You may know that diabetes rates have been skyrocketing in the past two decades, but do you know why?
One of the causes of the rising diabetes rates is inflation. The cost of living has significantly increased but people aren’t making more money to compensate for it. This leads to more people having to buy inexpensive foods high in simple sugars rather than expensive foods that are healthier. Another reason diabetes rates are up is that people are busier and have less time to exercise. People also eat more fast foods because they are busier.
What do these things have to do with increasing someone’s risk of getting diabetes? Carbohydrates are broken down into glucose, a form of sugar, during digestion. This glucose is then moved into the bloodstream and then, with the help of insulin, into cells in the body. The more glucose in the bloodstream the more insulin that has to be created. This will eventually overwork the pancreas and lead to a lack of insulin. This lack of insulin will cause the glucose to have to stay in the bloodstream. Build up of glucose in the bloodstream can clog arteries and cause heart attacks, strokes, and other life threatening problems.
So how can you prevent getting type 2 diabetes? There are a few smaller steps you can take. First, educate yourself. Do some research about diabetes and how likely you care to contract it. Next, you can look at what you’re eating. You don’t need to completely change the way you eat or go on a special diet. You could just look up healthier versions of the recipes you love, ones with less simple sugars and unsaturated fats. Finally, you could try to exercise more. This could mean going on walks around your neighborhood or going on hikes with friends. In terms of bigger things you could do to prevent getting diabetes you could talk with your doctor if you are high risk/have blood relatives with diabetes. You should also tell your doctor if you experience any symptoms of diabetes, such as frequent urination, extreme thirstiness, intense hunger, fatigue, and blurry vision.
Diabetes is a huge disease to tackle but the first step is prevention. With education on what diabetes is, how it forms, and how to prevent it you can be healthier. You can take the steps to form healthy habits and mindsets.
