Why Should I Be Physically Active If I Have Diabetes
Physical activity is an important part of managing your blood glucose level and staying healthy. Being active has many health benefits.
Physical activity
- burns extra calories so you can keep your weight down if needed
- improves your mood
- can prevent falls and improve memory in older adults
- may help you sleep better
If you are overweight, combining physical activity with a reduced-calorie eating plan can lead to even more benefits. In the Look AHEAD: Action for Health in Diabetes study,1 overweight adults with type 2 diabetes who ate less and moved more had greater long-term health benefits compared to those who didnt make these changes. These benefits included improved cholesterol levels, less sleep apnea, and being able to move around more easily.
Even small amounts of physical activity can help. Experts suggest that you aim for at least 30 minutes of moderate or vigorous physical activity 5 days of the week.3 Moderate activity feels somewhat hard, and vigorous activity is intense and feels hard. If you want to lose weight or maintain weight loss, you may need to do 60 minutes or more of physical activity 5 days of the week.3
Be patient. It may take a few weeks of physical activity before you see changes in your health.
How To Support Your Immune System When You Have Diabetes
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If you have diabetes, you may have noticed that your health care provider keeps a closer eye on your health. Theres a good reason for that. Diabetes affects your immune system, and your your immune system regulates your health and well-being. Its like a military defense system that protects your body from foreign invaders.
Citrus Fruits Like Lemons Limes And Grapefruit
Not only are citrus fruits delicious, but they are lower in calories and carbohydrates than most other fruits. Theyre considered low glycemic fruits, which are excellent for people with diabetes.
Theyre also packed with fiber, vitamin C, minerals, and healthy antioxidants, and eating them regularly can help you regulate your blood sugars better!
Additionally, their high fiber content and plant compounds like naringenin contribute to their anti-diabetic properties, according to a 2019 study, which is super helpful in preventing the development of type 2 diabetes in people who have prediabetes, and helping to regulate blood sugars in people who already have diabetes.
Eating these delicious fruits regularly can help to improve ones insulin sensitivity, reduce both blood sugar spikes and HbA1c levels, and prevent the onset of type 2 diabetes. Bon appétit!
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Get Your Minerals And Vitamins From Foods
Theres no evidence that mineral and vitamin supplements help you manage your diabetes. So, unless youve been told to take something by your healthcare team, like folic acid for pregnancy, you dont need to take supplements.
Its better to get your essential nutrients by eating a mixture of different foods. This is because some supplements can affect your medications or make some diabetes complications worse, like kidney disease.
Dress Your Meals Withextra Virgin Olive Oil
Extra-virgin olive oil can be a powerful addition to meals. Here’s why:
- Helps reduce the effect of eating high-glycemic foods: A 2016 study found that the addition of extra-virgin olive oil to a high-glycemic meal “blunts” the blood glucose response after the meal for people with Type 1 diabetes, helping to stabilize blood sugars and prevent fluctuations.
- Reduces the risk of Type 2 diabetes: A 2017 review of studies found that eating olive oil may help manage and prevent Type 2 diabetes.
Note: The 2017 review noted that following the Mediterranean diet which advocates for the consumption of olive oil as the primary dietary fat was especially helpful at reducing the risk of diabetes.
Olive oil is also rich in healthy fats and antioxidants that help reduce inflammation and risk of heart disease.
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Foods That Wont Spike Your Blood Sugar Levels
When making food choices while managing blood sugar levels, it is important to select ones that wont cause your blood sugar to increase quickly and significantly. Look for whether foods have complex or simple carbohydrates and opt for complex carbohydrates when possible.
Below are 10 foods that wont spike your blood sugar levels and some ideas for incorporating them into your meals.
In This Article Well Take A Closer Look At What Foods Can Help Lower Blood Sugar Both Immediately And Over Time
While there isnât one food that will magically protect your body from developing diabetes, there are some foods that research has proven can help promote healthy blood sugar levels over time. Keep reading to learn what foods help lower blood sugars, and which foods to eat in the moment when your blood sugar is higher than youâd like.
*This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis, opinion, treatment or services. This article and the links contained in it provide general information for educational purposes only. The information provided in this article is not a substitute for medical care. It should not be used in place of the advice of your physician or registered dietitian.*
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What Foods Will Help Regulate My Blood Sugar
Diabetes or diabetes mellitus is a long-term health condition that is characterized by high blood glucose levels. The disease affects the ability of the body to convert food into energy inside the body. The food you eat is converted to simpler forms, most commonly glucose, inside the body. When the glucose in the blood increases, the body releases a hormone called insulin in the blood. Insulin brings high blood glucose levels back to normal levels. In diabetes, either there is a deficiency of insulin or the body is unable to respond to insulin . In either of the cases, there is an increased concentration of glucose in the blood known as hyperglycemia.
If you have diabetes, you must check your blood sugar levels regularly to make sure the levels are not too low or too high . Depending on your age and any other health conditions, your doctor may advise you to keep your blood sugar level in a range that they consider will be safe and healthy for you. Whenever your blood sugar level is over 240 mg/dL, you must check the presence of ketones in the urine by using an over the counter ketone test kit. High levels of ketones can be a sign of a serious medical emergency called diabetic ketoacidosis. Seek urgent medical help if your urine shows the presence of ketones or you have any signs of ketoacidosis, such as fast breathing, nausea and vomiting, stomachache, headache, or fruity smell from the mouth.
Add Extra Activity To Your Daily Routine
If you have been inactive or you are trying a new activity, start slowly, with 5 to 10 minutes a day. Then add a little more time each week. Increase daily activity by spending less time in front of a TV or other screen. Try these simple ways to add physical activities in your life each day:
- Walk around while you talk on the phone or during TV commercials.
- Do chores, such as work in the garden, rake leaves, clean the house, or wash the car.
- Park at the far end of the shopping center parking lot and walk to the store.
- Take the stairs instead of the elevator.
- Make your family outings active, such as a family bike ride or a walk in a park.
If you are sitting for a long time, such as working at a desk or watching TV, do some light activity for 3 minutes or more every half hour.5 Light activities include
- leg lifts or extensions
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What Is Diabetes What Are The Types Of Diabetes
Diabetes is a number of diseases that involve problems with the hormone insulin. Normally, the pancreas releases insulin to help your body store and use the sugar and fat from the food you eat. Diabetes occurs when one of the following occurs:
- When the pancreas does not produce any insulin
- When the pancreas produces very little insulin
- When the body does not respond appropriately to insulin, a condition called “insulin resistance”
Diabetes is a lifelong disease. Approximately 18.2 million Americans have the disease and almost one third are unaware that they have it. An additional 41 million people have pre-diabetes. As yet, there is no cure. People with diabetes need to manage their disease to stay healthy.
Why Focus On Food
Many people ask, why focus on food, when you can just take extra medication like insulin or Metformin?, and thats a great question.
The aim of diabetes is not simply taking as much insulin as possible to fight high blood sugars, but to find a good balance of anti-inflammatory foods that you enjoy, incorporated into a healthy lifestyle with plenty of sleep, exercise, and stress management techniques, to create a sustainable way to manage your diabetes.
Focusing on foods that are anti-inflammatory and help regulate your blood sugar will not only improve your diabetes management, blood sugar levels, and HbA1c levels, but it will also make your weight management easier.
Youll suffer fewer extreme high and low blood sugars, and managing your diabetes wont be as joyless. It will be a big help. And with diabetes, we can use all the help we can get!
Below are the top 10 expert-recommended foods to help you regulate your blood sugar better:
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Cut Down On Added Sugar
We know cutting out sugar can be really hard at the beginning, so small practical swaps are a good starting point when youre trying to cut down on excess sugar. Swapping sugary drinks, energy drinks and fruit juices with water, plain milk, or tea and coffee without sugar can be a good start.
You can always try low or zero-calorie sweeteners to help you cut back. Cutting out these added sugars can help you control your blood glucose levels and help keep your weight down. If your diabetes treatment means you get hypos, and you use sugary drinks to treat them, this is still important for your diabetes management and you shouldnt cut this out. However, if you are having regular hypos it is really important to discuss this with your diabetes team.
Have Oatmeal For Breakfast
Oats are another good choice for people with diabetes because of their low glycemic index value and high fiber content.
A 2015 review found eating whole oats with at least 3 grams of soluble fiber daily can help Type 2 diabetes patients control blood glucose levels by increasing insulin sensitivity.
You should make sure to opt for steel-cut or rolled oats, as these varieties of oatmeal are less processed, which means they absorb into the bloodstream more slowly.
Try to avoid instant oatmeal with added sugar, and if you’re mixing in fruit or other ingredients into your oatmeal, be mindful of their added sugar and total carbohydrate content.
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What Is Your Blood Sugar
To put it simply, your blood sugar is the glucose content in your blood.
When we eat, our body gets sugar from the food we take in. The sugar changes to glucose. Then, the glucose is converted to energy for our body, including the muscles, nervous system, and organs.
The pancreas, liver, and small intestine work together to regulate the blood sugar throughout your body. The endocrine system regulates processes like tissue function, reproduction, and metabolism. Almost every cell and organ in the body are affected by the endocrine system.
The endocrine system is assisted by the organs like the kidney and heart, which have what are called secondary endocrine functions. One of the most common endocrine diseases is diabetes. This is when the body does not process glucose properly.
Why does this happen? There is either a lack of insulin in the body, or in the case that insulin is present, the body is not using it as it should. If there is not enough insulin in the body, glucose cannot enter the cells because insulin makes the cells ready to receive the glucose.
Sounds rather complicated, doesnt it? Lets look at a few questions that will simplify things. Then, well look at the best foods to lower your blood sugar.
How Food Impacts Your Blood Sugar Levels
All foods that you eat can impact blood sugar levels. Sugar and carbohydrates, however, have the most significant effect. Thatâs because after you eat carbs, your body breaks them down into sugar that enters your bloodstream, increasing your blood glucose levels.
But, that doesnât mean all digestible carbohydrates work the same. Our bodies digest high fiber foods slower, making the rise in blood sugar more gradual instead of one big spike. Soluble fiber also helps reduce blood sugar levels by improving insulin sensitivity. Processed carbohydrates, on the other hand, cause those sharp spikes in blood sugar and boost triglyceride levels.
Trying to digest all the information on how your body processes carbohydrates and sugars can be overwhelming. Thatâs where using the glycemic index can make it easier to understand. The glycemic index ranks foods on a scale from 0-100. The higher the number, the more your blood sugar will spike after eating.
This tool is especially helpful when evaluating foods you want to include in your overall healthy lifestyle plan. However, it is important to keep in mind that the glycemic index just predicts how someoneâs glucose will respond to food on average. After taking unique personal differences into account, some people may see a response higher or lower than the average.
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Castle Estate Take Me Away
If capturing another century versus a decade is your thing, and you always felt you would be suited for the royal treatment, then this laser cut castle doll house is your thing. I couldnt find the kit for sale, but it might be possible to find a video with the step-by-step laser saw demonstration. One can dream and wish upon a star I suppose!
Foods That Can Lower Your Blood Sugar Naturally
It’s no exaggerationbalancing your blood sugar could be a matter of life or death. Chronic high blood sugar levels are toxic to your body, destroying organs and blood vessels and paving the way to a heart attack, type 2 diabetes, stroke, dialysis, nerve damage, erectile dysfunction, or even blindness. The good news? Out-of-control sugar levels can be reined in and regulated with the right foods.
We turned to The Carb Sensitivity Program, leading naturopathic doctor Natasha Turner’s breakthrough book, to find the most potent blood sugarlowering foods so you know how to lower your levels naturally.
BlueberriesBlood sugar benefit: A groundbreaking study published in the Journal of Nutrition in 2010 found a daily dose of the bioactive ingredients from blueberries increases sensitivity to insulin and may reduce the risk of developing diabetes in at-risk individuals. That’s important because eating too many carbs produces too much insulin, which could lead to insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes.
Chia SeedsBlood sugar benefit: This ancient gluten-free grain stabilizes blood sugar, manages the effects of diabetes, improves insulin sensitivity, and aids symptoms related to metabolic syndrome, including imbalances in cholesterol, higher blood pressure, and extreme rises in blood sugar levels after meals. Tiny chia seeds are also potent anti-inflammatory agents and contain fiber, magnesium, potassium, folic acid, iron, and calcium.
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How To Reduce Your Added Sugar Intake
It can seem daunting to cut back your sugar intake but be encouraged that any reduction in sugar consumption can work towards your goal of improving your blood sugar.
One of the best ways to improve your sugar intake is to make changes that feel maintainable. For many, that means reducing their intake over time rather than cutting it out cold turkey.6254a4d1642c605c54bf1cab17d50f1e
For example, if you drink two sodas per day, drop it to one. If you add 3 tablespoons of sugar to your coffee, try just adding two, and if you have a scoop of ice cream every night, try reducing to a half scoop with some fruits and nuts on top. Over time, you can continue to reduce your sugar intake to meet the AHA recommendations, or a lower level that you feel good about maintaining.
Foods That Lower Blood Sugar
Managing blood sugar levels with better food choices can sometimes seem more like an art than a science, and for good reason: everyones bodies are different, and we all react to food in different ways.
One thing is for certain, however: certain foods are inflammatory and promote high blood sugars, while other foods are anti-inflammatory and help the body regulate blood sugar levels better .
Eating anti-inflammatory foods that help regular blood sugar levels is helpful for people who dont have diabetes, too!
This article will examine the top 10 foods that help lower and regulate your blood sugar levels better.
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What Are Normal Blood Sugar Levels
Before we get started, letâs review some definitions of what ânormal blood sugarâ means for people without diabetes:
- A normal âfastingâ blood glucose taken first thing in the morning after waking up is 99 mg/dL or lower.
- A random blood glucose test taken anytime of the day without regard to the last time youâve eaten should be under 200 mg/dL.
If you have diabetes , your doctor will discuss specific blood sugar goals with you. These goals can vary based on a variety of factors.