Adult-Onset Diabetes – Prevention and Lifestyle Changes

19 May, 2009 No Comment

How do you prevent adult-onset diabetes?

It is possible to prevent the occurrence of adult-onset diabetes if you lead a lifestyle that keeps you hale and healthy. You can prevent getting the disease by proper diet and exercise in spite of the fact that your family has a history of diabetes. If you already have diabetes, by following the proper lifestyle you could prevent any future complications.

• Eating healthy foods – eat low fat, low calorie food; your diet plan must contain whole grains, vegetables and fruits. Make changes to avoid boredom.

• Exercise regimen – practice physical exercises for a minimum of 30 minutes a day. Make brisk walking, swimming and biking a part of your exercise regimen. Spread your exercises throughout the day if you are short on time.

• Lose weight – losing weight for overweight diabetics will ensure a healthy heart, more energy, etc. This also will provide you with self-esteem. This can be done by means of proper diet and exercising.

If you have already been diagnosed with diabetes, you may have to take medications in addition to the above. Anti-diabetic drugs such as metformin and rosiglitazone cut down the risk of adult-onset diabetes. This does not, however, neutralize the healthy lifestyle requirements.

Lifestyle Changes
Adult-onset diabetes could be fatal if not controlled properly. You must ensure that you are committed to manage this for life if you want to avoid any complications. Keep the following in mind and act accordingly:

Commit yourself to lifetime diabetes management – Know everything about adult-onset diabetes; eat healthy food and follow a proper exercising regimen.

Identify yourself – wear an identification tag informing that you have diabetes; for emergency low sugar requirements, have a glucagon kit with you. Ensure that your friends and relations are aware of it.

Annual eye checkup – diabetes could cause complications for your eyes; have your eyes checked regularly every year for cataracts, retinal damage and glaucoma.

Update immunization – your immune system could get hampered by high blood glucose levels; take a flu shot, tetanus booster, pneumonia vaccine, etc. as recommended by your doctor.

Tooth care – diabetics are susceptible to infections of the gum; brush teeth twice a day, floss teeth once a day. Go for dental checkups twice a year.

Foot care – wash with warm water, dry thoroughly, including between toes, and moisturize using lotion. Ensure that there are no cuts, blisters, redness, sores or swelling in your legs.

Control your BP and cholesterol – these can be controlled by healthy foods and regular exercise.
Quit smoking and avoid tobacco – smoking can increase the chances of having heart attacks, nerve damage, strokes, kidney problems, etc.

Limit your alcohol consumption – depending on the quantity of alcohol and food you consume, the blood sugar level can become low or high. Balance the food and alcohol so that the blood sugar is not affected.

De-stress – hormones produced due to stress could hamper the working of insulin in your body. Relax and get plenty of sleep.

Although diabetes is a grave disease, you can control it. Maintain proper diet and exercise to achieve this.