Type 2 diabetes is a challenging health risk that requires daily, weekly, and yearly effort. With proper management, one can lessen the symptoms, including heart attack, kidney failure, stroke, or even blindness. Here are the six tips to help you minimize the risk factors as well as improve your general health:

1. Lower stress
Elevated stress levels can often cause high blood pressure, which increases the chances of developing heart-related diseases. There are simple techniques you can follow to moderate stress and constant anxiety. These include meditation, deep breathing, and muscle relaxation exercises. Ask your doctor to recommend the right stress-relieving exercises that can help prevent the symptoms of type 2 diabetes.

2. Lose weight
Losing weight is another way of lowering the risk of type 2 diabetes. You can delay or prevent diabetes by losing up to 7% of the starting weight. For example, if you have been weighing 180 pounds, your goal should be to lose 10-15 pounds. But how does one lose weight? It would be best if you combined exercise and minding what you eat. Exercise enables the body to bind insulin more efficiently, thus, limiting high blood sugar levels. When it comes to diet, the number of calories consumed in a day should be limited. The recommended amount of carbs for men and women per meal should be 45-60 grams and 35-45 grams, respectively.

3. Eat to stabilize blood sugar
A healthy diet is critical for reducing the symptoms of type 2 diabetes, like high cholesterol and high blood pressure. Plan for healthy meals in advance and eat healthy foods that constitute proteins, starch, vegetables, fats, and fruits. In order to stabilize blood sugar, you need to eliminate fat, sugar, and sodium from your diet.

4. Regular exercise
Another great way to prevent type 2 diabetes is through exercise. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that every person should get a minimum of 21/2 hours of moderate exercise each week, including cycling, brisk walking, and gardening. Another form of exercise recommended to control diabetes is strength training at least two times a week. This should incorporate major muscle groups, including legs, arms, shoulders, back, abs, and hips.

5. Quality sleep
Sleep is an important factor in controlling type 2 diabetes. When you have poor sleep quality, the amount of insulin, a hormone that regulates sugar in the blood, is limited. Instead, a stress hormone, cortisol, is secreted, which interferes with the function of insulin. This causes excess glucose in the blood, thus, increasing the risk of having diabetes. Equally, less sleep is associated with appetite and a reduction in the level of satiety. This causes an increase in cravings of unhealthy foods such as sugars and carbohydrates. Over time, such foods increase blood sugar levels, which increases body weight.

6. Get regular checkups
Scheduling regular appointments with a doctor every 5 or 6 months is a good way to manage diabetes. Your health practitioner or doctor can ensure that your blood sugar, blood pressure, and cholesterol levels do not skyrocket. The doctor should also be able to regularly address your concerns about diabetes and any emerging symptoms after the previous checkup. Be open about health issues you may be facing that may lead to high blood sugar levels.

Type 2 diabetes is a whole-person, whole-body disease that can increase the risk of other chronic diseases. To manage it, you should exercise regularly, check your weight, have quality sleep, and eat a proper diet. In addition, going for regular checkups is critical to ensure that your blood sugar levels are maintained.