5 everyday bad habits that can lead to diabetes
High blood sugar or diabetes can adversely affect our lives in many ways. It can lead to serious health complications. While some part of it, like most diseases, is genetic, poor lifestyle choices can also lead to diabetes. There are many everyday practices, which we may not think about twice, that can cause a spike in insulin levels in our blood. Here are five bad habits that can cause diabetes:
1) Sitting in one place for hours at a stretch
Being a couch potato has serious health complications! And even when you are hard at work at the office, remember while your mind is working, your body isn't. Keeping on sitting in one position for long hours is not good for our metabolism. So keep moving! Sometimes, it may not be feasible, but whenever the opportunity arrives, move around. Whether you are working in the office or binge-watching shows, take a break, take a walk or do some brisk exercise, before you settle down again. Several studies have shown that if you manage to replace half an hour of a sedentary life with some exercise, it reduces your chance of developing Type 2 diabetes.
2) Eating refined carbs
The Indian diet is usually heavy on carbohydrates. While carbs have their benefits too, nutritionists say that people should replace their refined carbs with complex carbs. So instead of white rice, go for brown rice; avoid maida and instead of white bread, opt for whole grain bread. Refined carbs lead to a spike in blood sugar levels and as they get digested easily, we tend to feel hungry sooner.
3) Not sleeping enough
This is literally a new epidemic that the world's going through! An increasing number of people are sleeping fewer hours than the desired eight hours and this has serious health implications, which we may not be aware of. Be it the corporate life's pressure of working into late hours, our habit of binge-watching shows and most significantly, our obsession with smartphones - people are staying awake well past their bedtime. Sleep deprivation on a regular basis can lead to hormonal imbalance, which leads to diabetes risk. People also have unnatural hunger pangs if they sleep poorly, and that means they can consume unnecessary carbs and sweets, which impacts blood insulin levels.
4) Drinking sugary drinks
This might sound obvious, but most of us are guilty of this! Even if we avoid carbonated drinks, we often have fruit juices with loads of sugar, and that's as bad. Juice is good for health, but have fresh juice with no added sugar substances. Carbonated drinks should be avoided, even if the sweltering sun entices you to have that cool soda. When you are having a shake with milk in it, try to opt for low-fat, skimmed milk.
5) Smoking
Here's one more reason why you should definitely kick the butt! According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), US, smoking makes it difficult to manage diabetes. A report on the CDC website mentions, "Smoking is one cause of type 2 diabetes. In fact, people who smoke cigarettes are 30%–40% more likely to develop type 2 diabetes than people who don’t smoke. People with diabetes who smoke are more likely than those who don’t smoke to have trouble with insulin dosing and with managing their condition. The more cigarettes you smoke, the higher your risk for type 2 diabetes."