Health

Is there anything I can do to prevent diabetes?

Yes. The best way to prevent diabetes is to make some lifestyle changes:

• Maintain a healthy weight. Being overweight raises your risk for diabetes. Calculate your Body Mass Index (BMI) to see if you’re at a healthy weight. If you’re overweight, start making small changes to your eating habits by adding more whole grain foods, fruits, and vegetables. Start exercising more, even if taking a short walk is all you can do for now. If you’re not sure where to start, talk to your doctor.

• Eat healthy.
  • Eat lots of whole grains (such as whole wheat or rye bread, whole grain cereal, or brown rice), fruits, and vegetables.
  • Choose foods low in fat and cholesterol. Read food labels. If you eat 2,000 calories per day, you should eat no more than 56 grams of fat each day.
  • Limit your salt intake to less than 2,300 mg (about 1 teaspoon of salt) each day.
  • If you drink alcohol, limit it to no more than one drink (one 12-ounce beer, one 5-ounce glass of wine, or one 1.5-ounce shot of hard liquor) a day.

• Get moving. Try to exercise for at least 30 minutes most days of the week. Some suggestions:
  • Take the stairs instead of the elevator.
  • Take a brisk walk on your lunch break.
  • Park at the far end of the parking lot and walk.
  • Get off the bus or subway a few stops early and walk the rest of the way.
  • Walk or bicycle whenever you can.