How Important is Activity with Diabetes?

How Important is Activity with Diabetes?

Recently, I attended a diabetic support group and the speaker talked about activity. Although, she advocated activity for every person she said it was critical for the person with diabetes. She presented us with an analogy that really stuck with me.

She told us to imagine that our clenched fist represented our muscles. When we eat carbohydrates and it breaks down to sugar it cannot penetrate the muscles when they were like the closed fist. So, the sugar stays in the blood stream causing the blood sugar to rise. However, when we move our bodies and walk or do some other kind of exercise the fist (muscles) opens up and sugar can get into the muscles. Not only does that keep the blood sugar at an acceptable level, but provides energy for us. What a deal!

Now, that was a simple explanation but it makes sense to me. I am trying to make sure that I have activity every day. She also said that our activity was equally important to our daily food intake. We will write that down and be careful with that, but then do no activity. She encouraged us to get at least 30 minutes of exercise five times a week. That can be broken up into ten or fifteen minute intervals if needed. But get up and get moving. Your muscles will be glad you did, but so will your blood sugar!

Red Meat, Processed Meat Linked to Diabetes Risk

Red Meat, Processed Meat Linked to Diabetes Risk

Red meat, particularly processed red meats like bacon, sausage, and hot dogs, may increase a person’s risk of developing type 2 diabetes. The more processed or unprocessed red meat a person eats, the greater the risk, according to a new study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

Type 2 diabetes is linked with obesity. It occurs when they body does not produce enough of the hormone insulin, or the cells do not use insulin properly. Insulin helps the body use glucose or blood sugar for energy. When blood sugar remains elevated with diabetes, complications such as heart disease, blindness, and nerve and kidney damage can occur.

In the study, participants who ate one 3.5-ounce serving of non-processed red meat a day, such as steak or hamburger, were almost 20% more likely to develop type 2 diabetes.

Those who ate half of this amount of processed meat, such as two slices of bacon or one hot dog, had a 51% increased risk for developing diabetes.

“The amount is not huge, but the risk is pretty high,” says Frank B. Hu, MD, PhD, a professor of nutrition and epidemiology at Harvard School of Public Health in Boston. “Regular consumption of red meat, especially processed, is associated with an increased risk for type 2 diabetes. The findings are important given the rising epidemic of diabetes and the increasing consumption of red meat.”

'Sausage Skin' to Beat Diabetes

'Sausage skin' to Beat Diabetes

Scientists have developed a sleeve implant that looks like a giant sausage skin to beat diabetes .

The 2ft-long device, developed as an incision-less alternative to a type of weight-loss surgery known as a duodenal switch, can reverse the disease within weeks, reports the Daily Mail .

The 2ft-long device, developed as an incision-less alternative to a type of weight-loss surgery known as a duodenal switch, can reverse the disease within weeks, reports the Daily Mail .

The duodenum is the name for the first 10 to 12in of the small intestine, which attaches to the stomach.

6 Great Exercises for People With Diabetes

6 Great Exercises for People With Diabetes

According to the American Diabetes Association, there are approximately 25 million children and adults who are diagnosed with diabetes. And just last year, 1.9 million new cases of diabetes were diagnosed. Diabetes is a serious disease, which requires daily monitoring, a healthy balanced diet and regular exercise.

Exercise is an important factor in maintaining overall good health for everyone, especially for individuals with diabetes. Studies show as few as 39 percent of people with type 2 diabetes participate in regular physical activity, compared with 58 percent of other Americans. The fact is that exercise can help increase insulin action and keep blood sugars in check. Regular exercise can help to lose weight, and improve balance; and this is important because many people with type 2 diabetes are at risk for obesity and for falls.

Listed below are six great exercises for people with diabetes.

Walking done at a pace to raise the heart rate is an aerobic exercise, and studies show beneficial effects when people with diabetes participate in aerobic activities at least three days a week for a total of 150 minutes. The American Diabetes Association (ADA) recommends people not go more than two consecutive days without an aerobic exercise session.

Tai Chi is ideal for people with diabetes because it provides fitness and stress reduction in one. Tai chi also improves balance and may reduce nerve damage, a common diabetic complication, although the latter benefit remains unproven.

Weight Training builds muscle mass, important for those with type 2 diabetes. If you lose muscle mass, you have a lot harder time maintaining your blood sugar. Plan for resistance exercise or weight training at least twice a week as part of your diabetic management plan — three is ideal, but always schedule a rest day between weight workouts (other exercise is fine on those days).

Yoga can help lower body fat, fight insulin resistance, and improve nerve function — all important when you have type 2 diabetes. Like tai chi, yoga is also a great diabetic stress reducer. When stress levels go higher, so do your blood sugar levels. One of the advantages of yoga as an exercise is that you can do it as often as you like.

Swimming is ideal for people with type 2 diabetes — doesn’t put pressure on joints. Swimming also is easier on your feet than other forms of exercise. Very often diabetes reduces blood flow to the small blood vessels of your extremities and you can lose sensation in your feet as a result. People with diabetes must avoid foot injuries, even minor cuts or blisters; because they are prone to infection (a good idea is water shoes).

Stationary Bike is ideal for people with diabetes because you can do it inside, no matter the weather, and you don’t have to worry about falling or having a flat and being a long way from home. Bicycling improves blood flow to your legs — a great benefit for people with diabetes — and burns lots of calories to keep your weight at healthy levels.