Diabetes is one of the most common health problems of the modern age, affecting people across all age groups due to their lifestyle. It’s a metabolic disorder where the person experiences higher than normal blood sugar levels. This occurs either when the pancreas doesn’t produce enough insulin or when the body cells fail to respond to insulin.

The main reason behind the rising cases of diabetes is a highly-inactive lifestyle and unhealthy eating habits. Diabetes if kept unchecked, can also lead to serious health complications which include heart diseases, stroke, blindness, kidney failure, and foot amputations. It is thus important to make diabetes prevention a priority, especially if you are overweight or you have a family history of the disease.

Here are a few tips to help you control your blood sugar levels and lower the risk of diabetes:

Follow an exercise routine

Physical inactivity increases the risk of diabetes. Regular physical activity such as brisk-walking or jogging can have lots of benefits. Aerobic exercise and resistance training can also help in keeping diabetes in check. On the whole, exercise routine helps you:

To lose weight
To control your blood sugar level
To boost the body’s sensitivity to insulin

Stay stress-free

Constant stress in daily life coupled with irregular blood sugar levels can make managing diabetes difficult. The stress response triggers the release of several hormones like cortisol, that increase the blood sugar level in the blood. It also wears you down mentally and physically. An effective way of dealing with stress is mindful meditation and adopting a positive outlook.

Lose that extra weight

If you are overweight, then diabetes prevention is directly linked to weight loss. With the shedding of extra weight, your health betters, you feel light and your metabolism also improves. Losing weight with regular exercise reduces the risk of developing a diabetic condition by almost 60 percent.

Avoid fad diets and eat healthily

The effectiveness of low-carb diets or other fad diets to reduce weight is still uncertain. To keep the risk of diabetes at bay, follow a low-calorie diet. Eating a variety of fruits and vegetables can reduce the risk of diabetes. Foods that should be avoided are the ones that are rich in trans fats, also called as hydrogenated fat, saturated fat, and sugar.

Include more fibre in food

High fibre content in your diet can be useful in many ways. It helps to:

Reduce the risk of diabetes by regulating the blood sugar level
Promote weight loss by helping one feel full for a long time
Lower the risk of heart diseases
Fibre-rich foods include fruits, beans, whole grains, vegetables, and nuts.

Visit your doctor regularly

A lot of people feel that they are healthy and don’t require preventive care. The assumption and lack of routine check-ups allow diabetes to remain undetected. Regular consultation with a doctor can help you detect and treat underlying diabetic conditions early. Generally, blood glucose screening is recommended if:

You are more than 45 years old and overweight
You are less than 45 years old, overweight, or have a family history of diabetes