CLEVELAND, Ohio -- With Thanksgiving and Christmas fast approaching, it can be a hard time to watch our weight.

But the YMCA is keen to help prevent diabetes.

"Diabetes is a serious disease that can cause kidney failure, blindness and amputations and it increases the chances of heart attack or stroke," said Linda McVey, executive director of health initiatives at the YMCA of Greater Cleveland.

"The good news is doctors are recognizing that before someone is diabetic, their blood sugars go up but not as high as for full diabetes, and this is reversible and known as pre-diabetic.

"Lifestyle changes can reverse this," she said.

"At this time of year, as our thoughts turn to family, they also seem to turn to food, as there is so much fun with food.

"But leading a balanced lifestyle means you can still enjoy the cookies and pumpkin pie. The key is how to keep it in moderation and balance out your lifestyle so it doesn't damage your health while having holiday fun."

McVey said there are six ways someone who is pre-diabetic can work on reversing the path of the disease or avoiding becoming pre-diabetic at all.

"It is all about lifestyle balance," she said. "It is also important to see your doctor and have regular checkups and blood tests if there is any family history of diabetes or you are overweight."

First, McVey recommends eating fruit and vegetables. "Your goal is to eat more, especially non-starchy vegetables.

"So minimize potatoes, corn and peas, and go for non-starchy. Ideally, half your plate for a meal should be fruit and non-starchy vegetables."

"Next, include more lean protein in what you eat, like fish, turkey and poultry without the skin on."

Her third tip is to increase whole grains in what you eat.

"The high fiber intake created by whole grains with your meals means your blood sugars stay more in control. These should be a quarter of your plate."

The fourth tip is to avoid added sugar in what we eat and drink. The easiest way to do this is to drink water, as there is a lot of extra sugar in many soft drinks.

And for tip five, McVey said we need to get moving.

"Getting movement into your day is important. You do not have to become an athlete. Research shows if you can move your body 30 minutes a day most days of the week, that will work.

"It does not have to be strenuous, but consistent and of moderate intensity.

"A good walk around your neighborhood is a great choice, and your body will change how it works with blood sugar if you move more."

Her final tip is to lose weight. But she stresses that this should happen naturally if the other tips are followed.

"It is the hard one," said McVey. "It is a challenge, but even losing a small amount of weight can prevent Type 2 diabetes."

She said the YMCA of Greater Cleveland is here to help people work to avoid or reverse pre-diabetes.

"The problem is people say they have been trying to do these tips all their lives, and we know long-term lifestyle changes need long-term support."

McVey said the YMCA is one of the approved entities from the Center for Disease Control to provide a Diabetes Prevention Program, which has been shown to help pre-diabetics turn around how their bodies handle blood sugar.

"For adults, it can significantly lower chances of becoming diabetic, and it is even more effective in people 60 and over.

"The cost is covered by Medicare and some (other insurance) plans.

"We recognize we are all struggling to be as healthy as we can, which is why we are here to offer long-term support."

The YMCA has been running the program for 12 years and has helped thousands of people lower blood sugar levels.

Anyone who is interested can email the diabetes prevention team directly at [email protected] or call 440 574 0580.