Type 2 diabetes, which turns into diabetes if not treated, is becoming more common. With the pandemic, many people have gotten used to spending more time indoors. Whereas some stay active outside, many have become inactive. Furthermore, working at home results in making poor eating choices.
If you haven’t been eating the right foods and have forgotten to exercise lately, there’s still time to turn things around. Type 2 diabetes may be a concern, but it’s largely preventable. Research shows that about 9 in 10 cases in the U.S. is avoidable by making healthier choices.
This article tackles how women, in particular, can prevent diabetes. For tips on staying healthy and preventing diabetes, keep reading.
1. Stay Active
Making time for exercise is an excellent way to prevent diabetes. Putting your muscles to good use gives them the chance to use insulin. From there, they use glucose, which is good for your body.
If you’re not a fan of cardio, don’t worry. While getting your heart rate up is good, walking fast for half an hour a day is just as effective. In fact, the Nurses’ Health Study and Health Professionals Follow-up Study supports this finding. By walking half an hour daily, your chances of developing type 2 diabetes lower by 30%!
So, instead of doing more Netflix and chill time, spend at least half an hour going on a walk. You can make it fun by walking in a new neighborhood or checking out a nearby reserve!
2. Stay at a Healthy Weight
It’ll also be easier to stay at a healthy weight by being more physically active. Unfortunately, being overweight is the leading cause of type 2 diabetes. So, the more weight you gain, the bigger the chances of getting diabetes. Being overweight makes women 20 to 40 times more likely to get it.
So, to stay at a healthy weight, make time to exercise and eat well. It may be challenging, so at first, try instilling small habits. An example would be to cut out chips, for starters. Then, as you conquer small goals, move on to bigger ones to establish healthy eating patterns.
3. Drink Fewer Sugary Drinks
Like alcohol, drinks with a lot of sugar can also result in type 2 diabetes. A Nurses’ Health study revealed that for every extra 12-ounce serving of sugary beverage you drink per day, your risk of type 2 diabetes rises 25%.
So, if you’re drinking soda daily, you may want to drink less. The same goes for sugary teas, such as boba drinks.
Make sugary drinks an occasional treat instead of drinking them daily. If eliminating sugary drinks is challenging, there are ways to solve your sweet tooth. Snacking on sweet fruit like raspberries is one idea. And, if you need a beverage substitution, drink coffee and tea instead.
4. Drink Less Alcohol
Drinking less alcohol can help prevent diabetes. Having fewer drinks reduces heart disease, which plays a role in getting diabetes. If you tend to drink a lot, you don’t have to stop drinking altogether. However, moderate and light drinking can significantly reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes.
If you don’t drink that often, keep this in mind for the future. If you start to drink more frequently in the future, the fewer drinks you have, the better—Ward off heart disease by making alcohol an occasional drink.
5. Stay in Touch With Your Doctor
Having a primary doctor, you go to has excellent benefits. A physician can keep you accountable in the health department. You may struggle with weight due to a health condition. A few examples are hypothyroidism and Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS).
If losing weight is hard, a doctor may have some pointers on treating your health conditions. And they may also have recommendations on what type of food you should be eating.
Checking in with a doctor regularly is essential. If you feel something is off in your body, having it checked out gives you peace of mind. And in turn, it can help prevent diabetes from developing.
Conclusion
Preventing diabetes is something you shouldn’t take lightly. Taking control of your health and making strides to eat healthily and stay active is vital. So is drinking less alcohol and sugary drinks.
And did you know that if you use cannabis, that also lowers your chances of getting diabetes? Veriheal explains how this is the case for women, in particular.
Bottom line: Don’t give up if you struggle with the above tips. Find a support system and doctor who can be there for you through your health journey.
