By Linda Boyd and Heather Morrow
Chances are you know someone with type 2 diabetes; that someone may even be you.
Currently, more than three million Canadians have type 2 diabetes. That number is expected to grow to slightly less than four million by 2018.
Genetics and lifestyle play a large role in the development of this serious health condition. Diabetes increases your risk of heart disease, kidney failure, blindness, nerve damage, and erectile dysfunction.
Making a few lifestyle changes can dramatically lower the chances of developing type 2 diabetes. Take these three important steps to reduce your risk.
Get moving
Aim for 30 minutes of activity a day. Getting active doesn’t have to mean starting an exercise class or joining a gym.
Choose activities you enjoy or ones you can do as a family, such as raking leaves, walking your children to school, going for a bike ride after supper, or dancing the night away.
Maintain a healthy weight
Extra weight around the belly area is a risk factor for diabetes. Even a modest amount of weight loss can reduce your risk. Speak with your health-care professional about a healthy weight loss goal and ways to achieve it.
Eat well
Have foods from at least three of the four food groups at each meal. Fill half your plate at supper with vegetables, one-quarter with a protein (from the meat and alternatives group) and the other one-quarter with a starch (from the grain products group).
Drink low-fat milk and choose low-fat yogurt or cheese. Keep your portions reasonable and go easy on high-fat spreads, dips, and sauces. Aim for two servings of fish each week and choose low fat meats, such as extra lean beef, turkey, and skinless chicken.
Try cooking with beans, lentils, and tofu. These meat alternatives are inexpensive and have many health benefits.
Lastly, cut out sugary drinks, such as soda. Sugary drinks provide extra calories and do not fill you up.
For more great tips, check out Eating Well with Canada’s Food Guide at www.hc-sc.gc.ca/fn-an/food-guide-aliment/index-eng.php. It is a great resource and it’s available online or at your local health unit.
Eating healthy requires some basic cooking skills. If you would like to learn how to cook healthy, budget-friendly meals, consider participating in a Food Skills for Families program. For more information visit www.foodskillsforfamilies.ca, or call the Canadian Diabetes Association at 1-604-732-1331, extension 248.
Linda Boyd is a community nutritionist with Interior Health Authority and Heather Morrow is a dietetic intern.