It is estimated that there will be 5.3 million people with diabetes by the year 2025. Current estimates, according to Diabetes UK, are that there are 3.9 million people in the UK who have been diagnosed with diabetes as well as another million who are not aware that they have diabetes. 90% of those will have diabetes type 2. 

Download my free guide including a quiz and the full 10 tips to help prevent diabetes type 2.

In diabetes type 1 (about 10% of cases), the body does not produce sufficient insulin in the pancreas beta islet cells. This usually has some component of genetic origin and is an autoimmune disease. With insufficient insulin, blood sugar rises. 

With diabetes type 2 (about 90% of cases), the cells of the body become “resistant to insulin”. To help you understand insulin’s role, Dr Jason Fung describes insulin like Japanese subway pushers who assist the passengers (glucose) onto the packed train (cell). When the cells are packed full or if there is not enough insulin, the glucose remains in the blood and then in order to protect our organs, it is stored as fat. This condition is called insulin resistance.

Symptoms of insulin resistance can range from lack of energy, weight gain especially fat in the abdomen area, slow healing, waking up around two or three in the morning due to low blood sugar and feeling hungry all the time. Insulin resistance may be ongoing for many years before prediabetes or diabetes type 2 is diagnosed. The best indicator of insulin resistance is to get your fasting insulin checked by your doctor or privately. Levels higher than 7 mIU/L can indicate insulin resistance. The more readily available test is called the HbA1c test which measures your average blood sugar levels over the past 2-3 months and the optimal functional levels are around 5.0% or 3.1 mmol/mol. HbA1c results can be skewed by other factors like low iron levels and are not reliable viewed in isolation.

Here are three tips to help you reduce insulin resistance and your risk of developing prediabetes and diabetes type 2:

• Reduce the refined and artificial sugar you eat and check food labels.  
  

• Daily exercise - increase how much your body uses glucose by increasing your muscle mass through exercise. Studies show that walking just 30 minutes per day has been shown to reduce the incidence of type 2 diabetes by as much as 50%.
  

• Reduce your stress by taking time daily to relax, breathe deeply and do things that bring you joy. You can eat very healthily but still have an increased risk of diabetes if you have high stress levels. 

I hope you feel inspired by the above straightforward tips. Making these kinds of daily changes will make a significant difference to your long-term health and help you avoid other diseases like cardiovascular disease and cancer. If you want to learn more, you can download my full 10 diet and lifestyle tips to help prevent diabetes as well as a quiz. You can also follow me on Instagram for health tips and inspiration.