Preventing diabetes: understanding, preventing and diagnosing the disease
About 21 million Americans have diabetes, but a third of them don’t know it. Since the disease becomes more common as people age, it’s tempting to ascribe the surge in diabetes to our aging population. The name diabetes encompasses three different disorders that are all marked by abnormally high blood sugar levels. They are :
Type 1 diabetes
Type 2 diabetes
Gestational diabetes
The American Diabetes Association (ADA) has proposed a simple standard for the diagnosis of diabetes: a fasting blood sugar of 126 mg/dL or higher, providing the result is confirmed on a second test. Fasting blood sugars between 100 and 125 indicate impaired glucose tolerance, a milder condition that may lead to diabetes; levels below 100 are officially normal.
You can prevent or delay the onset of type 2 diabetes through a healthy lifestyle. Change your diet, increase your level of physical activity, maintain a healthy weight…with these positive steps, you can stay healthier longer and reduce your risk of diabetes.
Healthy Eating for Type 2 Diabetes
The elements of a healthy diet
- Carbohydrates
- Fats
- Proteins
- Other dietary components
