Risk factors for type 2 diabetes

The biggest risk factors for type 2 diabetes include:

Obesity

Physical inactivity/sedentary lifestyle

Poor diet with low protein intake and reliance on refined carbohydrates and sugar

A family history of diabetes and other insulin-related conditions such as polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)

Poor sleep, chronically

Signs of insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes may include:

Increased thirst
Frequent urination
Increased hunger and unable to go more than 2 hour without eating
Remaining hungry almost immediately after eating
Tendency to retain water after eating salty foods
Feeling tired or lethargic after eating a meal
Difficulty sleeping, awakening with a pounding heart during the night
Tendency to carry extra weight around the belly
Weight loss resistance or easily gaining weight
Craving sweet, starchy or crunchy carbohydrate snacks or foods
Mood swings that seem to be relieved by eating refined carbs or sugar
Tendency to feel tired/fatigued in the afternoon or early evening
Difficulty ovulating
Fasting blood glucose higher than 7.0 mmol/l (126 mg/dl)
High blood pressure, cholesterol, triglycerides, or A1c on blood work
Blurred vision
PCOS, skin tags, acne
Slow-healing sores or recurrent infections
Tingling or numbness in the hands or feet

How to prevent (and manage) type 2 diabetes

1) Add ‘movement snacks’ into your day

Increasing activity levels is an important tool to promote healthy blood sugar regulation. Regular physical activity can help lower blood sugar levels, improve insulin sensitivity, and help maintain a healthy weight. Movement snacks incorporated into your days are a great way to increase your overall activity levels across a week, the body is designed to move often! Here are some ideas:

Stand up every hour and do: 

10 squats, lunges, jumping jacks or press ups

March or jog on the spot for 30 to 60 seconds, repeating a few times

Do a few laps of the garden or go up and down the stairs a few times

Take a quick walk around the block

Do a few yoga sun salutations

If you’ve got more time, take a longer walk

Incorporate a walk/longer walk into your commutes to and from work, the shops, social plans etc., everyday.

Make a point of taking your phone calls standing up and moving around the house or on a walk.

2) Eat more protein (with ALL meals)

Protein is the number one nutrient/food group for healthy blood sugar regulation. Protein slows the absorption of glucose into the bloodstream from sugar foods and carbohydrates and once you start increasing protein, you’ll be amazed at how quickly your energy improves and your sugar cravings reduce! For good health and blood sugar management, a meal should never be without an optimal amount of protein. We recommend having a minimum 30g of pure protein with all meals.

Great choices include chicken, turkey, eggs, all fish, beef, lamb, tempeh or tofu, beans, lentils and quality cheeses, if you tolerate dairy.

3) Change your relationship with carbohydrates

Switching your sources of carbohydrates to those that break down slowly into glucose is also key for keeping blood glucose levels within healthy range after meals. Carbohydrate is the number one fuel source for the cells in the body and brain, and so it’s important that we eat some each day to provide the fuel we need to function at our best. However, ‘carbohydrate’ is an umbrella term that refers to a large group of foods, from bread and pasta to leafy green vegetables and lentils. ALL carbohydrates finish up as glucose (sugar) in the blood once consumed but you want to rely on carbs that break down slower into glucose plus result in less sugar than, for example, refined sources of carbs do.

Great choices with your meals include beans, lentils, brown or wild rice, quinoa, whole oats, pasta made from buckwheat, brown rice or spelt, dark rye or spelt bread, and starchy vegetables such as sweet potato, baby new potatoes, yam, beetroot, parsnips, and carrots.

4) Lift weights

Strength training, aka lifting, pushing and pulling relatively heavy weights, has been shown to improve cell uptake of glucose from the bloodstream, promoting insulin sensitive cells. Lifting weights 2-3 times per week for 20-30 minutes is a key tool to be leveraging in the management and or prevention of type 2 diabetes.