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Diabetes: Put Yourself at Zero Risk
Middle-aged women who exercise, eat a healthy diet, drink alcohol in moderation, do not smoke and most importantly, are not over weight can virtually eliminate their risk of diabetes.
Some specifics:
- Women who are overweight are eight times more likely to be diagnosed with the disease than lean women. Obese women are 20 times more likely.
- Women who do at least seven hours a week of brisk walking, heavy gardening or houswork or other activities vigorous enough to build up a sweat have a 30-percent lower risk than women who exercise less than half an hour a week.
- Women who do at least seven hours a week of brisk walking, heavy gardening or houswork or other activities vigorous enough to build up a sweat have a 30-percent lower risk than women who exercise less than half an hour a week.
- Women who eat the most high-fiber cereals and breads (rather than sweets, potatoes, and other refined carbohydrates) and the most polyunsaturated fats (rather than saturated and trans fats) have half the risk.
What to do:
Cut back on hamburgers, pizza, french fries, ice cream and sweets. Replace them with beans, fish, whole-grain breads and cereals, fruits, vegetables and (if you can afford the calories) salad dressings and vegetables or olive oils.
Watch your weight and do not forget: Exercise cuts the risk of diabetes even if you never lose a pound. The best way to prevent type 2 diabetes is to keep your body mass index at 25 or below.
Courtesy of FitnessandFreebies.com
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