It's Diabetes Awareness Month, So Let's Talk Prevention

Diabetes Awareness Month couldn't come soon enough. The statistics are downright staggering. Today one in three babies will develop diabetes in their lifetime and in the next 40 years, diabetes will go from one in 10 people to one in three. How is this possible?

Christina Pirello made a great point on her Web site when she said that diabetes has become an industry. That means that pharmaceutical companies are really happy because they get to "fix" the problem with pricey designer-colored blood glucose monitors and a laundry list of medications. Diabetes patients spend an average of $6,000 annually on costs for treating their disease, according to a recent survey conducted by Consumer Reports Health.

And according to an article in the New York Times this doesn't include the costs of medical complications that often result from Type 2 diabetes, such as heart disease, strokes, liver and kidney damage, eye damage, and a susceptibility to infections and poor healing that can lead to amputations. Type 2 diabetes isn't a pretty disease and what's more, it's completely preventable.

Fad Diets Don't Cut It

Every decade or so we come up with a new plan to fight this nation's obesity epidemic. First it was low fat and then low carbohydrate. It's these trends intermixed with a host of ineffective fad diets that make money. But even still, we're getting fatter and fatter every year. Because the truth is, the most effective diet is the least lucrative. Fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and plant-based protein sources with little-to-no processed foods are the key. And it's no secret that a whole foods, mostly vegetarian diet is so much better for this planet we're living on.

Additionally, get at least 30 minutes of exercise a day. No matter what it is, this is crucial, especially if you sit at a desk all day. Less than 10 percent of your daily calories should come from saturated fat and your diet should also include at least 20 grams of fiber per day. By eating this way we can beat these statistics, I know we can.

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