Type 2 Diabetes – Stop Diabetes, Stop Cancer!

Diabetes can seem like a cancer in your life. Like cancerous cells, it hijacks your food, your free time and your life. According to a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine, diabetics are at heightened risk of developing cancer. After adjusting for variables, diabetics can have an alarming 25 percent increase in cancer risk when compared to non-diabetics.

Scientists aren’t sure why Type 2 diabetics are sitting ducks for cancer, but they hypothesize that the inflammation that leads to Type 2 diabetes can also cause cancerous cells to grow and prosper.

Here are some simple ways to go on a seek and destroy mission against two of these deadly diseases:

Weigh Less: Nearly everyone knows that being obese increases your Type 2 diabetes risk and makes the disease much more difficult to manage. But what most people don’t realize is that obese people get cancer more often than lean people.

Just another reason to make the effort to shed those extra pounds.

Eat Colorfully: Diabetics hear time and time again to eat more fresh fruits and vegetables. Produce tends to affect blood sugar much less than refined grains or sugar snacks. But when it comes to cancer prevention, not all produce is created equal. Produce that has a rich, dark color like mangoes and broccoli are richer in cancer-fighting antioxidants than bland colored food like celery and lettuce.

The skin of the fruit or vegetables tends to be the area where the most antioxidants reside. If possible, always eat the skin to reap the antioxidant benefits.

Drink Tea: Tea, especially green tea, is overflowing with a beneficial compound known as EGCG. EGCG’s job in the body is to stop a process known as oxidation that causes cancerous cells to form and makes your cell’s insulin receptors go haywire. Researchers at the Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center found Type 2 diabetics who drank green tea regularly modestly improved their long-term blood sugar control.

Get Moving: Physically active people have lower blood sugar and cancer rates than sedentary folks. You may get out of the house and exercise to help manage your blood sugar and drop your weight. You may get an extra burst of motivation knowing that physical activity protects you from cancer as well.

Ban Beer: Alcohol throws your body’s carbohydrate metabolism for a loop… making your blood sugar go into “roller coaster mode.” This is why most diabetes experts recommend that you limit your alcohol intake to one drink or less per day.

The fact that heavy drinkers have higher lung, liver and esophageal cancer rates is another reason to put down the pint or bottle and order a glass of water instead.

Butt Out: Smoking doesn’t just increase your lung cancer risk… studies show that smokers have higher risk of many types of organ cancers. For diabetics worried about heart disease… the leading cause of death in diabetics… tossing tobacco is an important step towards keeping your vulnerable ticker in tip-top shape.