How to keep type 2 diabetes away?

Overweight and sedentary lifestyle are the best friends of type 2 diabetes, a metabolic disease that, despite being preventable, already affects more than 400 million adults worldwide, and causes about 5 million deaths per year.

Lifestyle is as decisive to avoid the appearance of this pathology as in its treatment."Whether as a prevention, in its beginning or in advanced phases, the diet and exercise are fundamental," warns Dr. Rebeca Reyes, a member of the Endocrinology and Nutrition Service of the Torrecárdenas hospital complex and coordinator of the Diabetes Group of the Spanish Society of the Spanish Society ofEndocrinology and nutrition (SEEN).

Although this disease is popularly related to high sugar diet, the reality is that there is no direct relationship between sweet and diabetes."Excessive consumption is not necessary to occur, but a high sugar diet will not be healthy and, on the other hand, it is difficult for a person who consumes a lot of sugar does not have a weight problem," says Dr. Reyes.And the key risk factors in their appearance are precisely overweight and sedentary lifestyle.

To maintain away diabetes, the formula is simple, but demands work: Mediterranean diet and physical exercise.«Olive oil must be the main source of fat, legumes, three times a week;And fruits and vegetables, several times a day.No forbidden food, but all in moderation, especially those that have high content of sugars and fats of animal origin.And try to avoid those carrying trans fats, ”advises the expert.

Within the feeding pattern, there are studies that have indicated the entire dairy products in the face of this disease.But Dr. Reyes nuances: «It is difficult to establish a direct relationship because a food is always within a global diet and lifestyle.It is clear that more than the contribution of fat what matters is the type of fat.And it may also be that people who take sweetened or skimmed have already weight problems ».

As for the year, a minimum of 150 minutes per week of an activity that makes us at least "sweat a little," is recommended.Recent investigation pointed to the bicycle as an effective option against diabetes.

A weight loss without apparent cause, a feeling of thirst and more desire to urinate are some of the alarm signals, but in most cases it is asymptomatically, so it is advisable to undergo periodic check -ups from 40years.