Health, Diet and Diabetes

Eating nutrient-dense foods and being physically active are keys to sustaining good health and reducing your risk of chronic diseases, including diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Poor diet, increased calories and a sedentary life increases your risk for obesity, Type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Consult your doctor about your health, diet and diabetes.

Health

Health is not just the absence of disease, but also a condition of complete physical, mental and social well-being, according to the World Health Organization. When you are healthy, your body is able to produce insulin, metabolize glucose, a type of sugar, for energy and have normal levels of blood glucose, cholesterol and fat. Good physical health also involves maintaining a healthy weight and having properly functioning kidneys, heart and cardiovascular system and normal blood pressure, hearing and vision.

Prevention Diet

Being overweight or obese are the primary risk factors for developing Type 2 diabetes. A healthy diet of nutrient-dense foods that includes reducing your calorie intake and increasing your calorie expenditure with physical activity helps lower your risk of developing Type 2 diabetes. Adherence to the Mediterranean diet is associated with a reduced risk of diabetes, according to research by scientists at the University of Navarra in Pamplona, Spain and published in the "British Medical Journal" in 2008. The Mediterranean diet is comprised of generous amounts daily of fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, nuts, seeds, legumes and olive oil, low-fat yogurt and cheese, moderate amounts of fish, eggs, poultry and sweets a few times weekly and very small amounts of red meat each month.

Diabetes

Approximately 26 million people in the United States have diabetes. Between 90 and 95 percent of people with diabetes have Type 2, a condition characterized by increased blood sugar and insulin resistance. Diabetes increases your risk of complications that include cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, kidney disease, nerve damage, hearing loss and blindness.

Dietary Treatment

Diet is an integral part of treating diabetes. Eating low-glycemic foods, such as nuts, barley, grapefruit and carrots, helps control your blood sugar. Foods that contain soluble fiber, such as beans, fruits and vegetables, can also help you to control your blood sugar. Eat foods that contain healthy fats; avoid foods twith saturates and trans fats to help you reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. Healthy fats include monounsaturated fat found in olive oil, almonds, pecans and avocados and omega-3 fatty acids found in walnuts, flaxseeds and fatty fish, such as salmon and sardines. Unhealthy fats include trans fats found in processed foods, such as margarine, breads, cookies and cakes and saturated fat found in meat and dairy products.