How can you prevent diabetes naturally?

In under a century, our way of life has changed radically, for better or for worse. Globalisation and the development of the consumer society have brought with them stress, a sedentary lifestyle and junk food, all of which are risk factors for developing type 2 diabetes. Fortunately, there are certain behaviours that can help prevent diabetes naturally. Explanations. 

Focus on a healthy and balanced diet

The first way to naturally prevent the onset of diabetes is to eat a healthy, balanced diet. While suffering from diabetes can be the result of a genetic predisposition, it can also be the result of several environmental factors, including diet.

A set of behaviours can then be used to reduce the probability of suffering from this disease. The aim of this dietary regime is to naturally regulate blood glucose levels while controlling weight gain.

A balanced diet obviously varies according to a person’s profile and activity. However, it is possible to draw up a general picture: it is a matter of reducing the consumption of fats (of animal or vegetable origin) and avoiding the consumption of foods and drinks that are too sweet (sweets, cakes, confectionery, etc.) or too salty. In general, you should favour consumption of fruit, vegetables and lean meat. It is therefore advisable to follow the recommendations of the National Nutrition and Health Programme (PNNS programme in France).

In addition, it is important to adopt a regular meal pattern: eat at set times and avoid snacking.

Ban sedentary activities

The correlation between diabetes and a sedentary lifestyle has long been well established: the greatest number of diabetics are found in cities and among people who take the least physical exercise.

And for good reason: a sedentary lifestyle leads to an imbalance between the sugar in the blood and the sugar actually used by our bodies. Sugar is actually a fuel that is intended to be “burned” quickly by our body. If sugar is not consumed, it is stored as fat.

That means it is essential to practise regular physical activity in order to naturally regulate the level of glucose in our body and boost the action of insulin.

It may simply be a matter of making small changes in your habits. For example, walking can replace using a car to get to work.

Monitor your lifestyle: stress, smoking and alcohol consumption

Paying attention to your lifestyle is one of the best ways to prevent the onset of diabetes or pre-diabetes. The aim is to eliminate certain risk factors.

This is particularly true of alcohol, which is a particularly high sugar content drink (sugar and diabetes do not mix). This is also the case with tobacco, which induces decreased sensitivity to insulin: nicotine has a hyperglycaemic property (to increase the glucose level in the blood).

Similarly, stress, shift work or lack of sleep are all factors that contribute to the development of diabetes. That means it is essential to ensure that you relax. Practising certain activities, such as yoga or meditation, can help reduce stress and restore a calmer sleep cycle.

We can see that preventing diabetes in a natural way is above all a matter of adopting a healthier lifestyle for our body. This means adopting a balanced diet, practising regular physical activity, paying attention to your weight and reducing the consumption of products that are harmful to your body (tobacco, alcohol, etc.).