Introduction

There is a famous saying that prevention is better than cure. The Oxford Dictionary very clearly defines this proverb. It says – it is easier to stop something happening in the first place than to repair the damage after it has happened. Thus, in the context of our topic – it is always advisable to take care of the ailment rather than later taking the medication for the same.

This holds for diabetes also. If you can start taking preventive measures today, you will not have to take care of the condition later and regret that you did not start taking care of your health earlier. Managing diabetes is a lifelong process. Make your health a priority and enjoy a healthier and stress-free life. It is observed that when a disease affects the body, it may start corrupting your body organs whether directly or indirectly. Sometimes it may happen that the body does not recover at all. Thus, start taking preventive measures today and be safe than sorry later.

Besides health, you might also end up spending on medication, doctor fees, and other necessary steps that you might have to take to keep you healthy.

There are a few preventive steps that you can also take to prevent diabetes. These are necessary and effective and can be resorted to after taking advice from a doctor or physician. We do not claim that these would prevent the disease, but can surely assure you that resorting to these preventive steps will in the long run help you achieve a diabetes-free and healthy life.

Preventive Steps

1. Cut down on sugar: Sugar is known to be a booster for diabetes especially if taken in a liquid state. Instead of refined or concentrated sugar, try taking it in sucrose forms, such as dry fruits, unsweetened curd, fruits, and vegetables. You can try artificial sweeteners in case there is a sharp craving for sweets. Take sugar-free beverages as sugar in liquid form is most dangerous for raising diabetes levels. Avoid aerated drinks, sweet lassi, squashes, fruit juices, canned juices, tea, and coffee with added sugar and replace them with salty lassi, diet fizzy drinks, lemonades without sugar, plain water, plain milk, coconut water, and so on. Sugary drinks such as fruit juices or smoothies, still contain a lot of concentrated sugar. Keep away from food fads and eat responsibly by consulting a dietician or a physician who can give you a daily calorie diet chart. Follow this diet chart religiously.
2. Avoid smoking: Smoking can result in a lot of complications especially if you are on the brink of having diabetes, that is your diabetes levels are on the borderline. If possible, it is better to quit smoking to lead a healthy life. Smoking can cause an increase in type 2 diabetes and the risk of various diabetic complications, including:
3. Heart diseases, such as stroke and blockage of arteries
4. Eye diseases leading to permanent blindness
5. Nervous system breakdown
6. Kidney diseases, such as increased LDL (low-density lipoprotein) and decreased HDL (high-density lipoprotein). We shall talk about these in the upcoming header “Keep cholesterol under control.”
7. Premature death

Take advice from your healthcare professional and seek ways from them to quit or avoid smoking.

• Manage weight: Weight is a major factor in controlling diabetes. Obese people are more prone to diabetes leading to other complications as well. They have a higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Overweight people can develop a condition in which muscle and tissue cells become more unaffected by insulin. Insulin as we all know is a hormone that helps the body consume glucose. It is very important to keep the body weight under check to prevent and manage type 2 diabetes. Managing weight can also mend other conditions like heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, and high LDL.  Start with small steps. Even shedding a few kg can do wonders in the right functioning of the insulin in the body, thereby avoiding the risk of getting the disease in your body.

• Keep BP under control: An optimum Blood Pressure is a direct result of eating a healthy, low-fat, and low-salt diet. Avoiding overconsumption of alcohol, and taking exercises regularly prove to be beneficial in controlling high blood pressure and cholesterol. Consult your physician or medical practitioner to get recommendations on prescribed medication, if necessary.

According to a 2018 article people with high blood pressure usually have insulin resistance and have an increased risk of developing diabetes compared to those with typical blood pressure.

High blood pressure before the occurrence of diabetes may lead to diabetes complications. Keeping blood pressure at target levels can help lower blood sugar and reduce the risk of complications.       

• Avoid Bad Carbohydrates: You do not have to cut all the carbs, in the first place. You just have to avoid the bad carbs. Choose food that is easily digestible and quickly breaks down in the body. Bad carbohydrates penetrate blood levels quickly and easily leading to high levels of sugar in the blood. Foods that are high in sugar but low in fiber or nutrients, such as Flour bread, sweet pastries, pasta made from wheat flour, canned and un-canned fruit juices, and processed foods with sugar or high-glucose syrup are bad for diabetes. Instead of concentrated or refined carbohydrates, try complex carbohydrates like fresh fruits and vegetables, oats, and multi-grains. It is not about avoiding carbs, but it is about eating the right quantities of carbs and planning your diet accordingly.

• Pay attention to your feet: When you notice the decreased flow of blood in the legs and feet, leading to numbness of feet, other body infections, and unhealed ulcers resulting in possible amputation, it is a sign that you are on the brink of having diabetes. Diabetes can reduce blood flow and harm the nerves in your feet. If it is left untreated, it can impair the sensation in the feet. Additionally, the cuts and blisters – allergies caused by diabetes can lead to serious infections. Diabetes can cause pain, uncomfortable feelings, and complete loss of sensation in your feet.

• Keep cholesterol under control: LDL (low-density lipoprotein) and HDL (high-density lipoprotein) are the types of cholesterol that are both lipoproteins, which are a combination of fat and protein. While LDL is called “bad” cholesterol, and HDL is “good” cholesterol. Optimal levels are 40 mg/dL for males and 50 mg/dL for females. 

It is to be noted that high levels of LDL can block the artery walls, narrow down blood vessels and veins through which blood passes, and thus can cause clots leading to heart attack or stroke. High cholesterol is a major concern since it can lead to worse damage in terms of making diabetes uncontrolled and untreated. When high BP along with high cholesterol occur in a body and a person is also diabetic, it can lead to a heart attack, stroke, or other life-endangering conditions.

• Exercise Daily: With exercise, you can prevent diabetes. Exercises increase heart rate and breathing and thus help in weight loss and healthy weight maintenance. Physical activities can certainly help you manage type 2 diabetes and can further curtail it from developing in the body. The effect of exercising can last up to 24 hours. This way insulin will perform better in your body thus leading to less possibility of developing diabetic conditions. Besides adopting an exercise routine, you should also be cognizant of the fact as to how your body responds to exercise. Checking your sugar levels before and after doing a workout is very important. It will tell you the benefits of the physical activity. A daily routine of half an hour of exercise can bring down sugar levels very fast and can prove to be fruitful in the long run.
• Drink responsibly: Alcohol is yet major factor that can lead to high or low blood sugar, depending on the amount you drink. It also largely depends on whether you eat while taking the alcohol. If you must drink, do it with restraint. Men can have two drinks a day while women are suggested to take only one drink a day. Always supplement your drink with a meal or snack. Include the calories from any alcohol you drink in your daily calorie count.
• Take stress seriously: Stress can trigger all types of diabetes easily and quickly. In case of stress, the body releases hormones like cortisol and adrenaline. These hormones can make it tougher for insulin to work appropriately and can raise blood sugar levels, and rouse glucose levels in the body. In a healthy and fit person, the increase in glucose is automatically taken care of; but in people with the tendency of diabetes, the body cannot break down the glucose properly without insulin. And insulin function is impaired because of those hormones released. Stress less, live more!

Conclusion

Diabetes is not a disease that cannot be prevented. With a proper and balanced diet preventing diabetes is possible. You must be wondering if it is easier said than done. But believe me, simple lifestyle changes can do wonders for you in fighting out this chronic disease. As Theodore Roosevelt once said “Believe you can and you are halfway there. “

Let us summarize once again all that you can do to prevent this disease.

• Take less sugar or avoid it completely
• Avoid smoking
• Manage weight
• Keep BP under control
• Avoid Bad Carbohydrates
• Pay attention to your feet
• Keep cholesterol under control
• Exercise Daily
• Drink responsibly
• Take stress seriously

I want to conclude with two sayings to get you going.

One from Christopher Reeve – “A hero is an ordinary individual who finds the strength to persevere and endure despite overwhelming obstacles.” Start small. Keep steady. Follow simple routines.

The other is by Jim Ryun, Olympic track star – “Motivation is what gets you started. Habit is what keeps you going.” Follow the preventive tips.

Start prepping today to fight the disease and do not regret it later! All the best!

Sparkling water is a water which has been carbonated and it is a combination of Carbon dioxide gas into water, which forms a bubble and fizz. Coke and Pepsi, everybody is familiar with this name, right? Well, this is one of the most popular beverages, and it has a choice whether you want a flavored or a plain bubbly drink.

Sparkling water has both some good and bad effects on health. Since, it cannot be called as exact healthy beverage, but it can boost and can be added to your meal. Drinking sparkling water can also increase your productivity.

Before knowing whether it harms our health or not, firstly let us know what exactly sparkling water contains and what a registered dietitian specialized Kirsten Jackson, RDN says about sparkling water is that- Not every product of sparkling water is made equally and if you want to add sparkling water in your daily diet then you need to check the ingredients before consuming it. Some of the brands add artificial sweetness into sparkling water, which you should avoid drinking because that might cause diarrhea for some and some might face irritation in the stomach and feel bloating.

If you’re drinking simple plain water every day and thinking of jumping on to sparkling water then you should give it a try, as it will help you burp too and burping doesn’t hurt our body. Those who constantly feel hungry should drink sparkling water, as it can fill up their stomach gap and keep them free from all sorts of gastric and for those who are concerned about their skin; it cleanses very well drinking sparkling water. Today in this article I am going to share with you in details regarding both effects.

Is sparkling water healthy?

Generally, Sparkling water is safe, according to specialized dietary and it doesn’t harm in any case and it has few potential benefits for health. Before knowing how it affects positively our health let us know some of the different kinds of sparkling water:

i) Natural Sparkling water: This can also be known as natural soda water, which is naturally extracted from the underground aquifer or from a natural source such as a spring or well.

ii) Artificial Sparkling water: This is artificial soda water mixed up with carbon dioxide gas, which forms carbonated water. It is a simple sizzle of water with no added flavors or sweeteners into it.

iii) Tonic Water: Tonic is a type of water that contains added flavors such as citrus and minerals such as quinine. To improve Tonic water’s taste, sometimes brands add different kinds of sweeteners and artificial flavors to enhance more.

iv) Flavored Sparkling water: Flavored sparkling water contains different flavors such as different natural and artificial fruit juices and essences.

Sparkling water has quite a bunch of benefits, to avoiding dehydration and staying hydrated; sparkling water can help your basic problems such as headaches, and dry mouth and keep you hydrated for a long. It can also help you manage your weight, by replacing the soda water instead of artificial drinks which contain flavored sugary drinks. It can also help you cure motion sickness and nausea while traveling. People struggling with Diabetes can be helpful for them, as it can help cut down their sugary drinks and for people who are suffering from indigestion, it is one of the best drinks to help them with their indigestion and constipation.

Can Sparkling Water affect your health?

Knowing that every individual is different, sparkling water wouldn’t affect everyone, but Sometimes the fizziness of sparkling might weaken your tooth enamel, as it contains a form of acidity.

Excessive consumption of sparkling water may also may lead to discomfort of stomach and let you feel bloated due to accumulation of the carbon dioxide in your digestive system. You can also face stomach upset, if you have a sensitive stomach. Also if you are under medications, sparkling water may interfere with the medicines you were consuming.

Lastly, I would say that, only few individuals out of many may face problems consuming sparkling water, otherwise it is one of the best drink beverages ever. But you shouldn’t rely only to sparkling water for every stomach issue you face. So stay healthy stay happy..