Controlling and Preventing Diabetes

Diabetes is a condition of metabolic illness that prevents you from processing carbohydrates due to your pancreatic insulin malfunctioning. The health consequences of diabetes are severe, affecting every organ. Most of us know that obesity, sedentary lifestyle, and poor diet can contribute to the risk of developing adult onset of diabetes. New studies show these novel risk factors for developing diabetes, and worsening of your diabetes. Here’s some health tips:

1. Do not significantly yo yo in your weight. For years we’ve cautioned against yo yo dieting, but it’s not completely clear why. But for those who are diabetic, large weight fluctuations can negatively affect your sugar control, and put you at risk for heart disease including strokes and heart attacks.
2. Diabetics are already at risk for osteoporosis, and if your blood sugar is poorly controlled you are at more risk for actually having fractures.
3. Be positive! A study of women in menopause showed that being an optimistic person decreased your risk of ever getting diabetes. Negative health attitudes actually increase your risk of diabetes.
4. Hostile personality traits also worsen your risk for diabetes! And the new studies show that this is an even greater risk factor in those who are obese.
5. Reduce stress. Stress raises cortisol, and cortisol causes release of free fatty acids as well as release of other toxic inflammatory particles in our blood stream. Both these factors raise diabetes risk.
6. Smoking is much worse for those with diabetes, and worsens your risk of becoming a diabetic. Just one more reason to quit!