diabetes

We are pumped to share one of our favorite stories from Health here on FitSugar.

By Amy O'Connor

There's no getting around the fact that we are a prediabetic society with an obesity epidemic. While we do hate to bring these facts up in November, a month when most families give thanks over a rich meal and look forward to a lazy, indulgent holiday season. But this also happens be National Diabetes Month. And choosing the right food is crucially important to people with diabetes. About 24 million Americans are believed to have diabetes, and nearly 6 million don’t know it. Another 57 million are thought to have prediabetes, a condition that boosts risks for diabetes, heart disease, and stroke. If current trends continue, 1 in 3 U.S. adults will develop diabetes by 2050.

If you don't want to become a statistic, experts say you should start making small changes to your diet and lifestyle as soon as you can. High blood sugar silently damages the body, even if you don't feel it. Having a normal, healthy weight by itself can reduced the risk of developing diabetes by 60 to 70 percent, and eating a healthier diet can slash your risk by 15 percent, says Jarad Reis, a researcher from the U.S. Division of Cardiovascular Sciences at the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. Here are some easy changes to make now:

End portion distortion
When you have type 2 diabetes, you need to gauge portion sizes correctly, so you know how many calories and carbohydrates you're taking in and how they will affect your blood sugar. A 2004 study of 329 overweight people found that 38% of those who practiced portion control for two years lost 5% or more of body weight, compared with 33% of participants who did not (they gained 5% or more of body weight).

Health.com: 5 Healthy Snacks for People With (or Without!) Diabetes

Eat more fiber
Fiber itself doesn’t raise blood sugar because it can't be digested, and that's good. But even better, it can blunt the impact that carbohydrates have on blood sugar. The reason? The intestines take a bit more time to digest fiber-rich foods, and that slows the release of glucose into your bloodstream. A 2000 study of 13 patients showed that patients with diabetes who consumed 50 grams of fiber each day lowered their glucose levels 10% and insulin levels 12% more than those who consumed 24 grams of fiber a day. The problem is that 50 grams of fiber per day is a lot of fiber. Most Americans consume only 15 grams every day, according to the American Heart Association, and the American Diabetes Association recommends that people with diabetes eat 25 to 50 grams daily.

Keep reading for more easy changes to make for a pre-diabetes diet.

Today, the food world's gone into hyper-discussion mode over the fact that Paula Deen reportedly has diabetes. This isn't a first — we've been hearing rumors of her diabetes for a while now — but she's also reportedly signed on to be the spokesperson for a diabetes drug from pharmaceutical company Novartis.

Paula Deen, who's been dubbed the Queen of Southern Cuisine, is known for her decadent Southern dishes and her liberal use of butter without pause to any concerns about health. "I really don't worry about it," she told a reporter in one interview. Yet with increasing concern over America's obesity epidemic, her push for exceedingly rich foods has faced more than a few tough questions.

"You know, we don't eat this [stuff] every day," she said, defending herself to an unconvinced Barbara Walters in 2009. Her mantra of licking the bacon grease spoon — in moderation, of course! — has faltered. Even the Cooking Channel's admitting to that, with the debut of Not My Mama's Meals, with a lighter, healthier bent on Paula Deen dishes.

And so it comes full circle. The expected announcement is bleak, yet clear: nobody, even a personality with rock-star status like Paula Deen, is immune to health consequences. It's time to face the reality that we can't routinely succumb to indulgences, even if they're "in moderation." With almond milk and quinoa flying off shelves, we're finally starting to realize that you can't have red velvet cake every day. Maybe once a week — if you eat a bit of kale on the side, too.

More reasons to exercise for your health! A few recent studies have found just how much adopting a regular exercise routine can help prevent and treat certain diseases.

A new report has found that there's a definite link to inactivity and Type 2 diabetes, even if you're otherwise healthy. The study, from the journal Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, looked at 50 healthy and moderately active adults and found that once they reduced their activity level by half (without any other changes to diet or lifestyle) they had increased levels of blood glucose after eating, which meant they could be at risk for developing diabetes and heart disease. "Even in the short term, reducing daily activity and ceasing regular exercise causes acute changes in the body associated with diabetes that can occur before weight gain and the development of obesity," the lead researcher said.

Read on for more about just how important staying active is.

• Thanksgiving: a guide for beginners. — Chow
• Whatever, Domino's! Papa John's one-ups with a double bacon, six cheese pizza. — Eater
• Top Chef: Just Dessert's Yigit Pura will open a dessert shop in San Francisco. — Grub Street SF
• How to make your turkey day feast diabetic-friendly. — Serious Eats
• Must-make: crackly caramelized doughnuts. — Salon Food
• With Red Delicious apples occupying 40 percent of the market, heirloom apples are a dying breed. — The Atlantic Food
• Ina Garten's Thanksgiving recipes from Google. — Google

As he aged, my grandfather developed type 2 diabetes, and since the disease can be hereditary, I've become especially aware of ways I can prevent it. The condition occurs when your pancreas doesn't produce enough insulin, or if your body doesn't recognize insulin and is unable to use it properly. If you're worried about developing type 2 diabetes, here are five things you can do to help prevent it.

1. Since obesity plays a big role in developing type 2 diabetes, maintain a healthy weight by eating appropriate portion sizes.
2. Get moving. Exercise not only prevents obesity, but it also improves your body's use of insulin.
3. Go for whole grains. Research shows that a diet rich in whole grains such as brown rice, quinoa, and oatmeal can reduce a person's risk for type 2 diabetes.

For the last two prevention techniques, keep on reading.