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  1 / 10 1. Control weight gain

  Photo: Andrey Kekyalyaynen / www.123rf.com

  Excess body fat, particularly if stored around the abdomen, can increase the body’s resistance to the hormone insulin, say experts. And being overweight increases the chances of developing type 2 diabetes by seven fold. If you’re tipping the scales, lose seven to 10 per cent of your current weight to lower your risk of developing type 2 diabetes in half.

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  2 / 10 2. Get moving

  Photo: lzflzf / www.123rf.com

  Exercise not only helps you lose weight, but it also keeps blood glucose, blood pressure, cholesterol and triglycerides at optimal levels, say experts. Even just moderate exercise of 30 minutes a day, five days a week, can help.

  Read more
• 
  3 / 10 3. Eat healthy

  Photo: rido / www.123rf.com
  Nutritionists confirm that portion control is very important, even if you’re eating all the right foods and reducing the amount of saturated and trans fat in your diet. You also need to eat more fruits and vegetables, and cut back on salt.

  Read more
• 
  4 / 10 4. Limit alcohol

  Photo: hxdbzxy / www.123rf.com

  Experts warn that women should have no more than one glass of wine as too much alcohol can lead to weight gain and may increase your blood pressure and triglyceride levels.

  Read more
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  5 / 10 5. Stop smoking

  Photo: Dmytro Zinkevych / www.123rf.com

  According to health experts, smoking increases your risk of diabetes complications as it increases your blood sugar levels. Tobacco use can also increase insulin resistance and stimulate stress hormones which can increase blood glucose levels an dmake it more difficult to manage pre-diabetes and diabetes.

  Read more
• 
  6 / 10 6. Control your sugar intake

  Photo: tobi / www.123rf.com

  Reducing the frequency and amount of sweets you consume can help reduce the pressure on your metabolism and may extend your healthy years, suggest experts. Reducing sweets is an easy way to cut calories and lose weight too.

  Read more
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  7 / 10 7. Waist measurement

  Photo: Oleg Dudko / www.123rf.com

  Regardless of your height or built, if your waistline is getting bigger it could mean you are at increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes and other chronic diseases such as heart disease and some cancers, say experts.

  Read more
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  8 / 10 8. Drink coffee

  Photo: Eugene Sergeev / www.123rf.com

  A study conducted on over 126, 000 men and women, by the Harvard School of Public Health found that big-time coffee drinkers – those who downed more than six daily cups – had a 29 to 54 per cent lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes during the 18-year study. However, decaf coffee offered no protection. Caffeine in other forms – tea, soda, chocolate – did. Researchers suspect that caffeine may help by boosting metabolism. And coffee, the major caffeine source in the study, also contains potassium, magnesium and antioxidants that help cells absorb sugar.

  Read more
• 
  9 / 10 9. Eat your fruits and vegetables

  Photo: fortyforks / www.123rf.com

  A study conducted by Brigham and Women’s Hospital on 37,000 women found that women who ate red meat at least five times a week had a 29 per cent higher risk of type 2 diabetes than those who ate it less than once a week. And eating processed meats such as bacon or hot dogs at least five times a week raised type 2 diabetes risk by 43 per cent, compared with eating them less than once a week. Scientists suspect the cholesterol in red meat and the additives in processed meat are to blame.

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  10 / 10 10. Spice it up

  Photo: Olga Kozlova / www.123rf.com

  German researchers studied 65 adults with type 2 diabetes who then took a capsule containing the equivalent of 1g of cinnamon powder or a placebo three times a day for four months. By the end of the four months, cinnamon reduced blood sugar by about 10 per cent; the placebo users improved by only four per cent. It is believed that the compounds in cinnamon may activate enzymes that stimulate insulin receptors. The sweet spice has also been shown to help lower cholesterol and triglycerides, both that may contribute to diabetes risk. 

  Read more

1. Control weight gain Photo: Andrey Kekyalyaynen / www.123rf.com Excess body fat, particularly if stored around the abdomen, can increase the body’s resistance to the hormone insulin, say experts. And being overweight increases the chances of developing type 2 diabetes by seven fold. If you’re tipping the scales, lose seven to 10 per cent of your current weight to lower your risk of developing type 2 diabetes in half. 2. Get moving Photo: lzflzf / www.123rf.com Exercise not only helps you lose weight, but it also keeps blood glucose, blood pressure, cholesterol and triglycerides at optimal levels, say experts. Even just moderate exercise of 30 minutes a day, five days a week, can help. 3. Eat healthy Photo: rido / www.123rf.comNutritionists confirm that portion control is very important, even if you’re eating all the right foods and reducing the amount of saturated and trans fat in your diet. You also need to eat more fruits and vegetables, and cut back on salt. 4. Limit alcohol Photo: hxdbzxy / www.123rf.com Experts warn that women should have no more than one glass of wine as too much alcohol can lead to weight gain and may increase your blood pressure and triglyceride levels. 5. Stop smoking Photo: Dmytro Zinkevych / www.123rf.com According to health experts, smoking increases your risk of diabetes complications as it increases your blood sugar levels. Tobacco use can also increase insulin resistance and stimulate stress hormones which can increase blood glucose levels an dmake it more difficult to manage pre-diabetes and diabetes. 6. Control your sugar intake Photo: tobi / www.123rf.com Reducing the frequency and amount of sweets you consume can help reduce the pressure on your metabolism and may extend your healthy years, suggest experts. Reducing sweets is an easy way to cut calories and lose weight too. 7. Waist measurement Photo: Oleg Dudko / www.123rf.com Regardless of your height or built, if your waistline is getting bigger it could mean you are at increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes and other chronic diseases such as heart disease and some cancers, say experts. 8. Drink coffee Photo: Eugene Sergeev / www.123rf.com A study conducted on over 126, 000 men and women, by the Harvard School of Public Health found that big-time coffee drinkers – those who downed more than six daily cups – had a 29 to 54 per cent lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes during the 18-year study. However, decaf coffee offered no protection. Caffeine in other forms – tea, soda, chocolate – did. Researchers suspect that caffeine may help by boosting metabolism. And coffee, the major caffeine source in the study, also contains potassium, magnesium and antioxidants that help cells absorb sugar. 9. Eat your fruits and vegetables Photo: fortyforks / www.123rf.com A study conducted by Brigham and Women’s Hospital on 37,000 women found that women who ate red meat at least five times a week had a 29 per cent higher risk of type 2 diabetes than those who ate it less than once a week. And eating processed meats such as bacon or hot dogs at least five times a week raised type 2 diabetes risk by 43 per cent, compared with eating them less than once a week. Scientists suspect the cholesterol in red meat and the additives in processed meat are to blame. 10. Spice it up Photo: Olga Kozlova / www.123rf.com German researchers studied 65 adults with type 2 diabetes who then took a capsule containing the equivalent of 1g of cinnamon powder or a placebo three times a day for four months. By the end of the four months, cinnamon reduced blood sugar by about 10 per cent; the placebo users improved by only four per cent. It is believed that the compounds in cinnamon may activate enzymes that stimulate insulin receptors. The sweet spice has also been shown to help lower cholesterol and triglycerides, both that may contribute to diabetes risk.