As we age, it’s harder to take care of our bodies. Health issues take us off guard, and we forget to watch what we eat. Before we know it, we’re facing the possibility of type 2 diabetes and a life-long battle. Thankfully, there are a couple strategies that allow us to prevent type 2 diabetes and take care of ourselves in the meantime.
The following are best employed in conjunction with one another. While each will be effective on its own, together they stand a much better chance of preventing type 2 diabetes.
Exercise
It’s no secret that regular exercise leads to better health and a longer life. However, simply exercising every so often isn’t enough to lose weight or prevent type 2 diabetes. It requires a commitment to a schedule and a workout plan to see any significant weight loss or muscle gains.
The goal is to elevate your heart rate for extended periods of time. How you do this is up to you. Everyone has a different type of exercising they enjoy. Whether it’s running, weight lifting, power walking, skating, or any number of exercises, find what you enjoy and stick with it. Regular exercise is crucial for heart health and a long life, so the benefits can’t be underestimated.
However, no matter how much you exercise, unless you pair it with a proper food plan it’s completely useless.
Diet/Meal Plan
Gaining weight, going on a diet, and then gaining weight is a vicious cycle. For many, it’s unbreakable. The key is to stop thinking of it as a diet. A diet implies a short-term commitment until the goal is met.
Instead, change your meal plan. Come up with a weekly list of foods for each meal. Then, check the content of those foods. Try to avoid fad diets or “miracle weight loss” plans. More often than not these diets are complete lies, or are based on unhealthy practices. There’s no magic pill to losing weight. Simply eating right is often enough to start losing weight. For many, simply cutting out processed food and sugars is enough.
For those who are a bit more serious about weight loss, a true meal plan involves watching calories and sugar in the food you eat. To simplify it, the human body needs around 2000 calories per day to function. Eat over that amount to gain weight/muscle, eat under it to lose weight. For more technical information, research macros in food plans. Once you’ve become accustomed to a proper meal plan and watching how you eat, the pounds will start falling off.
No Smoking
With advances in modern medicine, we’ve come to understand the dangers smoking presents to the human body and your health. The addictive nature of smoking causes many to become trapped, often destroying their bodies in the process.
Not including the high chance of cancer, heart disease, and other health complications, smoking can increase your risk of type 2 diabetes. Whether you’re a regular or new smoker, breaking the cycle can help you avoid a diabetes diagnosis.
Medicine
We won’t provide much detail here, suffice to say there are around 9 medications, including insulin, for those who have type 2 diabetes. For diabetes prevention, there is a medication known as Metformin. However, consult with your doctor before taking any medication as it may worsen your condition. We don’t recommend relying on medication to prevent type 2 diabetes, if possible.
Ultimately, the secret to avoiding diabetes is a healthy lifestyle. No amount of short-term exercise or dieting will fix your body in the long-run. It requires a commitment, both to yourself and that plan, to achieve any long term results.