5 Tips to Reduce Your Risk of Diabetes

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Board-certified podiatrists Dr. Samantha Boyd, Dr. Hal Ornstein, Dr. Dan Phan, and Dr. Joseph Saka care a great deal about Type 2 diabetes prevention. A diabetic’s feet are vulnerable to circulation problems and nerve damage that can be a huge challenge. That’s why at Affiliated Foot & Ankle Center, we encourage our patients to understand the dangers and to take concrete steps to avoid developing Type 2 diabetes. Here are five proven ways to keep diabetic foot complications out of sight:

  1. Exercise. There’s a relationship between insulin - the hormone responsible for controlling blood glucose - and exercise. Numerous studies suggest that people who get regular exercise process insulin better, which helps keep blood sugar from spiraling out of control.

  2. Eat a balanced diet free of processed foods. Magazines, social media, online articles, and blogs are chock-full of advice about how to eat. Whether you choose to follow a diet that’s vegan, low-carb, Mediterranean, or what have you, most doctors agree that a diet rich in whole, unprocessed foods is best for keeping blood sugar in check.

  3. Stop smoking. The chemicals in cigarettes damage your cells and cause inflammation throughout your body. Studies have shown that cellular damage and inflammation put you at a much higher risk of getting diabetes.

  4. Reduce cholesterol and lower your blood pressure. A person with cholesterol issues such as high levels of LDL (the “bad” cholesterol) and elevated triglycerides has a higher risk of developing diabetes. The same is true for chronically elevated blood pressure. Strive to get both of these in a healthy range.

  5. Ask your doctor about getting an A1C test. If you think you might be in a high-risk group for getting diabetes, consider asking your doctor to order a simple blood test called A1C. It is a measure of your average blood sugar levels over the previous two to three months. It can show you if you’ve got prediabetes, which means your blood sugar is higher than it should be. 84 million Americans have prediabetes, and many of them don’t even know it. All of them will get diabetes unless they take steps to prevent it.

We welcome all residents of Monmouth County who need foot care of any kind, including expert diabetic foot care. Make an appointment online or call us in Howell and Jackson, NJ at (732) 905-1110.