The Fitness Motivation Monitor
July 2007
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Dear Friend
As you wind your way through the summer months, I hope that you are planning some days of R & R that are unstructured and give you time for free flow. In our modern, busy schedules, we need to create blocks of time for doing NOTHING except enjoying the moment, and realizing that this is our life now.
If you haven't done so yet in the summer, give yourself a day off, and don't plan anything in it. When that day comes, you will be so happy that you have given yourself a break from your routine. Enjoy and seize the day. You can schedule the next one!
Best of health,
Katie Katz
Prediabetes:
What is it and
How Can You Prevent It?
Did you know that according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 41 million Americans, ages 40 to 74, have prediabetes?
What is PreDiabetes?
Prediabetes is a condition in which blood glucose levels are higher than normal, but not yet high enough to be classified as full-blown (type 2) diabetes. There are generally no symptoms; a diagnosis is based on the results of a blood test. The higher levels of blood sugar associated with prediabetes can still damage your heart and circulatory system, however, greatly increasing your risk of heart disease and stroke.
Key risk factors for prediabetes are:
- Age
- Overweight
- Lack of physical activity
- Family History
- Race
- Gestational diabetes
Signs and Symptoms
Often, prediabetes has no signs or symptoms. But it's important to watch for the classic red flags of type 2 diabetes— excessive thirst and frequent urination.
Other signs and symptoms of type 2 diabetes may include:
Constant hunger
- Unexplained weight loss
- Weight gain
- Flu-like symptoms, including weakness and fatigue
- Blurred vision
- Slow healing of cuts or bruises
- Tingling or loss of feeling in hands or feet
- Recurring gum or skin infections
- Recurring vaginal or bladder infections
Screening and Diagnosis
Many people find out they have prediabetes through blood tests done for another condition or as part of a routine exam. The American Diabetes Association recommends blood glucose screening for everyone at age 45. If you're overweight with one or more additional risk factors for prediabetes, ask your doctor about earlier testing.
Delay and Prevention of PreDiabetes
Most people with prediabetes go on to develop type 2 diabetes within 10 years. However, prediabetes doesn't have to become type 2 diabetes. With healthy lifestyle changes, you can bring your blood sugar back to normal levels.
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Eat healthy foods. Choose foods low in fat and calories. Focus on fruits, vegetables and whole grains. Strive for variety to help you achieve your goals without compromising taste or nutrition.
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Get more physical activity. Aim for 30 minutes of moderate physical activity a day. Take a brisk daily walk. Ride your bike. Swim laps. If you can't fit in a long workout, break it up into smaller sessions spread throughout the day.
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Lose excess pounds. If you're overweight, the American Diabetes Association says that losing just 5 percent of your body weight can improve blood sugar control and reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. To keep your weight in a healthy range, focus on permanent changes to your eating and exercise habits. Motivate yourself by remembering the benefits of losing weight, such as a healthier heart, more energy and improved self-esteem.
Remember, healthy lifestyle choices can help you prevent prediabetes and its progression to type 2 diabetes. Even if diabetes runs in you family, diet and exercise can help you prevent the disease.
Lower Your Blood Sugar By Walking
Walking Rx: Physical activity enables your body to use insulin more efficiently.
Why does walking have such protective effects? Besides helping you get rid of extra pounds, it actually increases the number of insulin receptors on your cells. Insulin helps blood sugar move into cells, where it needs to go. Otherwise, it just sloshes around in your bloodstream, gumming up the blood vessel walls.
If you've already been diagnosed with diabetes, regular walking can help control the progression of the disease. People who take insulin may be able to reduce the amount of medication they need, as physical activity enables their body to use insulin more efficiently
As a bonus, regular walking can help keep your brain sharp. Scientists have observed that older people with diabetes sometimes have problems thinking clearly. In one study, physical activity appeared to stimulate just the type of brain activity that had become impaired. Exactly what it is about physical activity that revs up the brain hasn't been determined. But some experts theorize that exercise-related brain activity could be part of the reason why some folks say they are able to solve sticky problems while they are ticking off minutes and miles on their treadmill.
For all of these reasons, walking may be one of the best diabetes therapies around. If you already have diabetes, walking helps you control the disease and avoid many of its consequences.
According to The American Diabetes Association, you must exercise for at least 30 minutes, three times a week to enhance your body's use of insulin. If your goal is to lose weight, however, you would do well to walk five to seven times each week. But of course, you will want to work up to that level slowly, especially if you have been sedentary. If you skip a day, don't try to make up for it by walking twice as fast or twice as far during your next workout. Vigorous exercise can actually cause blood sugar to rise, especially in people who have insulin deficiencies.
Before you begin a walking program, check with your doctor, especially if you already have diabetes. Your doctor can tell you whether you need to take any special precautions when you work out.
For more information on prediabetes and diabetes please visit The American Diabetes Association at www.diabetes.org.
Exercise fights diabetes in ways other than weight loss. Studies are just starting to show the preventive power of fitness. The famed Nurses' Health Study, for example, found that those individuals who worked up a sweat more than once a week reduced their risk of developing diabetes by 30 percent. Chinese researchers determined that people with high blood sugar who engaged in moderate exercise (and made other lifestyle changes) were 40 percent less likely to develop full-blown diabetes.
So what is the ideal moderate exercise for prediabetics and diabetics? You guessed it: walking. The combination of a healthy diet and regular physical activity such as walking can help you slim down--an important benefit since being overweight is a major risk factor for diabetes.
Before you begin your walk, take a few moments to warm up by stretching your major muscle groups. Then, if you would like to transform a leisurely stroll into a bona fide workout, follow these guidelines:
- Take long strides using your gluteal muscles (the muscles in the buttocks) to propel you forward.
- Bend your arms slightly, swinging them as you walk.
- Stand up straight with your abdominal muscles lifted.
- Maintain a pace at which you are breathing deeply but can still carry on a conversation, although you would prefer not to.
- If your breathing becomes labored and conversation difficult, you are working out too hard. Anytime you feel out of breath or have any pain, slow down or take a break. If these problems persist, consult your doctor.
You needn’t make it your ambition to train and look like an Olympic athlete to reap the many health benefits of walking. What’s important is that you maintain a healthy weight and achieve a certain degree of conditioning. Even a leisurely walk for 15 minutes a day is beneficial. The key to your success lies within yourself, so lace up your sneaks and put one foot in front of the other and you will be starting your own walking program for better health!
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