Steps to Stop Diabetes
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According to the American Diabetes Association, more than 30 million children and adults in the United States have diabetes, and another 86 million Americans are prediabetic and are at risk for developing type 2 diabetes. Dr. Cooper’s 8 Steps to Get CooperizedTM are guidelines to living a healthy life of both quality and quantity. Discover how the prevention and management of diabetes can be directly tied to the 8 Steps to Get CooperizedTM.
Step 1: Maintain a healthy weight.
Weight plays a huge role in diabetes, as the majority of type 2 diabetes patients are overweight or obese. When a patient with diabetes loses weight, insulin resistance and insulin secretion both can improve.
Losing weight can help glucose control and prevention, as well as help control disease progression.
Step 2: Make healthy food choices most of the time.
Nutrition is one of the most important factors when it comes to preventing and controlling diabetes. Portion control, choices and eating regular meals is crucial.
When managing prediabetes and diabetes:
- Eat three meals a day
- Don’t skip meals
- Eat snacks in between meals
- Don’t eat one large meal at the end of the day. Keep it consistent to keep blood sugar levels at steady levels.
Visiting with a dietitian is essential to both preventing and controlling diabetes. A dietitian can help identify the risks within a patient’s current diet, and can offer guidance when it comes to choosing foods to keep blood sugar at a healthy level.
If you have prediabetes, working with a dietitian can help you get back to a normal level or prevent progression. If you already have diabetes, a dietitian can help customize your diet and provide goals based on your specific situation in order to give you the best long-term outcome.
Step 3: Exercise most days of the week.
Exercise plays a role in both preventing diabetes and managing the disease. Of course, exercise can be a major part of weight loss, but it can also improve diabetes independent of weight loss. The lower your body fat, the more efficiently and effectively the body uses insulin. Exercise helps control the amount of sugar in the blood and reduces insulin resistance.
Cooper Clinic recommends at least 150 minutes of exercise, collective or sustained, a week – or 30 minutes a day for five days a week. It’s also important to mix in strength training on top of the aerobic exercise.
Step 4: Take the right supplements for you.
Those who have prediabetes or diabetes can be more susceptible to other vitamin deficiencies, especially as the result of certain medicines they may be taking. A physician should help monitor for these deficiencies during regular exams, and a multivitamin or other form of supplementation may be recommended depending on a patient’s needs.
Step 5: Do not use tobacco.
Tobacco does increase the risk of developing diabetes, but in combination with prediabetes or diabetes it can increase the risk of cardiovascular disease and death.
Step 6: Control alcohol.
In patients with prediabetes or diabetes, limiting alcohol intake (depending on the needs of the patient) can positively impact blood sugar long-term.
Step 7: Manage your stress.
Stress can affect the hormones in your body, and can increase blood sugar. Many people find themselves in stressful situations, and because of that stress, they stop exercising and eating healthy. These factors can lead to weight gain and, in effect, an increased risk of developing diabetes.
This cycle can be broken through the use of stress management techniques, of which exercise is one of the most powerful.
Step 8: Get a regular, comprehensive physical exam.
One of the most important aspects of a comprehensive exam is identifying if a patient has prediabetes or diabetes. If they do not, it is still crucial to determine if a patient has a family history of diabetes or if he or she makes lifestyle choices that might put them at risk later in life.
A physical exam is about establishing a comprehensive program for each patient and identifying areas that need improvement. Many patients are often unaware they have prediabetes or diabetes, which is where the physician has the opportunity to provide education regarding the diagnosis.
Physicians work with prediabetic and diabetic patients to determine which areas of their lifestyles are contributing to the development and/or progression of the disease. Small steps can be taken to improve these areas, such as introducing exercise as a part of their daily routine, or tracking what they eat and drink.
Through lifestyle changes as outlined by the 8 Steps to Get Cooperized, the prevention of diabetes, reversal of prediabetes and management of diabetes are all possible, and can lead to a longer, happier and healthier life.
For more information about Cooper Clinic, visit www.cooper-clinic.com or call 972.560.2667.