Reduce Your Diabetes Risk by 50 Percent
Diet and exercise can reduce your risk of getting diabetes even more than medication, according to a long-term study.
While approximately 23 million Americans have diabetes (including millions who don't know they have it), an additional 54 million adults have "pre-diabetes," or elevated insulin levels. Pre-diabetes is a strong indicator of further problems; people with the condition are 5-15 times more likely to develop type 2 diabetes than those with normal insulin levels.
But based on the results of a large diabetes prevention study, there are proactive steps you can take to greatly reduce your risk, and that protection can last for many years.
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The National Institutes of Health study looked at more than 3,000 pre-diabetic, overweight people from clinical centers around the country who were enrolled in the Diabetes Prevention Program. Some participants were given a prescription diabetes medication, others made no changes, and the third group began a healthy eating and exercise plan.
After nearly three years, those on the medication reduced their risk of developing diabetes by 31% compared to those who made no changes. But those who just made dietary changes and exercised regularly cut their risk by an incredible 58% - they had less than half the incidence of diabetes than those who did nothing to prevent it, and a lower incidence than those who were taking daily prescription drugs.
Even more impressive were the long-term results. After ten years, the diabetes diagnoses remained lowest for the group who ate healthier and exercised more. As one of the lead researchers said, "We've shown that diabetes can be prevented or delayed over 10 years. That's a very long period."
What this shows is that diet and exercise can substantially postpone the onset of diabetes-even better than drugs can-and the effects are long-lasting. You can actually improve the ability of your muscle cells to use insulin by making healthy lifestyle changes.
Because weight loss is seen as the number one factor in avoiding diabetes, the participants on the healthy eating and exercise plan had a goal of losing 7% of their body weight. However, even those who lost only 1%, (a few pounds) made significant improvements, so every little bit helps.
How did they do it? By reducing their fat intake to less than 25% of total calories they ate, and by exercising at least 150 minutes per week – that's just five 30-minute sessions per week of walking, biking, or any physical activity.
You can also incorporate many of the "Super Foods" and dietary suggestions made by both Dr. Cherry and the American Diabetes Association in Dr. Cherry's June 3 Radio Program. Foods such as soluble fiber, nuts, oat bran, onions, beans, cinnamon and the other recommended foods can help to regulate the absorption of sugar, increase insulin's activity, and stabilize the spikes in blood sugar.
There are also herbs, minerals and extracts that will optimize your efforts to control your blood sugar through natural means. Chromium, bilberry, vanadium, and the other nutrients found in our Blood Sugar Program have been proven in clinical studies to help balance and maintain healthy blood sugar levels. Dr. Cherry will be discussing these further in his June 10 radio program.
If your weight loss efforts need an added boost, you may want to try adding the Weight Management Program, which provides the key ingredients to help curb your appetite, increase your metabolism and better utilize fat for energy.
It is important for you to know that if you have diabetes or pre-diabetes, there are things you can do in the natural to help get your blood sugar under control. Dietary changes, exercise, and the use of targeted supplements can make a dramatic difference, and help you on the pathway to your healing.
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