Your health: New year is perfect time to start preventing diabetes – The Herald-Times

 The holidays have come and gone, and the New Year is now here to welcome us. With the turn of the calendar year one of the busiest places will be your local gym. Often we discuss our new year’s resolutions with friends and family, and one of the more common goals is the desire to lose weight by dieting, exercising and getting into a new and exciting routine. The past few months I have discussed the complex and chronic condition called diabetes. My hope this month is to motivate you to make lifestyle changes if you already have diabetes and educate you if you do not. 
We have talked about the risk factors, the signs and symptoms, and now we will conclude our three part series by discussing treatment and prevention. My focus this month is more prevention than treatment as treatment plans are vast and very tailored to the individual. 
Some people walk into their doctors office with A1C numbers (the average blood sugar over three months) so high they get put on insulin right away, whereas some people can take oral medications to help lower their blood sugar and A1C.
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This is why prevention is key. If you can prevent diabetes you can potentially avoid getting on medication to help treat diabetes. A lot of us want a quick fix, one-and-done solution to our new year’s resolutions — fad diets, magic pills as seen on TV or diet supplements. Preventing diabetes is much the same — there is no easy quick solution. Diet and exercise are paramount — create a new routine — walk more, move more and limit the sugar!
We often keep our resolutions for a few weeks and then go back to our old habits and this is primarily because our goals are too large and changes are too big for our lifestyles. Start with small changes that you can manage — maybe cut back on the soda, sweets or sugary foods. Trying walking a few more steps each day — many studies show exercising 30 minutes a day five days a week is optimal. Start changing your grocery list, maybe join a friend for a workout class or maybe journal your progress. Lastly, quit smoking and limit the intake of alcohol. Studies show people who smoke are almost 40% more likely to develop Type 2 diabetes. There are many ways to change your lifestyle and not all the goals have to be done at once. However, starting small is one way to make sure you will not get overwhelmed. 
Preventing diabetes involves another key important factor — knowing your numbers. If you get your annual blood work done by your doctor — you will know where you stand with your A1C. Remember our friend JC — I am happy to report that he is doing much better and living a better lifestyle due to all the changes he has made in his life and his A1c has drastically come down since he found out he was diabetic. Keeping in mind that small changes can lead to big results will help keep discouragement at bay. I hope you welcome the new year by making simple small changes that allow for better health for you and your family! 
Krutika Simon is a pharmacist based in Bloomington with a focus on health and wellness and specialty medications. You can contact her at KrutikaSimon@gmail.com. 

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