Is your lifestyle killing you?
Our blog page is dedicated to providing guidance on living with prediabetes and, diabetes and especially type 2 diabetes. Diabetes and lifestyle are becoming something to pay attention to. Yet as I traverse this journey with prediabetes, it’s amazing to see how lifestyle can affect so many conditions that plague us. Some of the more common lifestyle diseases are atherosclerosis, heart disease, stroke, obesity, type 2 diabetes, and several cancers.
All of this got me thinking when we say lifestyle just what do we mean? So, if you go to your online dictionary and type in lifestyle, you’ll get something like this, “the way in which a person or group lives.” Or maybe the definition that is more telling, is “denoting advertising or products designed to appeal to a consumer by association with a desirable lifestyle.
I think the keyword in the above definition is desirable. Who’s defining the word desirable? In this case, I do believe it is the advertising arm of some company that wants you to purchase their product. Of course, their first responsibility is to the investors supporting the company.
Sales are up and so are the investor’s dividends. Now don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying we should not allow companies to make money. Until we come up with a better economic solution, profits are one-way companies stay in business. But we as consumers need to put pressure on companies to create products that are healthy for us.
It is time to change
More and more reports are coming out showing the link between fast food and processed food. Looking at the labels of food, you see things that are added to create longer shelf life. Sweeteners added salt, red dye # whatever, we can do better. Alright, I’ll get off my soap box and get on with the things we can do to change our lifestyle.
OK, so what can we do to start making lifestyle changes? The first thing we can do is learn to read labels on the packages/containers of food we are purchasing, don’t get back on the soap box, don’t get back on the soap box 😊 if you Google “looking at labels for carbs” you’ll get a variety of links from well-known sources on what to look for on labels.
These articles will walk you through the process of deciphering the words used to describe what is in the package/container. It does take a bit of practice to sort through the label information and understand what it really means.
You might what to read through several of the label reading articles. Each has its own point of view. It will also help support what are the key points to look for.
Let’s work at bringing that weight down
OK, what’s next on the lifestyle change list? How about weight control? In a way, you have already started to manage your weight if you’re reading labels. You are realizing the number of carbs you’re eating this is a good start.
Going along with eating is when to eat. There are many thoughts and opinions on this. Once again Googling something like “best diets for diabetes” will give you tips on recipes, various diet plans, and differences on how to fast. The challenge here is there is not just one way of doing all this.
Depending on how high your blood sugar is, it will dictate how you may have to adjust your diet. This is where having a good dietician that is knowledgeable in diabetes can be a big help. They have the experience and training to quickly look at and suggest what would work best for you.
One of the more controversial practices people have tried is fasting. This has been a topic of discussion for several decades. There are pros and cons. Fasting can work for some people. You do have to dedicate yourself to following the diet regiment. Bottom line you can’t cheat.
Before starting a fasting regiment read up on the various dieting programs. What type of foods can you eat? How often do you need to eat? If you’re working will your job let you eat at the time you are supposed to eat? If not look for another diet.
Of course, just like planning a diet, take time to discuss fasting with a qualified professional. What makes sense to you, your dietitian may point out some cons you were not aware of.
Time to sweat
And now the point most people would rather avoid is exercise. Let’s get up and go get sweaty. Those are not words most people want to hear. For those who like to get a good sweaty workout go for it. We’ll be over here watching the sweaty fly😊.
Exercise offers numerous benefits for people with diabetes, which is not an exaggeration. Lowering blood pressure, lowering harmful LDL cholesterol levels, raising healthy cholesterol, strengthening muscles and bones, and improving one’s general well-being are just a few of the benefits commonly associated with regular exercise.
There are major health benefits associated with exercise and diabetes, specifically because exercise reduces blood glucose levels and raises one’s body’s recognition of insulin. This can greatly counter the effects of insulin resistance and lead to a more stable insulin level.
The key point to remember is going for simple walks after eating. Moving is burning energy and that’s what we want to do. You should monitor your blood sugars after a workout to see how you handle the workout. It will vary from person to person. After a period of time, you should see consistent results.
It’s more than diabetes
Diabetes is a challenge that you will have to be disciplined to manage. The great thing about what you have to do with diabetes and lifestyle is also much the same with a number of other disease-like symptoms. With the world the way it has evolved in recent years, we have gotten away from taking the time to measure the benefit of the foods and environment we live in. We are now beginning to recognize where we have gone wrong and start to correct the problem. It’s not about just profit, but creating a world we can live in harmony with.
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Read more: UCSF, endocrineweb, Harvard health
