Not to be the “Voice of Doom” – but did you know that one disease can cause nerve damage, heart disease, stroke, kidney failure, blindness, high blood pressure, and poor circulation? Type 2 diabetes causes all that and more – and our aim today at Montgomery Foot Care Specialists in Montgomery, AL is to help prevent you from becoming one of the 1.4 million Americans who will get the disease this year.

4 Steps to Prevent Diabetes

1. Ask your doctor about blood sugar. Your primary care physician probably tests your blood sugar as part of a complete blood count every year. Look at those numbers with him or her and talk about your risk for diabetes. Many people (86 million in 2012) have a condition called prediabetes, indicated by blood sugar that is somewhat high, but not high enough to be called diabetes. Prediabetes doesn’t have any symptoms but it puts you at a high risk for getting Type 2 diabetes, so it’s important to know if you have it.
2. Eat a healthy diet. What’s good for the general population is also good for diabetes prevention. Eat plenty of nutrient-rich vegetables, protein, and whole grains. Limit your intake of “white” foods like refined flours, white rice, and crackers. Avoid processed foods and high-fructose corn syrup like the plague.
3. Lose some weight. Losing even just 5-10% of your total body weight reduces your risk of getting diabetes.
4. Get regular exercise. exercising improves circulation and helps you lose the excess weight that can tip the scale from prediabetes to full-blown diabetes.

 Your whole body benefits in many ways when you follow these 4 steps. Our podiatrists, Dr. Heidi M. Christie and Dr. Chandra L. Day-Houts, will be the first to tell you that your feet will thank you for doing everything in your power to prevent diabetes. Most diabetics will eventually face a battle against poor circulation and loss of feeling in their feet – which can lead to wounds that don’t heal – which can lead to amputation of toes or feet.

Yes, we’re painting a bleak picture, but the risks to your feet are real. To learn more about preventing diabetes, talk to your primary doctor or feel free to contact our tri-county area foot experts at (334) 396-3668 or by completing an online appointment request.