The One Thing You Should Never, Ever Do if You Want To Avoid Getting Diabetes
Doctor checking patient's blood glucose level
Diabetes is serious, but for many of us, Type 2 diabetes is also preventable.
"Type 2 diabetes develops when there is insulin resistance," Dr. Jorge Moreno, MD, internal medicine and obesity medicine specialist at Yale Medicine, explains to Parade. "In other words, the body produces insulin but the body does not use the insulin appropriately. Insulin helps glucose enter cells and when you develop diabetes you will need more insulin to get the glucose into the cells."
Initially, Dr. Moreno explains, the pancreas tries to keep up by making more insulin. "But often the pancreas cannot keep up and glucose levels rise."
While factors like family history, age and ethnicity can put some patients at a naturally higher risk of Type 2 diabetes, healthy habits can help many people stave off the disease indefinitely.
Conversely, unhealthy habits can raise your risk of Type 2 diabetes significantly—and there's one habit that endocrinologists agree is probably the worst thing you can do if you want to prevent the illness.
Related: The Best Diet for A1C Levels
The One Thing You Should Never, Ever Do if You Want To Avoid Getting Diabetes, According to an Endocrinologist
Endocrinologists agree: Drinking sugary beverages is a no-go if you want to avoid getting diabetes in your lifetime.
"Soda, juice, sweet tea and other sugary beverages will usually raise sugar levels," says endocrinologist Dr. Florence Comite, MD and founder of the Comite Center for Precision Medicine & Health. "Be especially wary of foods made with high-fructose corn syrup."
In addition to sugary beverages like soft drinks, you may also want to limit (or even outright eliminate) your alcohol consumption, Dr. Moreno notes: Studies have shown links between chronic alcohol consumption, hormonal irregularities, unsteady blood sugar levels and insulin resistance, as well as Type 2 diabetes. Drinking can also lead to chronic pancreatitis, which has been linked with a higher risk of developing diabetes.
Even if you opt for alcoholic beverages that are relatively low in sugar (like vodka sodas over strawberry daiquiris), you may still be suscepting your pancreas to its impacts.
Drinking alcoholic beverages can also interfere with certain medications, especially ones used to manage your blood sugar levels. If you do drink, it's advised to do so in moderation and never on an empty stomach.
Related: The Early Type 2 Diabetes Sign You May Miss, According to Endocrinologists
9 Habits That Can Help Prevent Diabetes
To further hedge your bets against getting Type 2 diabetes, there are more steps you can take besides eschewing soda and booze (though that already gives you a sweet head start).
1. Learn about your family health history
Knowing your family history regarding diabetes can help you make the best decisions for your own metabolic health, as well as for your weight management. Talk to your relatives and physician to find out what genetic factors may impact your personal risk level for diabetes, as well as how to mitigate that risk in a way that will work for you.
Related: Could You Have Diabetes and Not Know It?
2. Minimize processed carbs in your diet
Dr. Comite warns that regularly eating processed carbs like baked goods, breads and pastas that are low in or devoid of dietary fiber can wreak havoc on your blood sugar and weight management, putting you at higher risk of diabetes.
Related: This Is the #1 Worst Habit for Blood Sugar, According to an Endocrinologist
3. Eat more protein
One of Dr. Comite's favorite tips for a healthy diet that will minimize diabetes risk is having protein before every meal and snack.
"Have a handful of nuts, a bit of cheese, yogurt, some turkey or a hard-boiled egg," she suggests. "Protein, which digests more slowly than carbohydrates (glucose, fructose), will slow the absorption of sugars (carbohydrates) into your bloodstream and modify insulin release, keeping your sugar levels more stable over a longer interval. The bonus? You are relatively satiated and not hungry, more likely to eat appropriately and avoid poor choices."
Related: High-Protein Foods to Add to Your Diet
4. Eat more fiber
Having protein and fiber in your diet can help regulate your blood sugar levels—especially if you're having a "cheat" moment with some sugary drinks.
"Eating fiber and healthy fats with protein are other ways to tamp down the glucose response to starchy foods or foods high in simple, fast-absorbing carbs, such as sugar-sweetened beverages," Dr. Comite advises.
Related: The Best High-Fiber Foods for Your Digestive Health
5. Take a walk
Getting more steps in can make a huge difference in your diabetes risk. Dr. Comite recommends aiming for about 30 minutes of walking at a brisk pace per day. (Your dog will thank you too!)
Related: 15 Benefits of Walking, According to Experts
6. Try out HIIT
HIIT (high-intensity interval training) can do wonders for your metabolism, studies show. "Researchers in Denmark found that HIIT increases the amount of proteins in skeletal muscle that are essential for energy metabolism and muscle contraction, and chemically alters key metabolic proteins," Dr. Comite says. "Other research shows that intense bouts of exercise boost excess post-exercise oxygen consumption, an afterburn effect where we expend more calories during the recovery period after exercise."
Related: HIIT Exercises for Beginners
7. Let resistance workouts do the heavy lifting
Strength training and resistance exercises build muscle, Dr. Comite says, which improves glucose control—thereby lowering your diabetes risk.
Related: Easy Strength Training Exercises
8. Consider intermittent fasting
Intermittent fasting isn't for everyone, but it could be for you.
"The effectiveness and suitability of intermittent fasting or calorie counting for weight loss also depend on factors such as lifestyle, metabolic factors and overall health," Dr. Comite says. "The strengths I see for intermittent fasting are weight loss and simplicity: A study found that intermittent fasting (specifically, eight-hour time-restricted eating) produced similar weight loss results to traditional calorie counting in adults with obesity. This suggests that intermittent fasting can be an effective approach for weight management. Additionally, intermittent fasting offers a relatively simple approach to weight loss that doesn't require meticulous calorie counting."
There are risks, however. Dr. Comite says that some people who may rely on intermittent fasting may not get enough nutrients during their day, while some may also disrupt their metabolic health. Another risk? Thinking that as long as you limit your eating period to an eight-hour window, you can eat as much junk as you want. That is not the goal!
Related: How to Reverse Diabetes, According to Experts
9. Monitor your glucose levels
It's important to remember that everybody—and every body—is different.
"Each of us is unique; the cookie that raises your sister's sugars may have little effect on yours," Dr. Comite explains. She recommends trying out a continuous glucose monitor (CGM) to see how different foods impact you specifically, then making smart choices based on your own individual findings.
Next, How to Know Your Personal Optimal Glucose Level
