Many of our customers have chosen to live the low carb lifestyle because they are diabetic and they want to manage or potentially reverse the disease. Many others do so because they are either prediabetic or may have a history in their family of diabetes, and they want to prevent the disease from ever presenting. It’s no wonder people are afraid of developing the disease – according to the International Diabetes Federation, one in ten adults will have diabetes by the year 2030. A low carb diet is one of the best things you can do for your body to help manage diabetes as well as prevent the disease. There are, however, additional things you can do in addition to maintaining this healthy diet that can benefit those who are diabetic or those who want to avoid the disease. Read on for a few things to incorporate into your daily life along with a low carb diet:
Limit alcohol intake – although most low carb dieters already do this, thinking consciously about limiting your alcohol intake can help you reduce your chances of acquiring diabetes even further than a low carb diet alone.
Stop smoking – studies have shown that smoking can be a contributing factor to the development of diabetes. Lessen the chances of a diabetes diagnosis by quitting as soon as possible.
Get regular exercise – some doctors recommend walking two miles per day several days a week. It doesn’t have to be walking, though. Getting at least 20 minutes of exercise at least three times a week can work well in conjunction with a low carb diet to reduce the risk of diabetes.
Maintain a healthy body weight – for those on a low carb diet for an extended period of time, this is often a naturally-occurring side effect. For those who have not yet begun the low carb lifestyle, doing so in order to achieve a healthy body weight (between 18.5 and 24.9 BMI) is a great start to the prevention of diabetes. Even if you don’t adhere to a low carb diet regularly, losing enough weight to achieve a healthy body weight can help in preventing diabetes from developing.
Thanks for reading our blog! Whether you choose to solely use a low carb diet as a prevention or for management of diabetes, or you opt to do so in combination with any of the above, be sure to visit us at Linda’s Diet Delites for some great low carb foods!