Eat Healthy, Be Healthy - Prevent Diabetes

Prevent or lower your risks - tune up your diet and lifestyle for a healthier future.

Including healthy foods regularly in your diet instead of less healthy ones can help with blood sugar and provide a wealth of other health benefits, such as more energy, a healthier heart, and lower blood pressure!

What is Diabetes?

Diabetes mellitus, commonly known as diabetes, is a metabolic disease that causes high blood sugar.

The three main types of diabetes are:

• Type 1 diabetes

Type 1 diabetes is believed to be an autoimmune condition. This means your immune system mistakenly attacks and destroys the beta cells in your pancreas that produce insulin. The damage is permanent.

• Type 2 diabetes

Type 2 diabetes starts as insulin resistance. This means your body can’t use insulin efficiently. That stimulates your pancreas to produce more insulin until it can no longer keep up with demand. Insulin production decreases, which leads to high blood sugar.

• Gestational diabetes

Gestational diabetes is due to insulin-blocking hormones produced during pregnancy. This type of diabetes only occurs during pregnancy.

Source
Types of Diabetes: Causes, Identification, and More - Healthlinewww.healthline.com

 

Whether you’re trying to prevent or control diabetes, your nutritional needs are virtually the same as everyone else, so no special foods are necessary. But you do need to pay attention to some of your food choices—most notably the carbohydrates you eat.
Most cases of type 2 diabetes are preventable and some can even be reversed. Even if you’ve already developed diabetes, it’s not too late to make a positive change. By eating healthier, being more physically active, and losing weight, you can reduce your symptoms.
 

Healthier Choices

Healthy eating can help you prevent, control, and even reverse diabetes. And with these tips, you can still enjoy your food without feeling hungry or deprived.
 
Eat more

• Healthy fats from nuts, olive oil, fish oils, flax seeds, or avocados.
• Fruits and vegetables—ideally fresh, the more colorful the better; whole fruit rather than juices.
• High-fiber cereals and breads made from whole grains.
• Fish and shellfish, organic chicken or turkey.
• High-quality protein such as eggs, beans, low-fat dairy, and unsweetened yogurt.

Eat less

• Packaged and fast foods, especially those high in sugar, baked goods, sweets, chips, desserts.
• White bread, sugary cereals, refined pastas or rice.
• Processed meat and red meat.
• Low-fat products that have replaced fat with added sugar, such as fat-free yogurt.

 
 
 

Get Active

Being more physically active goes hand in hand with eating healthier. It can help you manage your diabetes and also reduce your risk of heart problems. This is because it increases the amount of glucose used by your muscles and helps the body use insulin more efficiently.

Myths vs Facts

Changing your lifestyle could be a big step toward diabetes prevention — and it's never too late to start.
 
 
Contains content sourced and quoted from:
The Diabetes Diet - HelpGuide.orgwww.helpguide.org