40 Easy Ways to Help Prevent Type 2 Diabetes
Here's the latest that science has to offer to help you improve your blood sugar, whittle your middle, eat healthier, and more.
How to prevent type 2 diabetes
Although it sounds hard to believe, one in 10 adults have type 2 diabetes, and one in three have prediabetes, a condition where blood sugar is higher than normal, but not yet type 2 diabetes. That’s millions of people in the U.S. who have serious conditions that can be prevented (or at least delayed), with lifestyle changes. (Type 2 diabetes is caused by a combination of genetics and lifestyle factors, so it isn’t preventable in every case, but you can often take steps delay it.)
If you want to know how to prevent diabetes, “insulin’s action is the key,” notes Dr. Jason Fung, MD, a nephrologist and author of The Obesity Code. Dr. Fung describes how insulin, insulin resistance, and the stress hormone cortisol are the key hormonal triggers to both type 2 diabetes and obesity.
To reverse them you need to address those triggers, Dr Fung says. Here are some steps you can take that may help avoid a type 2 diabetes diagnosis.
Try intermittent fasting
When you do intermittent fasting, you only eat during certain times, like from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. A study that came out in 2018 in Cell Metabolism suggests that it may help avoid diabetes by keeping blood sugar stable. When overweight men with prediabetes ate three meals a day, starting around 8:30 a.m. and finishing before 3 p.m., their insulin sensitivity went up, which helped them control their blood sugar better. When the guys ate meals at different times than when they normally did (12 hours), their blood pressure also went down.
Eat the rainbow
A study from the Institute of Metabolic Science in Cambridge, which came out in 2012 in Diabetes Care, says that a diet high in fruits and vegetables can help people avoid getting diabetes. Researchers looked at the eating habits of over 3,700 adults aged 40 to 79 and then followed them for 11 years. They found that adults who ate the most fruits and vegetables (about six servings a day) had a 21% lower risk of getting type 2 diabetes than adults who ate the least (about two servings a day). Variety was important: People who ate 16 different kinds of fruits and vegetables a week were 40% less likely to get diabetes than people who ate only 8 different kinds. Every meal and snack should have at least one fruit or vegetable. Every day and every week, try something new. (One writer's whole view on food changed after they learned to eat the rainbow.)
Join a support group
A study released in 2017 in BMJ Open Diabetes Research & Care found that more than a third of people who were at risk for type 2 diabetes did not get the disease after following their doctor's advice to start a Weight Watchers program to help them lose weight. After an introductory 90-minute lesson, there were 48 weekly group meetings. At six and twelve months, participants had blood tests. Their blood sugar levels got better on average, and they dropped weight. It's amazing that one-third of the people who took part were able to get their blood sugar back to normal.
Do a gut check
Something called indolepropionic acid is made by the good bacteria in your gut. A study that came out in 2017 in Scientific Reports suggests that having a lot of this acid in the blood may help protect against type 2 diabetes. It looks like indolepropionic acid makes pancreatic cells release more insulin, which could explain why it has a beneficial effect. The study shows that eating a lot of fiber is very important because it makes the good bacteria in your gut happy. The USDA Dietary Guidelines for Americans say that women should get 25 grams of fiber a day and men should get 30 grams. For people over 50, the guidelines say to aim for 22 grams of fiber a day for women and 28 grams a day for men.
Chill out
Diabetes is no different from other things that get worse when you're stressed. In fact, some studies show that worry may make getting diabetes more likely in the first place. A lot of the stress hormone cortisol in your body and you don't exercise to counteract its negative effects, the American Diabetes Association says you may be setting yourself up for type 2 diabetes. A 2017 study in Current Diabetes Reports is one of many that have found a link between stress and not being able to control your blood sugar. You are also less likely to do the things you need to do to stay healthy when you are stressed.
Take a stand
A study published in 2012 in Diabetes Care looked at overweight and obese middle-aged adults. They discovered that their bodies were better able to control their insulin and blood sugar levels throughout the day when they walked for two minutes after a long period of five hours of sitting. It has been found that stopping glucose and insulin levels from rising after a meal can protect the heart and arteries over time. Every 20 minutes or so, get up from your seat.You could stand up, stretch, get a drink of water, or talk to a coworker in person.
Learn to love your body
Being overweight or fat makes it harder for the body to use insulin properly to control blood sugar levels. As a result, these people are more likely to get diabetes. Study from the Technical University of Lisbon in Portugal found that overweight women who took classes on body image and emotional eating lost 3.5 times more weight in a year than those who just got normal diet advice. The study was published in the journal Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise. The people in the study who lost the most weight did more than just lose body fat. They also stopped worrying about their shape and size and felt emotionally free, which makes it easier to stick to a healthy diet and exercise plan. Do not wait for the weight to go away. When you look at yourself in the mirror, be more kind to yourself. Notice your best features and be grateful for all that your body does for you.
Become label savvy
Have you ever thought you were really good at reading diet facts? 33% of people who took part in a study that was released in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association said that. Scientists found that only 9 percent of people regularly checked calorie counts by using eye-scan technology to record what people really saw. And only 1% looked at how much fat, sugar, and serving size were in most of the goods. Know how much is in the amount, then look at the fat and calories. Check to see if the amount of carbs fits with your meal plan. Also, look for things that are good for you, like fiber. One of the best ways to protect your health and avoid getting diabetes is to know what's in the foods you eat and make smart choices, says Davida F. Kruger, a nurse and diabetes expert at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit and author of The Diabetes Travel Guide.
Rethink happy hour
Dutch doctors say that if you have diabetes, drinking just one or two alcoholic drinks a day can make it very hard for you to see. The odd drink can help you control your blood sugar and may be good for your heart. But if you like to drink every day or are worried about your eyesight, you might want to switch to "near beer" or alcohol-free wine. A 2016 study in The Lancet says that there is no safe level of drinking and that the risks of moderate drinking are greater than any possible benefits in terms of preventing diabetes.
Combine sneakers and dumbbells
The people who did both aerobic exercise (like walking, riding an exercise bike, or swimming) and strength training lost more fat and were twice as likely to see a 0.5% drop in their A1c (a test of long-term blood sugar levels) than the people who only did one type of exercise. The study was published in Diabetes Care. If you only have a short amount of time to work out, don't just do cardio. Strength training for ten to fifteen minutes, twice or three times a week, makes a big difference.
Swap white rice for brown rice
Harvard University experts found in 2012 that the more white rice a person eats, the more likely they are to get type 2 diabetes. The researchers looked at information from more than 350,000 people who took part in the study between 2004 and 2012. While brown rice has more fiber, calcium, and vitamins, white rice has less of these things. White rice is also a high glycemic food, which means it's broken down quickly and can cause your blood sugar to rise. If you don't like the taste of brown rice, mix it with white rice and slowly increase the amount of brown to white rice until you do.
Keep an eye on dairy
"The jury is still out" when it comes to cheese, says Dr. Fung. Some studies, like one in Diabetes Care, show that eating dairy raises the risk of getting diabetes, while other studies show that eating dairy slightly lowers the risk. This is a fact: cheese does raise insulin, he says. "Carbs and fat shouldn't change insulin because they don't raise blood sugar." On his blog, he says, "But proteins and their building blocks, the amino acids, can also raise insulin without rising blood sugar."
Build a support team
People with diabetes were 40% more likely to reach healthy blood sugar, cholesterol, and blood pressure levels when they worked together with family, the doctor, and the doctor's staff than when they worked alone, according to a new study from the University of Pittsburgh published in Diabetes Care. Get your own group of people to help you. For emotional support, talk to your family. For advice, talk to your doctor and other diabetes professionals, like a registered dietitian or certified diabetes instructor.
Limit caffeine
While some evidence suggests coffee may lower diabetes risk, the beverage may be trickier for people who already have the disease. Research from Duke University found that people who took a sugar pill plus a cup of joe’s worth of caffeine saw blood sugar rise 21 percent higher than those who just got the sugar. Also: Insulin, the hormone that helps your body turn sugar (glucose) into energy, rose 48 percent higher in people who got caffeine. That’s bad news because it could be a sign that caffeine leads to insulin resistance, a condition in which cells have trouble absorbing blood sugar. If your post-meal blood sugar levels are higher than you like, the culprit might not be what you’re eating—it could be the caffeine in your cup. Try decaf, herbal tea, or water instead of coffee or other caffeinated drinks.
Snag more shut-eye
A big study from the University of Chicago published in Sleep Medicine Clinics found that not getting enough sleep can make your blood sugar rise 23% and your insulin resistance rise 82% in the morning. Researchers say that people with diabetes who had trouble going asleep, staying asleep, or controlling their blood sugar had worse blood sugar control. A 2018 study in Endocrinology and Metabolism found that missing just one night of sleep may make it harder for the liver to make glucose and use insulin, which raises the chance of getting type 2 diabetes. Do something if you're not feeling refreshed when you wake up. Stay away from coffee and other stimulants after noon, work out earlier in the day instead of right before bed, and make sure your bedroom is dark and cool at night.
Hoop it up
A study from the University of Wisconsin found that hula hooping burns 210 calories and gets your heart rate up as much as a fast walk. This old toy can actually be used as a great piece of workout equipment to improve your heart health, burn calories, and keep your blood sugar in check. Haul a hoop inside or outside; it's so much fun you won't even realize it's good for you. People in grammar school have always liked hooping, but in the last few years, adults have made it a big exercise trend. Online, it's easy to find a lot of information about hoops and exercises that use them. A classic one can also be found at a toy shop, of course.
Relish the magic of salad
Fiber, magnesium, and polyphenols in these leafy greens can help your cells maintain their sensitivity to insulin, the hormone responsible for blood-sugar absorption, finds a British Medical Journal study. Have a salad of leafy greens every day.
Eat more healthy fats
Dr. Fung says that people who are trying to lose weight or control their diabetes can benefit from switching from the typical American diet to one that is higher in healthy fats and lower in starchy carbs like bread and pasta. In simple terms, Dr. Fung writes at Intensive Dietary Management, "dietary fat does not raise insulin." A lot of people are overweight because of hyperinsulinemia. Hyperinsulinemia means that there is a lot of insulin in the blood. It makes sense that eating more fat instead of refined carbohydrates, which raise insulin levels, can drop them by a large amount, even if you eat the same number of calories.
Dr. Fung recommends the keto diet to his diabetes patients.
Don’t let aches immobilize you
About half of the people who have diabetes also have arthritis. It can be hard to do the things you need to do when your joints hurt, swell, or won't move. That's risky and common: A study from Northwestern University found that 50% of women with arthritis and 40% of men with arthritis are couch potatoes. Only one in nine did the 150 minutes of exercise a week that is good for you. It's hard to move when your back, shoulders, knees, hips, or feet hurt, but don't give up. Talk to your doctor about other ways to treat your pain besides painkillers.
Protect your emotional health
Depression and diabetes often happen together, but treating both at the same time can help people get better faster, according to a study in the Annals of Family Medicine. Researchers looked at 180 people with type 2 diabetes and depression who were treated for both conditions and took part in a program to help them stick to their drug schedules. 61% of patients had better blood sugar tests after 12 weeks, and almost the same number had fewer signs of sadness.
If you are depressed and your sleeping patterns change, you lose interest in things and activities you used to love, or you sleep more or less than normal, you should talk to your doctor about getting the right treatment.
Have protein at breakfast
Obesity published a study in 2014 that shows that a big breakfast with lots of protein is better for keeping blood sugar in check than a small breakfast with lots of carbs. First thing in the morning, everyone's blood sugar is raised. When you eat a food that is high in protein and low in carbs, your body makes less insulin, which lowers your blood sugar. On the other hand, if you eat a lunch high in carbs when your blood sugar is already high, it will stay high all day.
Protect yourself from plastics
A Swedish study of more than 1,000 older men and women published in Diabetes Care found that having high amounts of phthalates in your blood is linked to about a twofold increase in the risk of getting type 2 diabetes. They are in a lot of different things, like building materials, clothes, personal care and cosmetics items, food boxes, toys, perfumes, and vinyl records. Researchers don't know for sure that phthalates cause diabetes, but they think that the chemicals may raise your chance by messing up the production of insulin. It's hard to stay away from all phthalates because they're in so many things, but you can lower your exposure: Stay away from plastic cases with the number 3 on the bottom. This means that the contents contain PVC, a type of plastic that has additives added to it. Avoid beauty items that have "fragrance" as an ingredient and instead buy ones that don't have phthalates. Let air into your home: The amount of phthalates in indoor air is usually higher than in open air.
Grab a buddy
It’s easy to blow off an exercise plan—unless you’re meeting a friend. “You are more likely to stick with it if you are meeting a buddy,” says Kruger. Plan to walk with a co-worker during your lunch break, for example, or make an after-work workout plan with a friend.
Take a break
If you only work and never play, you might be more likely to get diabetes. A study in BMJ Diabetes Research and Care found that women who work 45 or more hours a week have at least a 50% higher risk of getting type 2 diabetes than women who work 35 to 40 hours a week. This risk is higher for women but not for men. The people who wrote the study think that working so many hours might cause stress that affects hormones, makes insulin less effective, and may even lead to diabetes. If you have to work extra hours to make ends meet, make sure you work out, eat well, and find ways to relax to lower your risk of getting diabetes.
Walk to work
A study in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine found that people who walk to work are 40% less likely to have diabetes than people who drive. Also, people who walk to work are 17% less likely to have high blood pressure than people who drive. People who ride bikes to work are half as likely as people who drive to have diabetes. Another way to get in shape without working out is to plan walking talks.
Watch your vitamin D
Researchers have linked depleted blood levels of vitamin D to a host of diseases and conditions, including type 2 diabetes. In a study published in 2018 in PLOS One, participants with higher D levels had a lower risk for developing diabetes. The precise mechanism is unclear, but one theory is that insulin-producing cells in the pancreas need vitamin D to stimulate the insulin production. More research is needed to study the possible connection.
Do a shot
Of apple cider vinegar, that is. Apple cider vinegar helps keep blood sugar levels in check and will keep you feeling fuller longer. Learn more about all of the ways that apple cider vinegar could benefit your health.
Get moving
For seniors who are already at risk, even a short time on the couch can raise their chance of getting type 2 diabetes. This was the question asked in a 2017 study published in the Journals of Gerontology. For two weeks, overweight adults with prediabetes were told to not take more than 1,000 steps per day. Their blood sugar went up a lot, which sped up the development of type 2 diabetes.
A news statement from Stuart Phillips, PhD, a professor in the Department of Kinesiology at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, said, "If people are going to be off their feet for a long time, they need to work actively to recover their ability to handle blood sugar." Phillips is the author of the study. Not sure how busy you are? Think about getting an old-school tracker. Here are 10 reasons you’re better off with a pedometer than a fitness tracker.
Sip some green tea
When 120 overweight women at risk for diabetes consumed green tea extract (1 gram), the diabetes drug Metformin, or green tea with Metformin, those who took green tea extract showed better blood sugar control than the Metformin groups. The study appears in Clinical Nutrition ESPEN. Here are 8 health benefits of green tea you haven’t heard of before.
Get a healthy start
Because of the huge problem of overweight kids, doctors are now finding diseases like type 2 diabetes in kids that they used to only see in adults. Studies have shown that kids who lose weight before they hit puberty have a much lower chance of getting type 2 diabetes. A 2018 study in the New England Journal of Medicine found that losing weight also lowers the chance of getting type 2 diabetes as an adult, but not as much. Talking to your child about weight is a touchy subject.
Kick the habit
Add diabetes to the list of diseases that smoking can cause or make worse. The more cigarettes you smoke, the higher your risk for type 2 diabetes. What’s more, if you have diabetes, smoking makes it harder to control and increases your chances of developing serious health problems related to your diabetes, says the American Diabetes Association.
Here are the 23 best ways to quit smoking for good.
Know your numbers
In its earliest stages, type 2 diabetes can be insidious. The best way to stay a step ahead is to know and monitor your blood cholesterol, blood pressure, blood sugar, and weight. Your doctor can help you make sure your numbers are in the “safe” range and give you advice on how to lower them if they are too high.
Get serious
You can lower your risk for type 2 diabetes by 58 percent if you lose 7 percent of your body weight and exercise moderately 30 minutes a day five days a week, according to the American Diabetes Association.
Go nuts
A study in Metabollism shows that people with type 2 diabetes who eat nuts as part of a healthy diet can keep their blood sugar levels in the normal range and lower their other risks for heart disease. An ounce of almonds contains about 23 almonds. The subjects ate 2 ounces of roasted, unsalted whole almonds every day by adding them to meals, desserts, or snacks. This replaced 20% of the calories in their diet.
Deep six the soda
In the Nurses’ Health Study II, women who drank one or more sugar-sweetened beverages a day were 83 percent more likely to develop diabetes, compared to women who drank less than one sugar-sweetened beverage per month. “Replace soda with water or sparkling water,” says Boston-based nutritionist Dana Greene, MS, RD, LDN. “Diet soda is no better and has also been linked to diabetes risk,” she warns.
Know that all red meats are not equal
Older studies that looked into a possible link between eating red meat and the chance of getting diabetes couldn't tell the difference between processed and unprocessed red meat. A study from the Harvard School of Public Health in 2010 published in Circulation looked at both and found that eating processed meat like bacon, sausage, or deli slices was linked to a 19% higher risk of type 2 diabetes. On the other hand, eating red meat like beef or lamb that has not been processed was not linked to a diabetes risk. Meat has a lot of B vitamins, minerals like iron and zinc, and protein. If you don't eat meat, you don't get enough B vitamins, especially B12. You can only get B12 from meat, eggs, and fowl.
Just say no to bacon
One study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that eating even small amounts of processed red meat each day (think one hot dog or sausage or two slices of bacon) increased diabetes risk by 51 percent. “Choose lean proteins such as fish and chicken instead of red and processed meats,” says Greene. Processed meats are high on the list of foods that cancer doctors try to avoid.
Consider weight loss surgery
It's not easy to lose weight and keep it off. It's possible that bariatric surgery could save your life if you are fat and already have high blood sugar or other health problems because of your weight. A statement signed by 45 professional groups from around the world says that people with diabetes who are mildly overweight and don't respond to standard treatment should think about weight-loss surgery as a possibility. The Statement and Clinical Guidelines appear in Diabetes Care. (Get the scoop on the types of weight loss surgeries here.)
Get personal
The American Diabetes Association and the European Association for the Study of Diabetes both have guidelines that say blood sugar goals should be based on a person's age, health, and any problems that come with having diabetes. If you are younger and don't have any risk factors for heart disease or severe low blood sugar, your doctor may tell you to lower your A1c number.
People aged 65 and up who have some of these problems may not have strict numbers to follow, in part because they are worried about low blood sugar and the side effects of taking too many medicines. Also, metformin is suggested as the first treatment for type 2 diabetes, unless the patient has A1C numbers that are very close to normal and is very determined to make lifestyle changes. If, after three months, metformin alone isn't controlling blood sugar, other drugs can be added.