Warding off Type 2 Diabetes

"Findings from a study involving 59,000 African-American women revealed that drinking two or more sugary soda drinks a day - compared with less than one a month - boosted the risk of Type 2 diabetes 24 per cent."

In the Globe and Mail there was an article about various studies to determine what diet factors influence the risk of getting diabetes. Reducing fat does not necessarily reduce the risk, however, losing weight and maintaining a healthy weight does. Another study determined that people who have the highest levels of vitamin C, i.e. people who eat lots of vegetables and fruit seem to reduce their risk substantially.

A summary of the recommendations to prevent diabetes that were mentioned:

Avoid sugary drinks
Eat lots of vegetables and fruit
Maintain a healthy weight
Exercise regularly - get moving, and don't be classified "sedentary"
Eat low-glycemic foods (read low-carb!)
Eat whole grains - "Whole grains also supply magnesium, a mineral that helps regulate blood sugar by influencing the release and activity of insulin." This is one of the last rungs in low-carbing and, in my opinion, this is for most people a maintenance level food choice. Some people choose never to indulge, or only occasionally (such as myself), so, therefore, simply take a magnesium supplement.