YOU Docs Daily
Take This Test to Find Out if You Have Type 2 Diabetes Symptoms
As type 2 diabetes continues to spread faster than jokes about presidential candidates' memory lapses, we YOU Docs have one comment and it's no joke: Fight, fight, fight diabetes.
If you've got it, reverse it. Type 2 diabetes is a disease you can almost always kick to the curb if you manage it like a pro. If you've got prediabetes, treat it like a bulldog teaching a new chew toy who's boss. If you think you're headed for the big D (find out, below), make a YOU-turn now. The #1 key to preventing diabetes: Lose even a little weight, especially by avoiding added sugars and saturated fats. You can do it!
What's got us yelling "Fight!" is news that diabetes doesn't just do in your body (i.e., eyes, heart, kidneys). It also attacks your brain. It restricts circulation and creates so much damaging inflammation that new studies show your brain shrinks by 15%. The most affected areas? Your ability to talk, make decisions, handle tasks, and remember what you just said.
How do you know if you're speeding down the type 2 diabetes highway? Answer these three questions:
- Does type 2 diabetes run in your family?
- Are you 55 or older?
- Are you clinically obese? Meaning, is your body mass index (BMI) above 30? If you don't know, use RealAge's BMI calculator or measure your waist at belly button level, sucking in. If your waist measurement is more than half your height, you're at risk.
If you answered yes to all three, research shows that the odds are 1 in 5 you'll have diabetes within 5 years unless you do you know what: Fight, fight, fight.
These 3 foods can lower your risk of diabetes by 10% to 20%.
