How you can take steps to prevent or manage Type 2 diabetes
One of the most significant aspects of the diabetes community is how we rally around each other. Whether it's sharing diabetes-healthy recipes, exercise tips, or different ways to help control blood sugar, we’re generally there for each other, and that is a beautiful quality to share. This is one of the reasons why we’re proud to promote Defeat Diabetes Month.
Observed each year in April and an initiative run by the Defeat Diabetes Foundation, this project is about sharing wisdom and inspiring momentum for those living with and those at risk for developing Type 2 diabetes.
About The Defeat Diabetes Foundation
There are more than 37 million Americans currently living with diabetes, and the overwhelming majority of these are diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes. In fact, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), up to 95% of all diagnosed cases of diabetes are for the Type 2 form of the disease.
The thing about Type 2 diabetes is that it can be preventable if telltale risk factors are addressed early on, and it can be far better managed once it has developed if specific lifestyle changes are made. This is where the Defeat Diabetes Foundation is out to make a difference and has been for over 30 years.
The Defeat Diabetes Foundation (DDF) is on a mission to eliminate the risk of contracting Type 2 diabetes altogether. It’s a tall order, and we are arguably not even in the ballpark yet. Still, the DDF is optimistic that one day, Type 2 diabetes will be a thing of the past and defeated for future generations, which is definitely a positive goal to work toward.
How will they do it? The question is actually, “How will we do it?” The DDF understands that eradicating Type 2 diabetes is not the job of any organization. Rather, it’s the responsibility of all of us to make sure that the most vulnerable people and patients have access to affordable care, do a little self-examination, and be willing to make the appropriate lifestyle changes that can prevent the disease from developing or, at the very least, slow its progression.
Yep, It Takes Lifestyle Changes
The Defeat Diabetes Foundation calls on each of us to reevaluate how we live our lives regarding Type 2 diabetes. This organization is essentially a proponent of self-responsibility, which means it’s up to us to take charge of the food and drink we put into our bodies and the amount of physical activity we perform each week.
Everyone is different, and diabetes is not the same across the board. But when you look at what is arguably the most significant risk factor for the onset of Type 2 diabetes – obesity – it is clear that lifestyle decisions play a crucial role in the disease.
Modern medicine has provided the diabetes community with countless lifesaving advances. From the invention of insulin in the 1920s to the continuous glucose monitor, which came about right at the beginning of the millennia, medical progress has made it easier for us to live longer, healthier lives by improving diabetes management.
But these things are primarily out of our hands. What we can do to minimize risk and optimize diabetes management is to take better care of ourselves. To help, the DDF offers a full arsenal of resources, educational programs, research-based information, and other tools to help both those at risk and those already diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes do a better job of taking care of themselves, primarily through nutritional and fitness/exercise lifestyle adjustments.
Three Ways to Observe Defeat Diabetes Month
Hopefully, you’re already doing at least two of these. Though they might be easier said than done, making a concerted effort to try them just might improve your health.
1. Get Tested
Did you know the CDC estimates that approximately 98 million Americans have prediabetes, which means their blood sugar is already elevated and rising? The vast majority of these people have no idea they are a ticking time bomb for the development of Type 2 diabetes. If you are overweight or obese, you might already be prediabetic. Speak with your doctor about testing your blood sugar. The sooner you know, the sooner you’ll be able to take steps to prevent a Type 2 diabetes diagnosis.
2. Skip the Fried Foods
A balanced, low-carb diet is crucial in preventing and managing Type 2 diabetes. Fried foods are usually very high in carbohydrates, which become sugar once consumed and in the body. They are loaded with fat and calories. Overeating these foods makes it easy to put on unwanted pounds, increasing the risk of Type 2 diabetes and making the disease more difficult to manage once a person has been diagnosed.
3. Get Out There!
The body’s immediate response to physical activity is to lower blood sugar. The long-term benefits of being active include weight loss, cardiovascular health, muscle health, and much more. You don’t have to run a marathon. Go for a walk around the neighborhood. Ride a bike. Take a yoga class. Anything that gets your heart pumping and body working is a positive.
Diabetes Management Isn’t One Month Long
It’s great that we have inspiring programs like Defeat Diabetes Month to remind us how important our lifestyle choices are when battling this growing worldwide crisis. But it’s also important to remember that living with diabetes is not a one-and-done commitment. The healthy choices we make must be sustainable and we must do our best to stick with them. It’s not easy living with Type 2 diabetes. So, if you don’t have it yet, do yourself a favor and lower any personal risk factors – lose weight and be more active. If you have been diagnosed with diabetes, if you’re looking to live your best life, make sure you defeat diabetes each day by making wise lifestyle choices and following your doctor’s recommended diabetes management and treatment schedule.
If you have any tips or additional insights about living with diabetes, we’d love to hear them. Please share in the comment section below.
At Diabetic Warehouse, we’re committed to helping those with diabetes manage blood sugar with a complete selection of testing and treatment supplies at up to 65% less than those found at most pharmacies and suppliers.
