Decrease your risk of Type 2 Diabetes with important health tips from fitness and nutrition expert Andrew Simmons

By Andrew Simmons (pictured)

www.andrewsvision.com.au

Andrew Simmons, Fitness and Nutrition Expert and CEO of Vision Personal Training, says 60% of Type 2 Diabetes is preventable and early detection is key to fighting the epidemic.

As a starter, let’s do this simple check. Ladies, it involves a tape measure. Starting and finishing at your belly button, measure your waistline. If it is greater than 80cm (Asian and Caucasian women), you are at risk of developing Type 2 Diabetes. If this is you, here are some simple things you can start with right now:

Stop smoking
Reduce your alcohol intake
30 minutes brisk walk every day – and even better add 2 resistance training sessions each week
Reduce your fat intake – cut out junk food, biscuits, cakes, butter.
Eat 5-6 small meals a day
Increase your intake of fibrous fruit and vegies

The scary facts about Diabetes

Diabetes is the world’s fastest growing chronic disease, which affects about 1.5 million Australians. 75 adults are diagnosed every day and many more Australians would be diagnosed if only they knew the symptoms and recognised some early warning signs like lethargy, blurred vision, excessive thirst, weight gain or loss and increased fatigue.

Type 2 Diabetes causes enormous health problems, and greatly impact your quality of life. For instance:

You have up to four times more chance of developing heart disease (No.1 killer in Australia women today) and stroke.
Retinopathy (a disease of the retina causing loss of vision) affects one in six people with diabetes and is the most common cause of blindness in adults aged 30-60 years.
Your kidneys will be damaged at 3 times the rate of those without diabetes and in fact is the leading cause of kidney failure.
Women who have had type 2 diabetes for 12 years or more are three times more likely to experience a hip fracture than non-diabetic women.

And if that isn’t enough to scare you, recent published medical research in ‘The Lancet’ said “having diabetes is the clinical equivalent of ageing 15 years”. In Type 2 Diabetics, high blood sugar and insulin levels promote free radical damage and inflammation to the body. You will appear older because of the free radical damage to proteins such as collagen and elastin.

More tips on how to prevent diabetes

So that’s the bad news, the good news is that 60% of Type 2 Diabetes can be prevented. A new term “Diabesity”, now used in health circles, describes the association between obesity and Type 2 Diabetes. Obesity is driving a worldwide epidemic in Type 2 Diabetes and it has been suggested that 80% of Type 2 Diabetics are obese.

This is where your lifestyle plays a key role in the future of your health. The most important thing you can do to help prevent the onset of Type 2 Diabetes is to ensure that you eat well. Proper nutrition is 70% of the solution, the remaining 30% is your fitness.

On average, women aged between 25-55 years should do at least 1 weights session a week and a minimum of three 30 minutes sessions of cardiovascular exercise they enjoy that gets their heart rate going.

If you like swimming, go swimming, if you like to run, run, just remember to move more – even walking to the local shop to get the milk instead of driving will be beneficial.

Following a well-balanced nutrition plan made up of a combination of low GI carbohydrates; good sources of lean proteins, fibrous water based fruits and vegetables and good fats is highly recommended as is 5-6 smalls meals per day to give your body maximum nutritional benefits.

Andrew Simmons is the author of Fat Loss Take Control, An Australian Guide to eating for Fat Loss.

You can contact Andrew at his website: www.andrewsvision.com.au Or connect with Andrew on twitter.