For many Americans, holiday season isn’t just shopping season. It’s eating season, as families gather to celebrate a variety of different occasions across the country. But you may want to watch what you eat.
According to data from the American Diabetes Association, more than 10% of all Americans – around 34.2 million people – suffer from either Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes. And while Type 1 is an unpreventable autoimmune disease, it only afflicts about 1.6 million people in the country.
Type 2 diabetes however, which affects over 30 million Americans, can be avoided. So what can you do to avoid it?
The most important step to take begins with monitoring your sugar intake.
The human body can build up a resistance to insulin if fed too much sugar, and that doesn’t only mean the sugar found in things like candy and soda, though cutting back on those is never a bad idea. Sugar is also the byproduct of many processed foods.
“Diabetes is when your body cannot provide enough insulin to allow glucose into the hungry cells of your body,” Thomas Horowitz, DO, a family medicine specialist at CHA Hollywood Presbyterian Medical Center in Los Angeles, told Eatthis.com. “The best way to avoid it is to be on a diet that does not task your insulin supply.”
Horowitz recommends whole grains and vegetables and foods high in lean protein like fish. And of course, water.
“The sugar content of items commonly consumed can be very high,” says Horowitz. “A Super Gulp soft drink consists of a handful of sugar. A can of soda is far more than your body may be able to handle.”
Exercise is also recommended if you think you’re at-risk for a diabetes diagnosis. Even something simple like walking can increase the human body’s sensitivity to insulin.
About 150 minutes of “moderate-intensity exercise” (like a brisk walk) is recommended per week by the American Diabetes Association.
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