Want to Avoid Diabetes Later in Life? Start Doing These Things Now

Diabetes presents a widespread, global health threat, and as recently as 2022, the number of people struggling with the illness was 830 million. This chronic health condition can be complex to detect in the early stages, leaving many people undiagnosed, and the effects of this disease spread to nearly every part of the body if not managed properly.

As recently as 2021, diabetes was responsible for 1.4 million deaths in people before they reached the age of 70. Anyone can develop this disease, so to avoid its effects on your body, you can use the following tips and techniques to live a long and healthy life.

Dr. Shruti Patel and the dedicated medical team at Low Cost Health Clinics serve the residents of Anaheim, Riverside, Santa Ana, Corona, and Indio, California, addressing a range of acute and chronic health issues, including the prevention and management of diabetes.

Understanding diabetes

Sugar has a bad rap for the effects it has on your body, which is the result of excess amounts of it in your bloodstream, in the form known as blood glucose. You actually need blood glucose to power the cells in your body, and regulating the amount present in the blood is the job of insulin, a hormone produced by your pancreas.

When you have too much blood glucose for insulin to manage, or your blood sugar levels are bad enough for your body to form resistance, you develop hyperglycemia, which over time becomes prediabetes and eventually type 2 diabetes. 

In the early stages, symptoms often do not appear; however, when they do, they can manifest as increased thirst and hunger, weight loss, fatigue, slow-healing sores, frequent urination, and blurred vision. 

Common causes and risk factors

Insulin resistance frequently leads to diabetes, and when that happens, your muscles and liver don’t respond appropriately to insulin, causing your pancreas to produce more insulin to combat the hyperglycemia. 

Numerous factors can contribute to this development, including excess body fat, a sedentary lifestyle (characterized by extensive physical inactivity), high amounts of sugars, sodium, and processed foods within a diet, certain medications, chronic stress, and various hormonal disorders. Inherited genetic traits also play a role in getting diabetes.

Methods of prevention

Fortunately, several lifestyle and dietary changes can help lower your risk of diabetes, and if you have it, reduce the risk of complications. These include: 

Maintaining a healthy weight

Maintaining a manageable weight helps boost energy, and specifically reducing the amount of belly (visceral) fat helps lower the risk of issues associated with this chronic illness.

Get physical

Many physical activities can help improve metabolism, increase energy, and aid in maintaining a healthy weight, such as strength training, aerobics, balance exercises, and simply getting up and walking more.

Eat healthier foods

Lowering your consumption of processed, high-sugar, and high-sodium foods can help reduce your risk of diabetes. Instead, eat more fruits, vegetables, and healthy fats from fish, nuts, and various types of seeds.

Equally important is avoiding fad diets that may offer quick weight loss but can also disrupt the balance of your diet, depriving you of the essential nutrients you need. We can help you with dietary tips to stay healthy without following unhealthy trends.

Diabetes creates the risks of many health issues, but even if you have it, we can help you keep it under control. It’s best to avoid developing it. For the best ways to accomplish this, schedule an appointment with Dr. Patel and the Low-Cost Health Clinics today.