When it comes to lowering diabetes risk factors, it all starts with monitoring blood sugar levels.

Filipinos are among the largest rice-consumers in the entire world. Because our food is rich in flavor, our delicacies naturally warrant more than one cup of rice.

If your likelihood of acquiring diabetes is high, it could help to regulate rice consumption. But this is not the only culprit.

Risk factors for diabetes

The likelihood of acquiring diabetes depends upon modifiable and non-modifiable risk factors.

On one hand, non-modifiable risk factors are things that you cannot change, including family history, age, and race.

On the other hand, modifiable risk factors are factors that you can act on on to lower diabetes risk. These include BMI, waist circumference, whether or not you have a sedentary lifestyle, and lipid levels.

By being mindful of what we eat and being more motivated with our workouts, we lessen our chances of developing type 2 diabetes, the most common kind of diabetes. It’s never too late to start living a healthy lifestyle.

Here are some tips for lowering diabetes risk factors

1. Lowering diabetes risk factors: Prioritize exercise

Aside from bidding goodbye to unwanted extra pounds, regularly working out has been associated with many benefits, such as:

• Stronger mental health
• Fortified bones and muscles
• Increased energy levels
• Enhanced memory and brain health
• Better sexual intercourse

The list goes on. Proper exercise can lead to a gratifying life. Still, the most critical advantage it brings to anyone bent on reducing diabetes risk factors in the Philippines is the capacity to control your blood sugar much easier.

Individuals who are diagnosed with type 2 diabetes have an excess of glucose in their blood.

This is because a person with diabetes may be insulin-resistant or is unable to produce the right amount of insulin to process it.

Whatever the case may be, working out organically reduces glucose in one’s blood.

So it doesn’t matter if your body doesn’t have enough insulin or if you’re insulin-resistant, as long as you regularly exercise. When you make an effort to be physically active, your muscles get their much-needed glucose, positively impacting your blood glucose level.

2. Lowering diabetes risk factors: Increase fiber intake

Carbohydrates improve blood sugar control, and fiber-rich food reduces the risk of developing diabetes. Soluble fiber, in particular, helps improve blood sugar level as it slows the absorption of sugar in the body.

Fiber-rich diets also aid weight loss and the prevention of heart diseases. Start by eating more vegetables, nuts, beans, and fruits, which are terrific sources of fiber.

3. Lowering diabetes risk factors: Choose a sustainable diet

Fad diets can only do so much. While these kinds of dietary trends do promise initial weight loss, more studies are needed to further guarantee their positive long-term effects.

By significantly reducing your intake of certain food groups, you may also be limiting your intake of essential nutrients. While certain illnesses require avoiding particular food types, it is ultimately learning how to control portions that make a well-rounded diet.

No matter how simple they may seem, choosing to prioritize simple healthy choices does go a long way. Some examples are cutting sugary food, lessening your alcohol intake, and adding more greens to your diet.

Though they may seem inconsequential but it is ultimately decisions like these that contribute to overall health.

4. Lowering diabetes risk factors: Lose the extra pounds

For those who are overweight, diabetes prevention hinges mostly upon weight loss. Obesity plays a huge role in the diabetes equation.

So the human body will then require two to three times more insulin than it would with your ideal weight, which exceeds what the pancreas is capable of producing. As a result, cells that produce insulin begin to die. This is because the pancreas now becomes pushed beyond its natural capacity. When this happens, the gland organ now has fewer cells that aid in the production of insulin.

Additionally, studies also say that the pancreas is more prone to harm when there is excess abdominal fat, which is often the case in overweight individuals

All these mentioned, it’s no secret that weight loss is a valuable solution overweight people can work towards. Furthermore, experts confirm that our pancreas is more able to accommodate our need for insulin when we weigh less.

Learn more about Type 2 Diabetes here.