Healthy Food Chart

We've always known that Type 2 diabetes was in large part a "lifestyle" disease.  Now, a new study pins some staggering numbers to this.  Healthy lifestyle choices can reduce your risk of being diagnosed with diabetes by up to 90%.

Here's what you need to do:

1. Get a little bit of regular exercise. No marathons required. Even a small amount of physical activity makes a big difference.

2. LImit your alcohol consumption to two drinks a day or less.

3. Quit smoking (or don't start).

4. Keep your weight and your waist size from expanding.  You don't need to be rail thin. Just keep your your waist size under 35 inches and your BMI under 25 (calculate your BMI using our Daily Needs Calculator).

5. Eat a bit more fiber and a little bit less sugar and refined carbohydrates. Again, your diet doesn't need to be perfect.  If you can eat just a little better than the average American (now there's a bar that's set pretty low!), you'll lower your risk.

That may seem like a lot to keep track of. But keep in mind that any if you can manage any ONE of these healthy habits, you can reduce your risk of diabetes by 35%.  For every additional one you implement, your risk goes down that much further.

Reference: Lifestyle Risk Factors and New-Onset Diabetes Mellitus in Older AdultsDariush Mozaffarian, MD, DrPH; Aruna Kamineni, MPH; Mercedes Carnethon, PhD; Luc Djoussé, MD, ScD; Kenneth J. Mukamal, MD; David Siscovick, MD, MPH Arch Intern Med. 2009;169(8):798-807.