Did you know that more than 30 million Americans have Diabetes?

The sad part about this horrific statistic is that debatably 75% of cases of diabetes can be prevented by simply being more mindful of the choices we make with the foods we are eating every day.

Aside from typically being a derivative of obesity, diabetes may also lead to blindness, kidney failure, nerve damage, heart disease and in severe cases, may even result in the need for limb amputation.

So much focus nowadays is on the TREATMENT of symptoms of diabetes, usually with expensive drugs that the patient will be dependent on and responsible for paying for, in most cases for the rest of their lives.

As a licensed Medical Physician, I will tell you that the best the best way to “treat” diabetes is NOT to mask its symptoms with drugs…

The best way to “treat” diabetes is to prevent it from happening altogether.

Here are 4 actionable tips on how you can prevent type 2 diabetes…

1. Maintain a Proper Weight & Low to Moderate Body Fat Levels

Research has shown that being overweight increases your risk of developing diabetes by over 700%, primarily because it increases insulin resistance, the primary risk factor in type 2 diabetes. Therefore, one way to decrease your risk of developing diabetes is to maintain a proper body weight which can be done through adequate nutrition and exercise.

2. Exercise More

It sounds too simple to be true, but exercise has been shown to reduce your risk of developing diabetes profoundly, whereas inactivity has been shown to drastically increase the risk.

While high-intensity exercise may offer increased benefits with regard to greater calorie expenditure and weight loss, research has shown that simply walking for 30 minutes a day will reduce your risk of diabetes.

Although walking is a great start, if at all possible, you should focus mainly on high-intensity exercise and more specifically, weight/resistance training, as it can increase carbohydrate tolerance and insulin sensitivity.

This is key for preventing the onset of diabetes, as it can improve long-term blood sugar control. (the key risk factor in diabetes).

Action step: Get active about 4 times per week, including high-intensity exercise and strength training.

3.) Eat More Whole Foods

There’s a good reason we focus on whole foods here at Nutrition Solutions, which we incorporate even in our fresh baked protein bars, donuts and pancakes.

Refined starches such as processed snacks, white bread, breakfast cereals and other sweets have been shown to cause a greater insulin response when compared to whole grains. When this occurs over the years and is combined with inactivity and overeating, our cells become unresponsive to insulin. This leaves the carbohydrates (blood sugar) floating in our blood which damages our cells and nerves and increases fat storage.

Therefore, it’s no surprise that research has shown that over time, diets high in refined grains may increase the risk of developing diabetes, whereas diets high in whole grains may offer a protective effect!

While the odd treat is fine, focus on healthy whole foods, green veggies and grains. If you do want a sweet treat, stick to something like fruit, or of course, are Clean Cheatz protein donuts are always a solid option as well! 🙂

4.) Get Fat(s)

Not all fats are bad. However, trans fats often found in processed baked goods, chips, margarine and fried foods have been shown to increase your risk of developing diabetes, whereas polyunsaturated fats have been shown to decrease the risk of developing diabetes.

At Nutrition Solutions, our meals contain no trans fats, while some of our meals are high in natural, healthy polyunsaturated fats and omega 3 fatty acids – these have been shown to be beneficial for our heart, general health, skin, hair and support fat loss.

In conclusion:

Diabetes is a serious health condition that currently impacts millions of people all across the world.

However, type 2 diabetes is primarily caused by a bad diet and unhealthy lifestyle. Therefore, it’s no surprise that there are several ways in which you can reduce your risk of developing diabetes through a healthy lifestyle, exercise and a sound nutrition plan. Here are the key takeaways from this article:

• Maintain a healthy bodyfat % and bodyweight.

• Workout often – although any exercise is better than none, try to focus on high-intensity exercise and resistance training over the long term to get the best results.

• Increase your whole food intake, especially healthy whole grains, fiber and lean proteins.

• Ditch the processed fats and focus on healthy fats, such as omega 3s and polyunsaturated fats.

Yours in Good Health,

Saman Soleymani M.D.

Medical Director

References

1.https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/diabetes-prevention/preventing-diabetes-full-story

2. Sun Q, Spiegelman D, van Dam RM,et al. White rice, brown rice, and risk of type 2 diabetes in US men and women. Arch Intern Med. 2010; 170:961-9.

3. Grøntved A, Hu FB. Television viewing and risk of type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and all-cause mortality: a meta-analysis. JAMA. 2011; 305:2448-55.