5 Ways To Protect Yourself From Diabetes

One of the most common and most prevalent forms of diabetes is Type 2 (formerly called adult-onset and/or non-insulin dependent diabetes). This form of diabetes impacts close to 95% of the 26 million Americans that have been diagnosed with diabetes.

Adults don"t have to look at a diagnosis if diabetes as an inevitable product of aging. If you want to prevent diabetes, taking care of yourself and living a healthy, active life can go a long way in keeping it at bay. Your doctor will also tell you that monitoring cholesterol and blood pressure levels is also critical to a healthy life and avoiding diabetes.

Here are five ways to protect yourself from diabetes:

1. Eat nuts daily. Almonds, walnuts and other tree nuts have been shown to reduce the risk of developing diabetes. Even eating peanuts, a legume, not an actual nut can be beneficial. Eat only the recommended daily amount.
2. Enjoy your coffee. Increasing your coffee consumption by one cup a day over what you typically drink can provide a close to 10 percent decrease in developing diabetes as compared to those individuals who didn"t make any changes to their coffee drinking habits.
3. Take a walk after you eat. Getting up and moving, especially after a meal, will lower your risk. Also, it"s been shown that people who sit for more than eight hours a day are more likely to develop diabetes than their more active counterparts. Start lifting weights; resistance training can keep blood sugar levels in check in ways that even aerobic exercise cannot.
4. Cut back on alcohol consumption. Drinking more than four alcoholic beverages within a two hour time frame can increase the risk for developing Type 2 diabetes because alcohol interferes with insulin in the brain. Drinking soda, whether it"s sweetened or unsweetened, can increase your risk of developing diabetes by more than 25 percent.
5. Reduce red meats. Cutting back on the consumption of red meats can also decrease your chances of developing diabetes. Processed meats should also be eaten in limited quantities as well. Eating fish, poultry and whole grains and low-fat dairy are much healthier for you overall and as a way to prevent diabetes.

Diabetes can cause you to become lightheaded, or dizzy. Both of which could lead to a serious fall.  Consider installing a medical alert device such as one of the models offered by LifeFone. With a touch of a button, emergency personnel are dispatched, and on their way to help your loved one in a time of need.

Caregivers should be looking at living a healthier lifestyle which we understand is not always the easiest when you"re helping take care of aging parents, but these tips are ideal for both caregivers and their relatives to consider.