5 Bad Habits That Increase the Risk of Diabetes

Some seemingly harmless everyday habits and diet decisions can lead to diabetes. Your lifestyle choices might be putting you at risk for developing diabetes. Studies have shown that lifestyle fixes can help stabilize blood sugar and reverse metabolic syndrome. Here are some bad habits that you can change to raise your chances of preventing diabetes:

1- Not Eating Vegetables 

Including vegetables in your diet can help with weight loss and blood sugar control. Non-starchy vegetables such as broccoli, tomatoes, squash, and spinach can be particularly helpful in preventing diabetes. If you have diabetes or you want to steer clear of it, ensure that 50% of your meal comprises of vegetables. Vegetables have fiber, which will keep you full and prevent you from overeating. This will help with weight loss and will also help you get more vitamin A in your system. Adding vegetables to your diet is an essential part of preventing diabetes.

2- Drinking Sugary Drinks: 

Drinking your calories doesn’t just put you at risk for obesity but may increase your chances of developing diabetes. Empty calories that we consume in a liquid form such as soda, sweet tea, and lemonade are full of artificial sugar and have no nutritional value. Instead of reaching out for sugary drinks, take water or low-fat milk when you are thirsty. When you feel like drinking fruit juice, make sure you only drink fresh fruit juice. The effect is so bad that people who drink one sugary drink a day have a 26% higher chance of developing diabetes.

Some studies have found that these drinks increase the drinkers insulin ressistance, where the cells become used to there being excess sugar in the bloodstream. This is what ultimately leads to type 2 diabetes as the pancreas eventually wears out. These drinks also cause obesity which has been linked to diabetes.

3- Not Drinking Coffee: 

Drinking coffee may not be as bad as you might think. . Coffee consumption has been shown to reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Some components in coffee reduce insulin resistance. Consumption of coffee can also improve glucose metabolism, a process by which glucose is converted into energy. Harvard actually conducted a long term study where they foudnt that people who regularly drank coffee had an 11% lower chance of getting diabetes than those who did not. Although they were not able to pinpoint exactly why this was the case. People who drank tea experienced no changes at all. So drinking just one cup of coffee a day could go a long way in preventing diabetes.

4- Sleeping Very Late: 

You might be increasing your risk of developing diabetes if you stay up all night. Studies have shown that people who stay up all night are more likely to develop diabetes than those who sleep on time. It doesn’t matter if night owls are catching up on their sleep during the day. The time at which you sleep is equally important as the number of hours you sleep. People who stay up all night are subjected to higher levels of artificial light from electronic devices such as smartphones and televisions. This habit is associated with poorer blood sugar regulation and lower insulin sensitivity. Night owls may also experience sleep loss and poor sleep quality, which disrupts metabolism.

Studies have shown that not getting a full nights sleep can cause more stress hormones to be released in your body, this makes it much harder for the insulin to properly regulate blood sugar, which increases the chances of type 2 diabetes. Not sleeping can also lead to an increase in appetite which can cause overeating and obesity.

5- Skipping Breakfast: 

As the old adage goes, you should have a king’s breakfast. It is undoubtedly the most important meal of the day. When you skip breakfast, you may end up eating more at lunch. This can not only lead to weight gain but may also increase your chances of developing diabetes. When you starve yourself in the morning, your insulin levels and blood sugar are disrupted. Try to have a balanced meal in the morning to keep both blood sugar and waistline in check. Some healthy breakfast ideas include whole grain bread, eggs, nut butter, and fresh fruit. A study found that people who ate breakfast regularly had a 30% lower chance of developing diabetes, this is a significant decrease. This means that having breakfast is an easy and important tool in preventing diabetes. So long as your breakfast is healthy.

You can consult a dietitian to find out which foods you should include in your diet if you are diabetic or prediabetic. You can find and book an appointment with top Dietitian in Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad through oladoc.com. You can also call our helpline at 042-3890-0939 for assistance to find the RIGHT Doctor for your health concerns.