Begin some form of physical activity. Are you comfortable with your current level of activity? Do you engage in moving your body almost every day?

It doesn’t matter if you are walking, dancing or doing yoga. What is important is that you begin to move each day. Find an activity you enjoy and do it. If you have a physical condition which prevents you from exercising consider getting a chi machine. Using one of these units for 15 minutes will give you the benefits of having taken a walk.

Become a label reader. Do you read the labels of the foods you buy? How often? Next time you go to the store try reading the labels of some of your favorite foods. You may be surprised by what they contain.

Watch for potentially harmful ingredients such as partially hydrogenated oils or trans-fat and aspartame or NutraSweet. Avoid them. Also avoid foods that contain refined sugars and carbohydrates. These will often be labeled as high fructose corn syrup, refined cane sugar or bleached flour.

Instead, look for whole grains and natural ingredients. Even many favorite snack foods now have healthy alternatives. Check out your local health food store or the organic/natural foods section of your local grocer.

Keep your body alkaline. Do you know what your body’s ph is? You can find out easily by purchasing saliva test paper in your local drug store. When in optimal health, the ph of both our blood and saliva is 7.4.

In addition to reducing your risk for diabetes, keeping your body alkaline will also help to keep you from getting a cold or flu. You can increase your ph by eating plenty of greens or supplementing with a good, all natural greens supplement such as Vita-Mineral Green.

Lose weight. Do you know what your BMI (Body Mass Index) is? (if you don’t here is a link to help you find out ) Do you feel comfortable with you body?

The 2005 National Diabetes Fact Sheet states that you can greatly reduce your risk by losing 5-7% of your body weight. Of course, if you follow the above suggestions, weight loss will come naturally. A healthy, natural diet and some form of regular exercise will do wonders for getting you to a healthy weight and keeping you there.

Be happy. One of the most important steps is to not live in fear. Not only does stress alter the way your body uses insulin, it also hinders your ability to live a full and happy life. By becoming informed and developing a healthy lifestyle you can let go of the fear. Just remember, the Diabetes Prevention Study found that diet and exercise alone reduced the risk of developing diabetes by 40% - 60%. So take charge of your health and live a healthy, happy and long life!