Steps to Avoid Diabetes

DUPAGE COUNTY— Twenty-four million American's have diabetes, 25 percent of whom are not even aware of the fact. This growing disease, also referred to as adult onset diabetes, is affecting a large number of the adult population. Even more alarming is the rate in which this disease is showing up in teenagers and children.

There is good news. Type 2 diabetes (the most common form of diabetes) is preventable. In fact, roughly 90 percent of cases could have been totally avoided simply through a healthier lifestyle.

The Mayo Clinic has published five steps to prevent or delay the onset of type 2 diabetes:

1.Get more physical activity. Adults should get about 30 minutes of exercise a day and children and adolescents should get about an hour of exercise a day in order to maintain a healthy weight.

2.Get plenty of fiber. Foods high in fiber include; fruits, vegetables, beans, whole grains, nuts and seeds. Replace chips and candy with these healthy snacks throughout your day.

3.Go for whole grains. Try and make at least half your grains whole by making simple changes like replacing your white bread with whole grain, using brown pastas and rice and eating whole grain cereal.

4.Lose the extra weight. Each extra pound you lose can improve health. One study showed that people that lost 7% of initial body weight by exercising regularly and eating right reduced their risk of developing diabetes by 60%.

5.Don't be tricked by fad diets and just make healthier choices. By excluding or limiting a particular food group, which is common in popular fad diets like Atkins and low-carb diets, can prevent you from getting important essential nutrients. Fad diets are also not likely to be a life change and though you may lose weight initially, can be hard to keep up on a daily basis. Instead, use portion control and variety as a general rule when it comes to your diet.

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