Reduce your diabetes risk

Avoiding type 2 diabetes has always been a heart- smart move. In fact, British research found that when your blood sugar stays balanced, your risk of heart disease drops by 67%.

- Melissa Gotthardt

Plus, preventing diabetes also ensures that brain cells function and form new connections efficiently, say experts reporting in the World Journal of Diabetes. The result: Your odds of memory problems and dementia decrease by 47%. Here, simple ways to keep type 2 diabetes at bay

■ Enjoy some time in the garden

Sure, activities like brisk walking, swimming, cycling and lifting weights combat the blood sugar spikes that lead to diabetes. But a report in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics reveals the workout you get from gardening does the job too. Experts found that diabetes risk was 49% lower in people who gardened on a regular basis than it was in their non-exercising counterparts. And in a welcome bonus, the gardeners’ odds of dying prematurely from heart disease, stroke and other causes dropped significantly.

■ Sip a time-honored Asian tea