
7 Best Ways to Beat Diabetes
En español l The bad news first: More than 29 million Americans suffer from diabetes — a startling 10 percent jump in just two years — and an additional 86 million of us are at high risk for developing this chronic, debilitating disease, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Your risk for diabetes goes up as you get older and put on weight. The promising news: Research shows that a few basic lifestyle changes can prevent and, in some cases, reverse the disease, says George King, M.D., director of research at the Joslin Diabetes Center at Harvard Medical School and author of the forthcoming book The Diabetes Reset: Avoid It. Control It. Even Reverse It. A Doctor's Scientific Program. "Many people are not aware that you can improve your body's response to insulin and 'reset' your natural ability to metabolize the glucose in your blood," King says.
Here's what you need to do.
1. Cut the fat, up the fiber
The ideal diabetes prevention diet should consist of 15 percent fat, 15 percent protein and 70 percent carbohydrates, with the majority of those carbs coming from fruits, vegetables and whole grains, King says. "High fiber is the key, because fiber makes you feel full quicker and helps you absorb calories slower," King says. "That puts less stress on your beta cells" — the cells in your pancreas that make insulin.
2. Don't rely on supplements
New research finds that whole foods — think mainly fruits and vegetables — contain molecules that help activate the nutrients your body needs for weight and blood sugar control. "That's why food work
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