Whether you have type 1 or type 2 diabetes, what, when, and how much you eat all If you have diabetes (or impaired glucose tolerance), your blood glucose can go …
Five Small Steps to Prevent Diabetes
Almost 16 million Americans are well on their way to developing diabetes,
but most dont even know it They have a condition called pre-diabetes,
which means their blood glucose levels are higher than normal, but not yet
diabetic
The goods news is there is now scientific proof that the disease and its
devastating complications, such as heart attack, stroke, blindness, kidney
failure, or losing a foot or leg, can be delayed or prevented
The key to diabetes prevention is taking small steps toward living a
healthier life, according to the National Diabetes Education Program
NDEP, a program of the US Department of Health and Human Services
Research sponsored by the National Institutes of Health showed that people
with pre-diabetes lowered their risk of developing diabetes by more than
half by getting 30 minutes of physical activity five days a week and losing
five to seven percent of their weight
If you are over 45 and overweight, you are at increased risk for pre-
diabetes NDEP recommends taking these five small steps to live healthier
and prevent diabetes:
1 Find out if you are at risk for diabetes Talk to your health
care
provider at your
next visit
2 Set realistic goals for increasing your physical activity Start
by making small
changes Try to get 15 minutes of physical activity a day this
week Each week add
five minutes until you build up to the recommended 30 minutes a
day, most days
3 Make better food choices Try to eat more fruits and vegetables
five to nine
servings a day, beans, and whole grains Reduce the amount of
fat in your diet
Choose grilled or baked foods instead of fried
4 Record your progress Write down everything you eat and drink
Keeping a food
diary is helpful to lose weight and keep it off Review the diary
with your health
care provider
5 Keep at it Making even modest lifestyle changes can be tough in
the beginning
Try adding one new healthy change a week If you fall back to old
habits, get back
on track again The key is to keep trying
Source: Diabetes and You, Take Five Small Steps to Prevent Diabetes,
National Diabetes Education Program, wwwndepnihgov
National Wellness Institute
Member Services
1300 College Court PO Box 827
Stevens Point, WI
54481-0827
800-244-8922 715-342-2969 Fax 715-342-2979
Email: members@nationalwellnessorg
Source:swarthmore.edu
