Diabetes & Diet: 7 Foods That Control Blood Sugar

Diabetes & Diet: 7 Foods That Control Blood Sugar

When you have type 2 diabetes, what you eat can help you control your blood sugar, stave off hunger, and feel full longer.

“Diabetes is when your blood sugar or glucose levels are higher than normal. It’s carbohydrate foods like breads, cereals, rice, pasta, fruits, milk, and desserts that can cause this rise," says Maggie Powers, PhD, president-elect of Health Care & Education at the American Diabetes Association.

Your eating plan should focus on the amount and type of carbs you put on your plate throughout the day, Powers says.

But it’s also important to have foods you enjoy. You want to eat enough so you feel satisfied and avoid overeating and poor choices. Here are seven foods that Powers says can help keep your blood sugar in check and make you happy and healthy to boot.

1. Raw, Cooked, or Roasted Vegetables

These add color, flavor, and texture to a meal. Choose tasty, low-carb veggies, like mushrooms, onions, eggplant, tomatoes, Brussels sprouts, and low-carb squashes, like zucchini.

Try them with dips such as low-fat dressings, hummus, guacamole, and salsa, or roasted with different seasonings such as rosemary, cayenne pepper, or garlic.

2. Greens

Go beyond your regular salad and try kale, spinach, and chard. They’re healthy, delicious, and low-carb, Powers says.

Roast kale leaves in the oven with olive oil for quick, crunchy chips. You can also mix greens in with roasted veggies to add texture and a different flavor, or serve them with a little protein, like salmon.

3. Flavorful, Low-calorie Drinks

Plain water is always good, but water infused with fruits and vegetables is more interesting. Cut up a lemon or cucumber and put it in your water, or make ice cubes with some flavoring in them.

If you’re not a hot tea drinker, try cold tea with lemon or a cinnamon stick.

“Not only are these beverages low-carb, they can also help fill you up so you don’t crave other foods,” Powers says.

4. Melon or Berries

Did you know that 1 cup of either of these has just 15 grams of carbs?

“It’s a little more expensive, but it’s a healthy treat packed with nutrients and fiber, and it’s a little bit sweet,” Powers says.

For a different twist, mix the melon or berries with plain yogurt, or put them in ice cubes.

5. Whole-grain, Higher-fiber Foods

Fill up on these to keep from overeating or choosing the wrong foods.

Try legumes like dried beans, peas, and lentils. You can even enjoy a black bean and corn salsa with your raw vegetables.

“These foods still have carbs, but they have interesting flavors [that help keep you satisfied],” Powers says.

6. A Little Fat

Good fat choices include olive oil, avocado, and fatty fishes -- think salmon served on of a bed of lettuce, for example.

Bonus: The fat from the fish serves as a dressing for the salad, Powers says.

7. Protein

Powers recommends Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, eggs, and lean meats. And don’t forget treats.

“Peanut butter on a celery stick is a good fat and protein mix for a healthy, satisfying snack,” she says.

You can also snack on a lower-fat cheese stick or a beef jerky stick -- but keep an eye on how much sodium is in them, she says.

Overall, your eating plan “shouldn’t be boring," Powers says. "It should include the foods you love with a balance of carbohydrates.”

Causes of Acid Reflux

Causes of Acid Reflux

Acid reflux disease, also known as gastro-esophageal reflux disease (GERD), occurs due to the coexistence of several medical and lifestyle conditions. Physiological factors that trigger GERD include lower esophageal sphincter (LES) hypotonia (the gradual weakening of the LES), along with retrograde flow of stomach contents into the esophagus, and the level of sensitivity of the esophageal mucus to the reflux content.

The food that you swallow travels down your throat and is pushed by contractions of the muscular esophagus. In the area where the esophagus joins the stomach a valve-like mechanism, known as lower esophageal sphincter (LES), is located. The closure of this muscle prevents stomach acid from backing up, or refluxing, into the esophagus.

LES malfunction is the first factor that causes and contributes to gastro-esophageal reflux disease. In a healthy individual, the LES relaxes only when food passes from the esophagus into the stomach. After the food passes into the stomach, the valve shuts off, keeping the stomach content and acid inside. However, when the LES is weak and doesn't close properly, acid can splash up into your throat causing painful burning sensation, called heartburn.

There are several factors/conditions, which can prevent the LES from being closed properly. These factors/conditions include genetic weakness, obesity and excessive fat ingestion. In addition to that, all muscles in the human body tend to sag as part of the aging process, including the LES.

The second factor, or rather the group of factors that causes gastro-esophageal reflux disease, are behavioral and lifestyle related. As mentioned above, a weakened LES is one of the direct physiological causes of acid reflux disease. Various food ingredients, drugs and nervous system processes can weaken this muscle, thus contributing to GERD. Foods that may contribute to acid reflux include orange juice, lemons and lemonade, grapefruit juice, tomatoes and tomato juice, French fries, sour cream, coffee and tea.

Acid reflux can also be the result of fungal yeast infection that builds up in the colon. When Candida albicans turn from yeast to fungi, they depress the immune system and produce more than 79 distinct toxins that may be responsible for many of the symptoms that Candida sufferers have including heartburn.

When Candida gets out of control, it breaks through the intestinal walls and travels throughout the body. It can attach itself to the genital areas, the mouth and the esophagus among many other parts of the body. When Candida goes out of control, it begins to ferment and reflux the contents of the stomach upward through the small intestines, through the stomach and then through the esophagus, causing infection, burning and damage to the esophagus

Acid Reflux - Foods to Avoid

Acid Reflux - Foods to Avoid

What acid reflux food should I avoid? This is a question most gastroesophageal reflux disease sufferers struggle upon. Promoting healthy nutrition that is based on avoiding certain foods while increasing the intake of others has the potential to confer significant long-term health benefits among acid reflux sufferers. Lifestyle and dietary alterations are considered to be an integral and inseparable part of any long-term holistic GERD treatment.

The foods we consume play an important role when it comes to keeping our body's delicate natural inner balance. Since certain foods and dietary habits have been found to directly and indirectly promote the aggravation of acid reflux, avoiding those foods and adopting specific dietary habits for optimal digestion while suffering from acid reflux could have a tremendously positive effect on your existing medical condition. The following are examples of these types of foods:

1. Coffee and other caffeine containing beverages lead to increased acidity, so avoid large amounts of coffee. Try to limit your daily coffee consumption to two cups or less. It possible, split your coffee cup into two half cups, and reduce coffee drinking before the bedtime.

2. Alcohol can irritate the stomach and relax the LES muscle, leading to increased acidity and reflux.

3. High-fat foods are among the biggest culprits behind GERD symptoms. They take longer to digest and not easily eliminated out of body, thus increasing the chances acid will splash up into your esophagus. The only exceptions are omega-3 fatty acids from fish and fish oil, which are in fact powerful anti-inflammatory agents.

4. Chocolate contains a great deal of caffeine and fat. This may increase acidity and worsen digestion and hence should be avoided. If you are a devoted chocolate enthusiast, go for dark, organic varieties, and eat no more then two to three tiny squares two to three times per week.

5. Milk and milk-based products that contain a big proportion of calcium should also be avoided before bedtime.

6. Peppermint, spearmint and other mints can worsen acid reflux symptoms. Avoid foods that contain strong mints, including mint-based herbal teas.

7. Acidic foods (such as oranges and tomatoes) and cruciferous vegetables (onions, cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, spinach, brussels sprouts) promote the opening of the esophageal sphincter, thus increasing acid reflux.

So what acid reflux food should you avoid? With these dietary changes and a healthy motivation to alter your lifestyle, you can be on your way to overcoming gastroesophageal reflux disease and improving the quality of your life and well-being. Whatever your medical condition is, when you finally decide to improve your quality of life, you can literally choose to cure GERD and prevent its recurrence, by adopting the holistic approach. You will have the power to make it happen

Building Lean Muscle - 60 Day Fix New Health Offer

Building Lean Muscle - 60 Day Fix New Health Offer

Having Tight Hips is BAD for Your Back, Health & Sexual Performance

Having Tight Hips is BAD for Your Back, Health & Sexual Performance

We’ve all experienced it before, that pain or achiness after sitting in a fixed position for a good portion of the day whether it's from sitting in a stiff chair on a long distance flight, working on the computer all day or spending far too much time in the car.

When it comes to sitting there is one thing that is certain, there’s a strong chance you are placing your body in an unfavorable position and as a result of this, your body will get stiff.

Unfortunately, sitting is part of our culture and mostly unavoidable.

By spending so much time in your chair in a flexed position coupled with a lack of movement throughout the day, you have successfully followed the formula for creating tight iliopsoas muscles.

These tight damaged hips cause back pain, health problems and even disrupt sexual-function (more on that in a moment).

One of the most significant things about the psoas (pronounced so-az) or hip flexors muscle is that it connects the legs to the spine, which means that what you do with your legs could possibly affect your spine without you thinking about it, or even feeling it.

With a tight psoas from sitting all day your hips will become fixed in a forward thrust position causing your pelvis and leg(s) to rotate. This forward tilt will cause your hip socket to become compressed leading to pulling and shifting of joints, tendons, and muscles pulling on your lower back.

This pulling on the lower back WILL decrease blood flow and circulation as well as delayed nerve response to the hips.

If you can’t see how tight hips can affect your sex life, please watch that again.

Decreased blood flow and circulation will happen with tight hips.

If you thought that was bad enough, let’s look at the emotional side of this issue, as this might be more important than our physical performance in the bedroom. Our emotions have a lot to say about the current state of our sex life. Ask anyone if emotions and feelings have a role in their sexual desire.

If your psoas is constantly tight and overworked, the body is faced with permanent roadblocks of emotional and physical stress which forces the brain to continue to send warning signals to all of the systems of the body, including the reproductive system.

These signals trigger responses within the body that will cause an overexertion of the adrenal glands and will weaken the body’s natural immune response to stress.

Stress and sex DO NOT go together.

Remember, the hips are the primary movers in sex and it’s somewhat common sense that we want our hips to be loose and flexible in order to achieve great dynamic sex.

So what does this mean for your sex-life? If you sit all day and aren’t doing the appropriate work needed to fix your hips, you can be sure you are not tapping into your peak sexual-health.

this video isn't all doom and gloom because luckily there is an easy fix.

You see loosening your hips and hip flexors can actually be easy with something called the "Sequential Flow Method".

How to RELEASE Your Inner Athlete in ONLY 15 Minutes

How to RELEASE Your Inner Athlete in ONLY 15 Minutes

When it comes to athletes everywhere and achieving peak performance health, there is one thing they all have in common and that is being powerful through the hips.

Regardless of the sport, athletes want to perform at their best every single time they take the field, the court or the ice. In order to do that, we must have healthy, strong and mobile hips: Hips that function without pain, tightness or lack of mobility.

A balance in strength exists through the hip flexors, the iliopsoas group and gluteus group which helps keep the body moving and performing at its absolute best.

The ‘power zone’ lies at the center of the human body. Sure, the arms and legs are super important for any person or elite athlete, but the source of true power resides within the hips.

Talk to any coach or trainer all over the world over and they will agree with this simple assessment. Without the ability to bend, jump, twist, dive, run or move effectively, an athlete is dead in their tracks, literally.

Athletes from all backgrounds across the world spend a great deal of time working on the balance of strength within their hip area. They stretch, strengthen, massage, or anything else that will help them improve hip function.

Without even realizing it, athletes are helping to not only improve their physical performance but also their mental and emotional function.

Is it any wonder why after doing something physically active, even just a good long walk, you feel emotionally uplifted? Athletes and others that push their bodies in sports, in the gym or at home, simply feel better and more energetic.

Case and point: the body was designed to move and not be in a seated position all the time. But unfortunately for most people, sitting is a large part of our lives and the center of the body is restricted and stressed out.

But that’s NOT the case for many athletes.

The messaging that goes from the lower body to the upper body and back again has less roadblocks, less stress and the signals are stronger.

When stronger signals are passing from head to toe in an athlete, their power production is improved dramatically. And as stated at the very beginning, when you increase power, you achieve peak performance health.
I knew that if I could lengthen my hip flexors and undo all of that damage from sitting so much over the years, I could release my inner athlete.
This "Sequential Flow" of 10 unique movements included PNF Stretching, Static Stretching, 3-Dimensional Core Stability Exercises, Mobility Exercises, Fascia Stretching & Muscle Activation.

Immediately after performing all of these exercises, I felt READY.

Ready to move and ready for anything. I truly felt more powerful and energized than I had in years and you can experience this for yourself in less than 15-minutes.

Add 35 lbs to Your Deadlift & Squat in 15 Minutes

Add 35 lbs to Your Deadlift & Squat in 15 Minutes 

Listen, it’s not what you think. I’m not going to tell you about a new technique to try or costly special equipment or even some underground secret training program.

It really has to do with one simple but life-changing thing: UNLOCKING your tight hips.
I was blown away by what I’m about to share with you and so let me explain.

The ‘power zone’ as I like to call it lies at the center of the human body. Sure, the arms and legs are super important for any person or elite athlete, but the source of true power resides within the hips.

Talk to any coach or trainer the world over and they will agree with this simple assessment: All athletes from hockey to football, baseball to tennis, soccer to powerlifting rely on the explosiveness that their hips and glutes possess.

Without the ability to bend, jump, twist, dive, run or move effectively, an athlete is dead in their tracks, literally.

So what is the common thread that ties most athletes together?

Some might say speed, power or even strength, but the answer is actually much simpler than that. I’m talking about the athletic position or ready position found in most sports.

Imagine for a moment the linebacker in football, the shortstop in baseball, the goalie in hockey or the powerlifter on the platform and how their body looks. They all stand ready in a position of strength to either tackle someone, catch a ground ball, stop a puck or lift maximum weight.

For example, what does the powerlifter do just before the squat or deadlift? They move into a strong, athletic position as they mentally connect to every muscle in their body so that they can create as much power and force on the bar as possible.

None of them would ever stand casually in an upright position seconds before having to perform. Why is that? Because they would not be able to generate ANY power from that position.

An athlete in almost any sport will stand with feet shoulder width (or wider) apart, knees flexed, butt back and torso tilted forward. They are balanced, grounded, strong and ready for anything that comes towards them.

From this position, anyone can react quickly, explosively and with tremendous power. If at any time the muscles in the hip area are compromised, athletic performance is undoubtedly affected and not in a good way.

When it comes to acceleration and speed, the hips are at the epicenter of power. Even though the squat or deadlift with maximum weight may not look very fast, the lifter is telling their body to move as fast as they can to move the load.

So when I assessed how much I sat every day on the computer and realized even though I train hard 5 days per week in the gym, my hips were in terrible condition. And knowing how critical the hips are when it comes to generating ultimate power, it was time to seek out a professional who could help me out.

I knew that if I could lengthen my hip flexors and undo all of that damage from sitting so much over the years, I could become more explosive and lift more weight.

In only 15 minutes I had done not just static stretching (like most warm-up programs) but proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation (PNF), dynamic stretching, 3-dimensional core stability exercises, mobility exercises, fascia stretching and even some muscle activation movements.

Immediately after performing all of these exercises, I felt READY. Ready to move. Ready to lift. I truly felt more powerful and energized than I had in years.

So what did I do? I went ahead and did some deadlifting. I literally added 35 lbs to my max lift after only doing this routine once. My hips were awake. The circulation through my ‘power zone’ was flowing and I felt incredible.

I know this sounds too good to be true but it is absolutely a night and day difference. Granted, this routine would need to be practiced daily for the results to continue but I couldn’t argue with the immediate results of this 15 minute routine.

What Are The Symptoms of Acid Reflux?

What Are The Symptoms of Acid Reflux?

It is widely agreed among physicians and medical paraprofessionals, that initial diagnosis, mostly by using a typical acid reflux symptoms questionnaire, is necessary to ensure the most effective and quick treatment for this condition. Approx 70% of the acid reflux diagnostics that are based on the presence of typical symptoms are accurate. Since acid reflux, also called GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease), can cause patients a great deal of discomfort and result in severe complications, it is highly important to know how to identify its symptoms in order to quickly diagnose and treat it.

The most common symptom of GERD is persistent heartburn. Heartburn is experienced as an unpleasant and painful burning sensation in the esophageal area. Other typical symptoms are as follows:

1. Gastric regurgitation, which means an unrestricted reversed flow of gastric or esophageal contents into the throat. This gastric fluid can cause respiratory complications under certain conditions.

2. Odynophagia, which means pain when swallowing.

3. Dysphagia, which means difficulty swallowing, or the feeling of food stuck in the throat.

In addition to the above, about 50% of all gastroesophageal reflux disease sufferers report the co-occurrence of sinonasal symptoms (i. e. symptoms pertaining to the nose and sinuses).

Abnormal GERD symptoms include chronic wheezing and coughing (sometimes referred to as acid reflux related asthma, and are caused by the aspiration of gastric contents into the lungs area), spasmodic noncardiac chest pain and damage to the lungs, often followed by respiratory diseases such as pneumonia and asthma. Intense chest pain may closely resemble that of myocardial infarction that it has often been incorrectly interpreted as a heart attack. However, unlike the symptoms of gastroesophageal reflux disease, cardiovascular chest pain is usually aggravated during physical exercise.

Finally, acid reflux can also harm the vocal cords (hoarseness, laryngitis, cancer), ears (otitis media), and teeth (enamel decay). Being able to identify those symptoms as GERD related is of great importance to your health and general well being and for the prevention of potential complications. Acid reflux symptoms might serve as evidence to severe overall internal imbalance. In addition to that, neglected gastroesophageal reflux disease can lead to significant physical discomfort and sometimes can results in chronic and even dangerous health conditions, such as esophageal cancer and pneumonia.

The Body's Most Primal Muscle

The Body's Most Primal Muscle

Today I want to tell you about the body's most primal muscle….that you've probably never heard of (let alone trained).
Your hips are the bridge between your upper body and lower body. They are at the center of your body's movement.

Sitting within the well of your hip and lower spine is the psoas major muscle, one of the two muscles that makes up the iliopsoas.

It’s often called the "mighty" psoas (pronounced so-az) for the many important functions it plays in the movement of your body.The psoas is the only muscle in the human body connecting the upper body to the lower body.
The muscle attaches to the vertebrae of the lower spine, moves through the pelvis and connects to a tendon at the top of the femur. It also attaches to the diaphragm, so it’s connected to your breathing, and upon it sits all the major organs.

A functioning psoas muscle creates a neutral pelvic alignment, stabilizes the hips, supports the lower spine and abdomen, supports the organs in the pelvic and abdominal cavity and gives you greater mobility and core strength.

When it functions well, it has the power to…
… help you achieve peak performance day after day after day.
… rapidly drop ugly body fat that stubbornly clings to your body.
… train harder, heavier and gain strength faster than you thought possible.
… hit your peak of sexual health.
… flood your mind and body with renewed energy and vigor.

Put simply, this muscle is the core of activity in your body. So, when it's out of balance or if the psoas tightens, there are serious consequences which flow throughout the body.

That's why I urge you to try these…..
10 Simple Moves to Unlock & Release Your Psoas (Hip Flexor Muscles)

What YOU Would Look Like With 5-7% Less Body Fat

What YOU Would Look Like With 5-7% Less Body Fat

Have you heard of anterior pelvic tilt?
It's a term you might have heard from your personal trainer and it's a condition that causes your butt to stick out and your belly to bulge due to your hips tilting forward.

Having this anterior pelvic tilt also known as bulging belly syndrome can make you look like you have 5-7% higher body fat than you actually do.That might be hard to imagine, so take a look at the pic below.

Pretty crazy isn't it?
Now don’t get me wrong, you're not going to get popping abs and look like someone in the first two squares simply by loosening your hips.

However if you're anywhere else on the chart, you will certainly look like you moved an entire square over simply by unlocking your hip flexors which are one of the leading causes of anterior pelvic tilt.

How do you know if you have tight hip flexors?
If you sit a lot and have a belly that protrudes, I'm 99% sure you have tight hip flexors. Most of us do, it's just a fact of life.

There is a 15-minute solution that can reverse the damage of sitting and tucks your stomach back in, which can be found at the link below

Activity Making You Fatter & Weaker

Activity Making You Fatter & Weaker

It may be the most harmless activity known to man, but it's also one of the biggest dangers to your health.
IT'S SITTING!

Even if you're the most active of athletes, you may still suffer from tight hip flexors due to the amount of time you spend each day planted to a chair.

If you have tight hip flexors from sitting too much you may be kicking your body into fat storing mode and it has nothing to do with inactivity.
Sitting Is a Fat Loss Inhibitor.

As the body's "fight or flight" muscle, your psoas (hip flexors) is deeply connected to our natural survival instinct. It instantly tightens in moments of danger to either protect you (in a fetal position) or help you run, fueled by the release of adrenaline. (chèn hinh2 )

However, if your psoas (hip flexors) is constantly tight from sitting too much, it signals to the body you are in constant danger, leading to overworking of the adrenal gland.

When this happens, your immune system suffers and your body automatically switches into fat storing mode in anticipation of danger. Can't shift that weight? Blame those tight hip flexors known as your "survival muscle".

If You Sit Too Much & You're Having Trouble Losing Fat Try This:
If you have a desk job, drive to work or like to relax on the couch, congratulations you're like a lot of other people. Sure you can decrease the amount of time you spend sitting but overall there's no way around it.

So what should you do?
Personally I recommend that you incorporate these 10 Simple Moves into your day. They take less than 15-minutes and can unlock your hip flexors (survival muscle) so that you're not stuck in fat storing mode.

10 Simple Moves To Do If You Sit Too Much Press the link below for more information, Helps you burn fat.
Give it a try, you'll bring vitality back into your life so that you can be lean, active and energetic for yourself and loved ones.

Activity That Makes You Look Fat

Activity That Makes You Look Fat

It may be the most harmless activity known to man, but it's also one of the biggest dangers to your health.
IT'S SITTING!

Even if you're the most active of athletes, you may still suffer from tight hip flexors due to the amount of time you spend each day planted to a chair.If you have tight hip flexors from sitting you can look fat even if you're not!

It's called Bulging Belly Syndrome.

Wonder why your stomach still sticks out even though you're hammering the core exercises every day? It's a common myth that bulging belly is due to weak abdominal muscles.

The real cause is likely to be tight hip flexors (from sitting too much) , which cause the lower back to curve pushing out the stomach. When your hip flexors also known as the psoas works properly it pulls the abdomen back tucking the tummy in, giving you a strong flat stomach.

That's why some people can look fat with a bulging stomach even if they're not fat.
If you sit a lot (which causes tight hip flexors) and have a belly you want to get rid of, forget about dieting.

Instead I recommend that you incorporate these 10 Simple Moves into your day. They take less than 15-minutes to complete.

Give it a try, you'll bring vitality back into your life so that you can be strong, active and energetic for yourself and loved ones.

5 Tips to Get Your Diabetes Under Control

5 Tips to Get Your Diabetes Under Control

Controlling your diabetes is a daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly challenge, but the effort is worth it. Right away you'll feel better and have more energy.The payoff? You'll live better longer with less risk of problems from diabetes like heart attacks, strokes, kidney failure, even blindness.

The key to managing your diabetes is to keep your blood sugar levels as close to normal as possible. It sounds tough, but there are simple steps you can follow.

Spot Check Your Sugar

You and your doctor will have set a schedule to test your blood sugar. Add an extra check on top. Maybe at breakfast one day, lunch the next, and so on. It's like popping in unannounced.

"If you're a supervisor and your workers know that you're only going to come once a day to check on them, chances are they're going to be well-behaved during that particular time and the rest of the day you're going to be doing other things," says Sethu Reddy, MD, chief of the adult diabetes section at the Joslin Diabetes Center in Boston. "If you spot check, you have a much better sense of how things are going."

Use that information to adjust your eating and exercise to gain even better control if you need to.

Count Carbs

They can quickly send your blood sugar on a roller-coaster ride. That's why it's so important to keep track.

Most women need 35-45 grams of carbs per meal while guys need 45-60 grams, says Jessica Crandall, a dietitian and spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. A cup of rice or pasta is about 45 grams.

To make the most of them, pair your carbs with a protein, like nuts. Opt for high-fiber carbs. Both will slow digestion so you feel full without raising blood sugar.

"Fiber is really important for blood-sugar control, but it's also a Roto-Rooter to clear out cholesterol building in blood vessels," Crandall says.

Good sources of fiber and carbs include whole wheat bread, sweet potatoes, pumpkins, and dried beans.

Be wary of "no-sugar" products. That doesn't always mean no carbs. Foods that have "sugar alcohols" -- things that usually end in "ol" like xylitol and mannitol -- do contain carbs.

"I typically count them as half the carb," Crandall says. "They may not spike your blood sugar as quickly but they will cause a rise."

Think of Exercise as Medicine

It’s a great way to lower blood sugar, Reddy says, but the effects wear off within a week after you stop.

You need to do it regularly. Try to get 150 minutes a week. You can break that up into smaller chunks, like half an hour a day, 5 days a week. You don’t have to become a gym rat, either. It’s OK to walk, run, or bike. Talk to your doctor about an exercise plan before you start.

Physical activity also releases compounds your body makes called endorphins, which boost your mood.

Know Your Numbers

Blood-sugar readings aren’t the only numbers you need to keep track of. Your doctor will also watch your blood pressure and cholesterol.

These numbers will tell you if your health is on track:

A1c, which measures blood sugar levels over time. This should be tested at least twice a year.

Cholesterol levels, which should be tested at least every 5 years and more often if you have trouble with it.

Blood pressure and weight, which will get checked every time you visit the doctor.

Build a Dream Team

Diabetes is a whole-body, whole-person disease and is best treated by a team of experts, headed by you, of course. This can include your doctor along with a nutritionist, dentist, pharmacist, nurse, and others.

"Diabetes is a complex disease. Your doctor can't do it alone," says Olveen Carrasquillo, MD, chief of the division of general internal medicine at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine.

And don't forget your friends and family. People with social and family support are more likely to stick to their plans.

"There are two parts. There's a health care team but also a home team," Carrasquillo says.

Quick Workouts for Diabetes

Quick Workouts for Diabetes

No time to exercise? Short, intense physical activity can help you manage blood sugar levels.

It's the end of the day, and you don't have time to hit the gym for your regular workout. Should you leave it until tomorrow or carve out time for a little exercise today? If you have diabetes, go for the second option. Any physical activity is better than none, and adding short, intense bursts of activity to a mini workout may help your body do a better job of metabolizing glucose to regulate your blood sugar level.

Short, Fast, and Furious

In a small study, volunteers worked out on stationary bikes three times a week for a minimum of 17 minutes per session. That's pretty manageable. Then, during the sessions, they threw in a handful of 30-second bursts of high-intensity cycling. Again, not too taxing. After the bursts, they rested or cycled slowly for 4 minutes. The result? When the volunteers were given the equivalent of a meal's worth of glucose at the end of the study, their bodies metabolized it better than before the study.

Just a Little Helps a Lot

Researchers suspect that bursts of intensity during workouts elicit stronger muscle contractions and therefore more glucose uptake in the large muscles attached to bones. The lesson: If your busy day only leaves time for a short workout, be sure to add a few bouts of higher-intensity effort. Your blood sugar will be better for it.

Smart Fitness Tips to Manage Diabetes

Smart Fitness Tips to Manage Diabetes

Stay motivated--and control diabetes--with these exercise strategies.

FITNESS TIPS FOR PEOPLE WITH DIABETES

OK, so you know exercise can do wonders to help prevent or control type 2 diabetes, but the real trick is finding an exercise plan you can maintain. First, focus on all the great benefits: Regular workouts not only help prevent insulin resistance and lower blood sugar levels, they can also improve your cholesterol levels, lower blood pressure, and even reduce stress. Sold? Try these 6 ways to get moving, stay motivated, and manage your diabetes better than ever.

SET REALISTIC FITNESS GOALS

Make exercise a habit by setting both short- and long-term fitness goals. Sharecare fitness expert Michelle Cleere, PhD, says short-term goals are the most important because they help build confidence and act as stepping stones to longer-term fitness goals while controlling blood sugar. If you want to lose 20 pounds in 6 months, for example, your short-term goal might be to lose 2 pounds a month along with some other measurable goals, such as walking every day and doing resistance training with weights twice a week.

MAKE A DATE WITH EXERCISE

One of the best ways to make exercise part of your routine to manage diabetes is to schedule it. That's right: Make physical activity a top priority, like an important meeting with the boss. (You can even do double duty and ask your boss to walk while you meet.) If something always comes up, do a brisk 15-minute workout in the morning, such as jumping rope or taking a fast walk around the neighborhood. When you can't do your normal workout routine, add exercise breaks to your daily calendar.

RECRUIT A WORKOUT PARTNER

Friends with exercise benefits can make your routine more fun and help you stay on a regular workout schedule. Fitness partners can also benefit from mutual support and some friendly competition. Look for someone who shares and supports your fitness goals. Your fitness buddy can be a spouse, neighbor, coworker, or friend from the gym. No buddy to exercise with? Even a virtual exercise partner -- say, a digital coach -- may boost your output by 24%. And don't underestimate the power of social networking sites to recruit faraway pals who share your goals or at least offer support and hold you accountable.

DO MINI WORKOUTS

The toughest thing about exercise often isn't doing it. It's finding time to do it. If you can't swing a 30-minute walk every day, plus about 30 minutes a week of strength training, no worries! Splitting your physical activity into 10-minute mini workouts throughout the day can be a smart strategy to manage (or even prevent) type 2 diabetes. Just be sure to do a total of at least 30 minutes of exercise each day. For starters, walk wherever you can and -- unless your doctor says otherwise -- always take the stairs.

RACK STEPS WITH A PEDOMETER

Do you know how many steps you walk each day? If not, now is a great time to get a pedometer. It's sure to motivate you to walk more to control your blood sugar level. No matter how much you're walking now, just strapping on a pedometer is enough to encourage you to add another 2,000 steps per day, according to one study. That's an extra mile! Aim to cover 10,000 steps a day for the most benefit. (RealAge cofounder Michael F. Roizen, MD, doesn't go to bed without logging his 10,000 steps a day.) Pick a pedometer model with an easy-to-read display, a sturdy clip, and a loop-on "leash" so you don't lose it.

MAKE FITNESS FUN

Workouts don't have to feel like work to help control diabetes. Try skating, a Zumba class, salsa dance lessons, or all three to spice up your workouts and use your muscles in new, fun ways. Think back to activities you loved as a kid. Were you a double-dutch champ? Buy a jump rope and start skipping. If you have kids, get them exercising, too, by teaching them to hula hoop. Or, play fetch with your dog at a park, or just set up a Wii Fit system and choose your workout (or play date!).

The Best Time to Exercise with Diabetes

The Best Time to Exercise with Diabetes

Choose the right time to work out for better blood sugar control.

When it comes to exercise and managing diabetes, good timing can make a big difference. Regular workouts are a key tool to help you control your blood sugar level. And choosing the right time to exercise can help even more. Timing exercise for better blood sugar is a topic you'll want to discuss with your doctor or certified diabetes educator (CDE). It's especially important if you take insulin to manage your diabetes.

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) offers these recommendations for timing workouts for better blood sugar levels:

Check your blood sugar level. The NIH recommends that people with diabetes check their blood sugar before working out, immediately after, and again sometime later (exercise can impact your blood glucose level for up to 12 hours). Working out longer than 45 minutes? Check your blood sugar during exercise, as well. If you're on medication to control your blood sugar, and workouts routinely cause low blood sugar (hypoglycemia), your doctor may need to adjust your dosage.

Take extra care if you use insulin. Ask your doctor or CDE for advice on what you should eat before, during, and after workouts, as well as if you need to adjust your insulin dose to compensate for physical activity.

Keep a carb-rich snack on hand. In the event you do experience hypoglycemia, a small snack, such as a half-dozen hard candies, fruit juice, or regular soda, can help raise your blood sugar level in a hurry. Ask your doctor or CDE which snacks are best.

Maintain a consistent workout schedule. Exercising at the same time each day, and at the same intensity, makes it easier to keep your blood sugar level on an even keel. If you have type 1 diabetes, your doctor may tell you to avoid strenuous workouts when you have ketones (chemicals your body produces when blood sugar is high and insulin is low) in your blood or urine. Exercising when you have ketones can make your blood sugar skyrocket.

Be active after meals. Trying to decide if you should exercise before or after dinner? A study from Old Dominion University found walking after a meal helps lower blood glucose levels better than a pre-supper stroll. It's a pleasant way to end the day–and it's good for your blood sugar.