Can Diabetic Diet And Exercise Prevent Diabetes

Diabetes can be successfully managed and it is possible to avoid serious diabetes complications if you follow your treatment plan strictly, however, most conditions are easier to prevent than to treat and diabetes is no exception. Type 1 diabetes, unfortunately, cannot be prevented because the scientists do not know what triggers the immune system to attack the insulin producing cells but health experts believe that most cases of type 2 diabetes and gestational diabetes (type of diabetes which exclusively affects pregnant women) could be prevented with a diabetic diet and exercise.

Although the name diabetic diet and exercise suggests that they are specially created for diabetes patients, diabetic eating and exercise plan is actually a healthy eating and exercise plan which is recommended to most people. In fact, the studies show that following a diabetic diet and exercise does not only help reduce the risk of diabetes but also reduce the risk of a number of health problems which makes them an excellent choice even if your blood sugar levels are within a normal range (for now).

Many people are discouraged from diabetic diet due to to word “diabetic” which is wrongfully associated with complicated, restrictive and boring. But diet that helps both manage and prevent diabetes is neither complicated nor restrictive or boring. What is more, most health experts refuse to use the term “diabetic diet” in the first place because diabetes patients can eat just about everything as long as they do not exceed their daily allowance of carbohydrates. This, of course, requires considerable dietary changes but it does not foresee strict avoidance of any type of foods including desserts. On the contrary, most diabetic diet plans foresee include a dessert after lunch albeit a small piece and one only. And the same rule applies to foods which are high in bad fats (saturated fats, trans fats and cholesterol) as well as foods which are high in caloric content. Vegetables, fruits, whole grains, low-fat diary products and other foods high in essential nutrients and low in carbs and calories, on the other hand, form the basis of diabetic diet. Basically, diabetic eating plan follows the food pyramid guide which is the healthiest eating plan for everyone not just diabetes patients.

In addition to healthy diet, diabetes prevention (as well as management) also foresees regular exercise. It does not really matter which type of exercise you choose as long as you are physically active at least 30 minutes most days of the week. A combination of healthy diet and exercise has been proven as one of the best ways to lower blood glucose (blood sugar) to a healthy range but it also helps lose excess body weight and prevent those pounds from returning. Although not all diabetics are overweight, excess body fat is one of the main risk factors of type 2 diabetes and as a result, loss of excess pounds and maintenance of healthy body weight dramatically reduces the risk of diabetes. Furthermore, it also helps you avoid a number of other overweight-related health problems including heart disease not to mention that you look and feel a lot better when you reach a healthy body weight.