Stop Diabetes in its Tracks

Posted: 12/4/2014 3:24 PM by Interim HealthCare
Learn How to Lower Your Risk of Developing Diabetes

There are almost 30 million Americans of every age group who are dealing with diabetes. There are an additional 86 million who are currently in the pre-diabetic stage and are at risk of developing diabetes.

The percentage of diabetes in Americans age 65 and older remains high at 25.9% or 11.8 million seniors (diagnosed and undiagnosed) according to the American Diabetes Association.  These numbers are staggering. As we become more aware of the risk factors and how we can minimize them, we all play a role in decreasing the incidence of this disease.

Lowering Your Risk of Developing Type 2 Diabetes

A few simple changes in a person's  lifestyle can bring about big changes in the risk for developing disease. Diabetes and heart disease share some of the same risks. For more information on adopting a healthier lifestyle, keep reading.

1.      Is the person overweight? A healthy weight helps prevent serious disease as well as managing disease someone has already developed. Maintaining weight at healthy levels will help avoid type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, high blood glucose, and high blood pressure.

2.      How healthy arethe person's eating habits? The risks for heart disease and type 2 diabetes are both closely linked to a person’s eating habits. Simple changes like eating more vegetables and less red meat, eating more fruit and less chips and candy, or drinking more water and less soda can bring about big health rewards. The individual should try healthier eating for a week and see how much better he or she feels. It really is worth it!

3.      How are the physical activity levels? Yes, it means exercise! Staying physically active is almost as important as healthy eating. Even if the individual has not been very active in the past, it can start helping right away. Increase activity slowly at first so there isn't a tendency to  over-do it. The best way to stay motivated is to find someone to be an exercise buddy.

For your elderly loved one, elderly home care can really help. A trained and loving caregiver can assist your parent in planning nutritious meals to give her or him the vitamins and minerals they need to stay healthy. The caregiver can also help provide motivation when it comes to physical activity. Exercise is much more fun when a person has someone to talk to.
 
If you have an aging loved one and are considering home care services, contact Interim HealthCare today. G+