A 4-Step Program to Prevent Diabetes
By Christine McKinney

While my heart is in diabetes education, my real passion is actually diabetes prevention. Prevention is where we need to head as a society, government, managed care companies, health care providers, and individuals. If we don't think about prevention, nothing is going to change, and diabetes will continue to rise.

I'd like to share a 4-step plan to help you prevent diabetes:

Step 1: Monitor your weight. In general, the more above normal weight you are, the greater your risk of developing diabetes. This isn't true for absolutely everyone, but keeping your weight in a healthy range is important for overall health. What is a healthy weight? Healthcare professionals generally use something called the body mass index (BMI). Check out the ADA's BMI calculator. If you are in the overweight or obese category, losing only 5 to 10 percent of your body weight will help to prevent type 2 diabetes. For example, if you weigh 200 pounds, losing just 10 pounds will help.

Step 2: Be physically active. Yes, you've heard this one before. The goal is to do a minimum of 30 minutes of planned physical activity on most days of the week. As soon as I say the "E" word (exercise), my clients almost always say, "I don't have enough time," or "I'm too busy." Think about it like this: there are 1,440 minutes in a day and that means that after 30 minutes of exercise you would still have 1,410 minutes to accomplish what you need to do that day.

Isn't 30 minutes a worthy investment in your health? Research even shows that exercising in three separate 10-minute sessions has the same effect as exercising for 30 minutes at one time. It's not finding the time but making the time to exercise!

Step 3: Reduce your fat intake (particularly saturated fat). Imagine fat in your body as a roadblock for insulin to get its job done. Too much fat in our body creates a condition called insulin resistance. American's diets are too high in fat, and recent diet fads like low-carb diets aren't helping. The focus of a healthy diet should be on fruits, vegetables, and whole grain foods.

Step 4: Increase your intake of dietary fiber. Fiber is great for both diabetes and weight loss. Fiber slows down digestion of glucose. Fiber also expands in your stomach to help you feel fuller longer. Fruits, vegetables, and whole grains are all great sources of fiber. In packaged foods, you'll find the fiber content listed on the Nutrition Facts panel on the label. The goal should be at least 25 grams of fiber per day but the average fiber intake is only about 10 grams per day. What's your fiber intake?

These four tangible steps are proven to help prevent diabetes. If you already have diabetes, share these prevention steps with others around you. If you don't have diabetes, the time to act is now!  -- American Dietetic Association

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