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Diabetes is a condition in which your body does not produce
enough insulin or cannot use the insulin your pancreas does produce.
Insulin is a hormone that is required for your body’s cells to use
the sugar in the bloodstream for food and energy. With type 2
diabetes, the most common form of the disease, the body becomes
unable to use the insulin it produces. Excess sugar in the
bloodstream can wreak havoc on your system and your body tries to
rid itself of the excess sugar.
Diabetes prevention is easier than diabetes control. As there is
no cure for diabetes, you are much better off never contracting the
disease. You should first be aware of the risk factors that make it
more probable you will have diabetes. The primary risk factors are
genetics, body weight, daily activity, ethnicity, high blood
pressure and age. Age is no longer really a consideration; type 2
diabetes is being diagnosed in younger people now and even in
children.
The key to prevention is a healthy lifestyle. If you are
overweight, you should try to alter your eating habits to lose the
extra pounds with a dietician or doctor supported weight loss plan.
You do not have to go on a drastic diet, just start eating a lot
more fresh vegetables and fruit, make sure the cuts of meat you eat
are lean, cut back on sweet and fatty snacks and try to avoid
processed foods. These steps alone will help you to prevent
diabetes.
The real powerhouse in diabetes prevention is exercise. Not only
does it burn calories, helping you to shed those unwanted pounds,
but exercise reduces insulin resistance. Exercise helps muscle cells
to use the sugar that is in the bloodstream and helps circulation in
general. It is the single most important step you can take in
diabetes prevention.
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