond the normal range but not as high as diabetic. It is entirely reversible in due course.
What is the frequency of my blood sugar testing?
A fasting blood glucose test is needed at least once every three years in adults (or any person with risk factors) older than 35 years of age (or more often as advised by the provider).