There is no question about just how serious type 2 diabetes is. However, if you are determined enough, three simple changes to your lifestyle can help prevent this increasingly common disease, or at least keep its symptoms under control.
In people with type 2 diabetes, the body suffers two malfunctions which are intertwined. On the one hand, the pancreas is unable to produce enough insulin (the hormone regulating blood sugar levels) to deal with sugar intake. On the other hand, cells don’t respond well to the insulin that is produced. They take in less glucose, resulting in excess sugar remaining in the bloodstream.
Lowering your risk of developing type 2 diabetes mostly comes down to making healthy lifestyle choices, both physically and mentally.
The first step in balancing your blood sugar levels to prevent type 2 diabetes is a healthy diet. Most dietitians recommend three meals a day, with calculated amounts of carbohydrates and some healthy snacks in-between. A low-carb diet not only helps with weight loss but also ensures that blood sugar levels rise gradually. That helps the body dodge the bullet of a sudden blood sugar spike.
A well-balanced, low-carb meal can consist of a generous amount of non-starchy vegetables that are high in fiber and a moderate amount of starchy food, with the addition of some meat or a meat substitute.
Low-carb foods
Starchy foods
2. Moderate exercise
Exercise also plays a crucial role in managing type 2 diabetes. About 2.5 hours of aerobic exercise of moderate intensity every week is ideal. Things like biking and running and occasional resistance training will effectively help lower blood glucose levels. A sedentary lifestyle, by contrast, tends to have the reverse effect.
3. Stress management
In addition to bad dietary habits and a lack of exercise, another risk factor associated with type 2 diabetes is stress. While stress alone does not cause diabetes, high levels of stress hormones can reduce the amount of insulin produced by the pancreas. It is no wonder, then, that more and more studies show that stress and anxiety management methods such as biofeedback can also help keep type 2 diabetes under control.
We hope you find this article helpful and insightful. Please bear in mind, though, that there is no one-size-fits-all solution when it comes to managing type 2 diabetes as no two bodies are identical. In addition to reading articles like this to keep yourself informed on a general level, we recommend seeking personal advice from a professional, for example a biofeedback specialist, to know what lifestyle changes best suit your situation.
About Andreea Taflan
Andreea Taflan is the CEO and a co-founder of QX World. She studied Business Management and Marketing and has a master’s degree in Public Relations and Communications. In 2005, Andreea was appointed the right hand of the original developer of biofeedback technology and since 2012 she has taken the lead in further developing the technology. Currently, she leads both the software and hardware department at QX World and is considered one of the top experts in the field of biofeedback.
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