6 simple ways to prevent diabetes

SHARED FROM

HOW TO PREVENT DIABETES

http://www.prevention.com/prevent/how-prevent-diabetes

 

Type-2 diabetes is on the rise, and the consequences can be costly.  With a few natural steps, you can prevent—and maybe even reverse—this condition.

Nos.	Tips	Findings
1	Lose 10 pounds	Even extremely overweight people were 70% less likely to develop diabetes when they lost just 5% of their weight—even if they didn’t exercise. If you weigh 175 pounds, that’s a little less than 9 pounds!
2	Eat more cinnamon	German researchers found that 1 gram of cinnamon a day helped adults with type 2 diabetes reduce their blood sugar by 10%. That’s because compounds in cinnamon may activate enzymes that stimulate insulin receptors.
3	Get to the gym	·         Exercise even if it’s not to lose weight ·         The famed Nurses’ Health Study, for example, found that women who worked up a sweat more than once a week reduced their risk of developing diabetes by 30%. ·         Studies show that exercise helps your body utilize the hormone insulin more efficiently by increasing the number of insulin receptors on your cells. ·         Insulin helps blood sugar move into cells, where it needs to go to provide energy and nutrition. Otherwise it just sloshes around in your bloodstream, gumming up blood vessel walls and eventually causing serious health problems.
4	Take time to unwind	When you’re stressed, your body is primed to take action.  This gearing up causes your heart to beat faster, your breath to quicken, and your stomach to knot.  It also triggers your blood sugar levels to skyrocket.
5	Indulge in your coffee cravings	Researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health found that big-time coffee drinkers—those who downed more than 6 daily cups—had a 29 to 54% lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes during the 18-year study.  They suspect that caffeine may help by boosting metabolism.  And coffee also contains potassium, magnesium, and antioxidants that help cells absorb sugar.
6	Keep good company	Women who live alone are 2.5 times more likely to develop diabetes than women who live with a partner, other adults, or children, according to a study published in Diabetes Care.