The amount and kind of food one eats and physical activity play a vital role in diabetes management. Experts from across the world recommend that regular physical activity, meal planning, and mindful eating play a vital role in dealing with the ABCDEs, i.e., A1C, blood pressure, cholesterol, drugs to protect heart, exercise, and smoking cessation, of diabetes care. New York-based Dr. Ari Bernstein, MD, who is part of the medical advisory board of Fruit Street Health – a telemedicine diabetes prevention program startup – is urging people to modify their existing lifestyle to help prevent as well as manage type 2 diabetes.

Awareness is the key

The 41-year-old doctor-entrepreneur explains a range of lifestyle variations that people with, or at high risk of the condition, can make. This consists of reducing or eliminating the consumption of processed foods and gradually incorporating more exercise. He also highlights other changes, like quitting smoking and cutting down on alcohol.

"It's evident that the understanding and awareness around type 2 diabetes is disturbingly low. Many people develop type 2 diabetes without even realizing it," shared Dr. Bernstein. "Besides exercising, meal planning, and cutting down on alcohol, the recipients and those at risk should also reduce the intake of carbohydrates and sugar. It is one proven way that helps in improving the blood glucose levels," he added.

Eat Smart

As someone with a vast experience in internal medicine, emergency medicine, sports medicine, urgent care, primary care, pain management, hospital medicine, and overall health & wellness, Dr. Bernstein asserts that eating smart is the key to living our healthy best. He goes on to suggest that one can eat the same as everybody else does, but keeping a close watch on certain details helps to a great extent. And for the same, he puts special emphasis on charting a diabetes meal plan that prompts the right meals to be consumed, kinds of food, suitable time, and quantities needed. To this, Dr. Bernstein, further adds, "To create a plan from scratch or change the existing one that's not working in your favor, it’s best to consult a diabetes educator or dietitian. What makes Fruit Street Health special is the ability to take pictures of your food with your Smartphone and get instant feedback from a dietitian."

Act Early

As a concluding remark to those who have, or are at high risk of type 2 diabetes, Dr. Bernstein suggests that taking action now, in the present situation, may lower one's health risk and put them on the path to prevention.