*Rest
*Exercise
*Diet
*Smoking
*Alcohol
Which of the 5 are the most important? They are all important and they all work together to help keep your body healthy. Of the 5 you've probably heard much about smoking and alcohol.
* Smoking
We all know and have read the reports of how smoking will kill us. Plugging our lungs with black tar hurts the exchange of oxygen into our blood stream. It can also effect our cells ability to absorb and transmit. Just suffice it to say, nicotine can do a lot to our fantastic bodies and it ain't good. Diabetics do not need to add more stress to our bodies by smoking.
* Alcohol
One glass of red wine a day will keep the doctors away. Packed with antioxidants and all this other good stuff except the fact that it can create a yo-yo with our blood glucose levels. Did you know by drinking that one glass before ordering dinner it can influence your food choice? Good healthy choices for a great diabetic dinner can quickly go out the door when you are feeling "happy".
* Rest
Our American lifestyle has us running around with our heads chopped off most of the time. Others are so focused on advancing our careers we forget that rest is needed for our bodies to re-charge themselves. if we don't do it, then the body will do it for us. Rest of at least 7 hours of sleep has been found to be the most beneficial for diabetics.
* Diet
The stabilization of blood sugar levels is greatly influenced by our diet. Eat the wrong foods and your sugar levels will spike really high. Eat the right kind of foods and you can easily stabilize your blood sugar levels. The one place we spend a lot of time at is glycemic index (GI). There you can learn a lot about the good and bad carbohydrates and this applies to diabetics and heart disease along with many other ailments. Follow these guidelines to help you prevent diabetes:
* Eat more smaller meals a day and cut out the snacks
* Eat whole wheat products
* Eat low fat dairy products
* Eat more fish and low fat meat. Fish contains oils and are rich in omega-3 oils.
* Eat lots of vegetables
* eat lots of fruit
* Stay away from high calorie drinks and limit diet soda. Water is much healthier
* Stay away from fat free food because it can create a yo-yo effect with your blood sugar levels
* Exercise
Exercise prevents sugar from accumulating in the blood, helps the body's ability to use insulin and helps control weight. If you think about it, we all move during the day. The amount of time spent moving is the problem.
Your ultimate goal is to incorporate aerobic exercise, strength training and flexibility exercises into your overall fitness enhancement program.
Here is a list of exercises you can incorporate during your week that will greatly influence your "fitness level".
- walking up and down hills
- jogging
- bike riding
- stationary bike in the home
- tennis
- swimming
- yoga
- bowling
- dancing
- low impact aerobics or water aerobics
- ice skating
- strength training
- daily flexibility exercises or stretching exercises before activities
We are a product of our environment. The choices we make or don't make can greatly influence our lives and when it comes to health, you don't want to hear the word "diabetic". You can prevent diabetes and it's the choices you make today that will help you stop it dead in it's tracks.
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