How to Prevent Diabetes

First Method

1. Check your risk of diabetes. Take the Life! risk assessment test and learn more about your risk of developing type 2 diabetes. A 12+ score indicates that you are at high risk and may be eligible for the Life! program - a free Victorian lifestyle modification program that helps you reduce your risk of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease, or call 13 RISK (13 7475).
2. Manage your weight. Excess body fat, particularly if stored around the abdomen, can increase the body’s resistance to the hormone insulin. This can lead to type 2 diabetes.
3. Exercise regularly. Moderate physical activity on most days of the week helps manage weight, reduce blood glucose levels and may also improve blood pressure and cholesterol.
4. Eat a balanced, healthy diet. Reduce the amount of fat in your diet, especially saturated and trans fats. Eat more fruit, vegetables and high-fibre foods. Cut back on salt.
5. Limit takeaway and processed foods. ‘Convenience meals’ are usually high in salt, fat and kilo joules. It’s best to cook for yourself using fresh ingredients whenever possible.

Second Method

1. Get Off Your Butt

Think you can cross this one off your list because you work out daily? Not so fast. The truth is, the average person — even one who is active and fit — sits for a whopping nine hours a day. (You can thank your desk job for that.) An hour-long workout is not enough to offset all that chair time to keep you disease-free, according to a number of recent studies. "When you sit too long, your body stops producing lipoprotein lipase, an enzyme that essentially vacuums fat out of your bloodstream," says Marc Hamilton, PhD, director of the inactivity physiology department at the Pennington Biomedical Research Center in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. "The more you sit, the more your levels of lipase plummet. If you're glued to your computer all day, you probably won't be able to metabolize fat properly." That, combined with other factors, can eventually lead to insulin resistance, a precursor to diabetes in which your body is unable to use the insulin it produces.

It's hard to say exactly how much time on your behind is too much because the research is so new, says Stuart Biddle, PhD, a professor at the School of Sport, Exercise, and Health Sciences at Loughborough University in the United Kingdom. But it's a good idea to get up as much as possible. "Aim to stand at least five minutes every hour," Biddle suggests. Move around more often by placing your trash can on the other side of your cubicle and your phone steps away from your computer. Instead of meeting with coworkers at the conference table, do a group walk-and-talk around the block or at a nearby park. Chances are, you'll be more focused and creative, too, because activity has been shown to rev up brainpower.

2. Take vitamin D.

In addition to protecting you against breast and colon cancer and depression, this wonder vitamin can also help prevent diabetes. In a study at G.V. (Sonny) Montgomery VA Medical Center in Jackson, Mississippi, people with low levels of D were more likely to have poor sugar control, a marker for diabetes. "Vitamin D stimulates the production of insulin, which helps the body utilize blood sugar," explains Michael F. Holick, MD, PhD, director of the Heliotherapy Light and Skin Research Center at Boston University Medical Center. Because it's tough to get D from food, most women are deficient, Dr. Holick says. He recommends taking a supplement of 2,000 IU of vitamin D every day.

3. Run or bike off-road.

You know that air pollution is bad for your lungs. Now a study has found that it can also contribute to diabetes. "The ultrafine dust emitted from cars as they burn gasoline contains minute bits of chemicals and metals that appear to cause chronic inflammation," says study coauthor, Ursula Kramer, PhD, professor of environmental epidemiology at the Environmental Health Research Institute at Heinrich Heine University in Germany. Our bodies then release anti-inflammatory proteins that make us less responsive to insulin, increasing our diabetes risk. The danger is highest for people who live within about 110 yards of busy roads. But fitness buffs also need to beware. If you exercise near a high-traffic area, the deeper breaths you take while doing cardio mean you'll inhale more dust. The healthy solution is to find a path less traveled for your workout — in a residential neighborhood, for instance, or along a trail. Check out mapmyrun.com for routes in your area.

4. Skip the deli turkey sandwich.

It's a no-brainer that fatty bacon and bologna are bad for you. But research shows that even low-fat processed deli meats can pose a significant danger when it comes to diabetes. "On average, eating one 1.8-ounce serving of processed meat every day is associated with a 19 percent higher risk of the disease," says lead study author Renata Micha, PhD, a research fellow in the department of epidemiology at Harvard School of Public Health. The possible culprits are the nitrate preservatives used in your favorite sandwich fixing: Micha and her colleagues found that processed meat contains about the same amount of saturated fat and cholesterol as unprocessed red meat, but 50 percent more nitrate preservatives, which have been shown to reduce glucose tolerance. If you eat processed meat more than once a week, consider a smart swap. Make your sandwich with fresh chicken or turkey, or veg out and eat a pita with hummus, carrots, tomato, and a little avocado.

5. Watch your sugar intake.

Foods containing added sweeteners are typically higher in calories, so if they're a regular part of your diet, you're more likely to pack on extra pounds and increase your chances of getting diabetes. "Not only that, these foods are digested quickly, making you hungry again soon and likely to eat even more," says Christine Tobin, a certified diabetes educator and president of health care and education for the American Diabetes Association. Even "healthy" choices like yogurt, peanut butter, and energy bars can contain high amounts of the sweet stuff. At the supermarket, be sure to read labels before putting foods in your cart, and steer clear of anything that lists sugar, sucrose, corn syrup, or other sweeteners, such as evaporated cane juice or molasses, as one of the first ingredients.