These bad habits that increase your diabetes risk could also be seen as good habits waiting to happen. Or maybe you have some of these good habits already!
Not Drinking Coffee
First, it’s bad for you, then good, then bad… Well, coffee’s back. A study analysis of the effect of coffee on diabetes risk found that six cups a day decreased the risk of diabetes by up to 35%. In addition to reducing insulin resistance, it might also play a role in improving the way your body uses glucose.
And decaf works as well as regular. In fact, researchers in an in vitro study concluded that decaf may work better.
Not Enough Probiotics
Some people are blessed with great gut buddies. For others of us, the microbiome – the bacteria, etc., in our guts – may not be such great buddies. And probiotics help to rebalance the microbiome. Try fermented foods like yogurt, kefir, and fermented vegetables. Probiotic supplements can help too.
Not Enough Vitamin D
Of course, the sun is the best. But supplements can help. And so can foods rich in vitamin D: wild-caught salmon (much more vitamin D than farmed), canned light tuna (to avoid the mercury), eggs from pastured chickens (again, more vitamin D).
Staying Up Too Late
“Don’t stay up too late.” “Time for bed.” It turns out our mothers were right. And if you thought it would be alright if you could just sleep until noon, sorry Charlie. Even with the equivalent of a night’s sleep, late night habits increase your risk of diabetes. In one study, night owls increased their risk of diabetes and metabolic syndrome by 1.7 times.
Conclusion
These are habits that increase your diabetes risk, but if you flip them, your risk might go down. How does this sound: drink your coffee, eat your yogurt, trash the trash, play in the sun, go to bed early.
