It’s National Diabetes Awareness Month, so it’s a great time to talk about diabetes prevention. The first thing to remember is that it’s never too late to start! When it comes to the most common type of diabetes, Type 2, prevention is a big deal. It is especially important to make prevention a priority if you are overweight or if you have a family history of the disease.

Diabetes prevention is as basic as eating more healthfully, becoming more physically active and losing a few extra pounds. Making a few simple changes in your lifestyle now may help you avoid the serious health complications of diabetes later. Take a look at the latest diabetes prevention tips from the American Diabetes Association:

• Get more physical activity. Exercise can help you lose weight, lower your blood sugar and boost your sensitivity to insulin, which helps keep your blood sugar within a normal range. Research shows that both aerobic exercise and resistance training can help control diabetes. 
• Get plenty of fiber. Fiber may help you reduce your risk of diabetes by improving your blood sugar control. It also lowers your risk of heart disease and promotes weight loss by helping you feel full. Try to include more fruits, vegetables, beans, whole grains and nuts in your diet.
• Go for whole grains. They may reduce your risk of diabetes and help maintain blood sugar levels. Try to make at least half your grains whole grains. Many foods made from whole grains come ready-to-eat, including various breads, pasta products and cereals. Look for the word "whole" on the package and among the first few items in the ingredient list. 
• Lose extra weight. If you're overweight, diabetes prevention may hinge on weight loss. Every pound you lose can improve your health, and you may be surprised by how much. Participants in one large study who lost a modest amount of weight — around 7 percent of initial body weight — and exercised regularly reduced the risk of developing diabetes by almost 60 percent.
• Skip fad diets and just make healthier choices. Low-carb diets, the glycemic index diet or other fad diets may help you lose weight at first. But their effectiveness at preventing diabetes isn't known, nor are their long-term effects. And by excluding or strictly limiting a particular food group, you may be giving up essential nutrients. Instead, make variety and portion control part of your healthy-eating plan.

If you're older than age 45 and your weight is normal, ask your doctor if diabetes testing is appropriate for you. The American Diabetes Association (ADA) recommends blood glucose screening if you're age 45 or older and overweight. The ADA also recommends screening if you're younger than age 45 and overweight, with one or more additional risk factors for Type 2 diabetes — such as a sedentary lifestyle or a family history of diabetes.

Share your concerns about diabetes prevention with your doctor. He or she will applaud your efforts to keep diabetes at bay, and perhaps offer additional suggestions based on your medical history or other factors.

Source: Mayo Clinic