There’s an epidemic in our country. One that people often talk about, there are shows with their sole purpose to help these individuals avoid it, and there are countless commercials that infiltrate our TGIT nights. What is it? It’s diabetes. In fact, in the United States, alone, there are over 29 million people who have the disease. That staggering number also means that diabetes is the 7th leading cause of death and is costing the U.S. somewhere in the neighborhood of $245 billion dollars a year. What’s the worst part of this whole situation? Diabetes is largely preventable. Here’s how you can take steps now to save your life.
1. GET MOVING!
This tip should really be to no surprise, but incorporating regular exercise into your lifestyle can help prevent type 2 diabetes in two main ways. Firstly, it will help you lose weight. Secondly, regular workouts will lower your blood glucose levels as it makes your cells more perceptive to insulin.
2. BREAK UP WITH ARTIFICIAL SUGARS AND SWEETENERS.
We all know that artificial sweeteners/sugars are terrible for you. Why? We’ll tell you: a) faux sugars can impact your body’s ability to manage calories, 2) in research studies, it was found that consumption of artificial sweeteners actually disturbs the balance of the bacteria in our cut, which leads to glucose intolerance.
3. EAT MORE VEGGIES THAN MEAT.
Research has proven that over consumption of red meat and fatty meats lead to a whole slew of health-related issues. However, have a more of a plant-based diet can help prevent diabetes. As studies suggest that being a vegetarian can make your body more responsive to insulin.
4. SPICE UP YOUR MEALS.
There are numerous health benefits to spices. Choose fresh spices, when available, but do you best to incorporate turmeric, basil, garlic, cinnamon and fennel into your meals.
5. MUNCH ON CACTUS.
Yes, you read that right. Mexican scientists concluded that by consuming cooked (250 grams, cooked for a maximum of 10 minutes) or raw (300 grams) of prickly pear cactus pads aided in the reduction of glucose peaks. How does one cook a prickly pear pad? With the flat side of a knife, remove the spine. Then, peel/cut around the pad. You can choose to consume it raw, boiled or, even, grilled.
Diabetes is a disease that is always lurking the corner. Everyone knows about it, they know that once you have it, it’s irreversible, and they also know that changing their diets can help prevent ever developing the disease. Yes, everyone knows, but over 1.4 million people develop type 2 diabetes each year in the United States. The quality of your life depends on you. Do good for yourself.
