8 Ways to never get diabetes

Type 2 diabetes is growing at an alarming rate, but it's also one of the most preventable diseases around. Nearly 25% of Americans are thought to have prediabetes-a condition of slightly elevated blood sugar levels that often develops into diabetes within 10 years-but only 4% of people know it. What's worse is that of those who are aware, less than half really tried to reduce their risk by losing weight, eating less, and exercising more. Here's 8 ways you can stay diabetes-free:

1. Nudge the Scale
Shedding even 10 pounds can significantly slash your risk. Even extremely overweight people were 70% less likely to develop diabetes when they lost just 5% of their weight-even if they didn't exercise. If you weigh 175 pounds, that percentage is a little less than 9 pounds! Use our calorie calculator to see how many calories you consume-and how many you need to shave off your diet-if you want to lose a little.

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2. Pick the Right Appetizer
May we recommend the salad? Eating greens with a vinaigrette before a starchy entrée may help control your blood sugar levels.
In an Arizona State University study, people with type 2 diabetes or a precursor condition called insulin resistance had lower blood sugar levels if they consumed about 2 tablespoons of vinegar just before a high-carb meal. "Vinegar contains acetic acid, which may inactivate certain starch-digesting enzymes, slowing carbohydrate digestion," says lead researcher Carol Johnston, PhD. In fact, vinegar's effects may be similar to those of the blood sugar-lowering medication acarbose (Precose).

3. Ditch Your Car
Walk as much as you can every day. You'll be healthier-even if you don't lose any weight. People in a Finnish study who exercised the most-up to 4 hours a week, or about 35 minutes a day-dropped their risk of diabetes by 80%, even if they didn't lose any weight. This pattern holds up in study after study: The famed Nurses Health Study, for example, found that women who worked up a sweat more than once a week reduced their risk of developing diabetes by 30%. Why is walking so wonderful? Studies show that exercise helps your body utilize the hormone insulin more efficiently by increasing the number of insulin receptors on your cells. Insulin helps blood sugar move into cells, where it needs to go to provide energy and nutrition.

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4. Be Cereal Smart
Selecting the right cereal can help you slim down and steady blood sugar.
A higher whole grain intake is also linked to lower rates of breast cancer, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, and stroke-and cereal is one of the best sources of these lifesaving grains, if you know what to shop for.

Some tips: Look for the words high fiber on the box; that ensures at least 5 g per serving. But don't stop there. Check the label; in some brands, the benefits of fiber are overshadowed by the addition of refined grains, added sugar, or cholesterol-raising fats.

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Decode the grains: Where that fiber comes from matters too, so check the ingredient list to find out exactly what those flakes or squares are made from. Millet, amaranth, quinoa, and oats are always whole grain, but if you don't see whole in front of wheat, corn, barley, or rice, these grains have been refined and aren't as healthy.

Watch for hidden sugar: The "total sugars" listing doesn't distinguish between added and naturally occurring sugars; the best way to tell is to scan the ingredients again. The following terms represent added sugars: brown sugar, corn sweetener, corn syrup, dextrose, fructose, high fructose corn syrup, invert sugar, maltose, malt syrup, molasses, sugar, and sucrose. Skip cereals that list any of these within the first three ingredients (which are listed by weight).

5. Indulge Your Coffee Cravings
If you're a coffee fan, keep on sipping. The beverage may keep diabetes at bay.
After they studied 126,210 women and men, researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health found that big-time coffee drinkers-those who downed more than 6 daily cups-had a 29 to 54% lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes during the 18-year study. Sipping 4 to 5 cups cut risk about 29%; 1 to 3 cups per day had little effect.

6. Ditch the Drive-Thru
You might get away with an occasional fast-food splurge, but become a regular "fast feeder" and your risk of diabetes skyrockets. That's what University of Minnesota scientists found after they studied 3,000 people, ages 18 to 30, for 15 years. At the start, everyone was at a normal weight. But those who ate fast food more than twice a week gained 10 more pounds and developed twice the rate of insulin resistance-the two major risk factors for type 2 diabetes-compared with those who indulged less than once a week. In addition to the jumbo portions, many fast-food meals are loaded with unhealthy trans fats and refined carbohydrates, which may raise diabetes risk even if your weight remains stable. A better bet: Keep a bag of DIY trail mix in your purse at all times in case hunger pangs come on. Nuts are known to lower blood sugar.

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7. Go Veggie More Often
Consider red meat a treat-not something to eat every day.
Women who ate red meat at least 5 times a week had a 29% higher risk of type 2 diabetes than those who ate it less than once a week, found a 37,000-woman study at Brigham and Women's Hospital. And eating processed meats such as bacon and hot dogs at least 5 times a week raised type 2 diabetes risk by 43%, compared with eating them less than once a week. The culprits? Scientists suspect the cholesterol in red meat and the additives in processed meat are to blame.

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8. Have a Blood Test
Many diabetes symptoms are silent.
A simple blood test can reveal whether sugar levels put you at risk for the condition. People with prediabetes-slightly elevated blood sugar levels, between 100 and 125 mg/dl-often develop a full-blown case within 10 years. Knowing that your blood sugar levels are a little high can put you on a track to steadying them-with simple diet and exercise changes-before diabetes sets in and medications may be necessary.

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Do you worry about developing type 2 diabetes?

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