Diabetes: Can Exercise Lower Blood Sugar Levels?

Exercise can, not only enhance your health and fitness, it can also alleviate Type 2 Diabetes.

Research and personal testimony have disclosed a list of benefits. Just by including workouts every week, you can lose weight, lower cholesterol, build muscle, lower blood pressure and get more energy.

In addition, lately, I’ve found recommendations from men and women practicing the newly discovered 7 Minute Workout program insist that it has lowered their blood sugar levels. While 7 Minute Workout also uses diet, exercise has played an crucial part.

A huge advantage of physical workouts in handling diabetes is that it supports the body’s insulin use.

Ordinarily, the pancreas releases insulin when the amount of sugar in the bloodstream grows. This occurs after eating, for example. The increase in insulin results in the absorption of excess sugar by the muscles and liver., which results inlower blood sugar.

When you workout, the body needs additional energy (glucose) for the exercising muscles. The glucose that is stored in the liver and muscles can be released for fuel.

But, enough from me, let’s hear it from the horse’s mouth.

Paul Douglas, a 7 minute student, explains the improvement he experiences in his blood sugar levels by doing exercises only 7 minutes a day, 3 times a week and following the systems suggestions on diet.

- “Last night after work my sugar was 6.4. Today three hours after lunch it was 6.5 (Normal is between 4-6 here in Canada). A far cry from the 15.6 reading I had ten days ago. Proof that smart diet and exercise will allow you to control diabetes instead of diabetes controlling you. (Sorry, I don’t know how to convert it to US measurements.)”

Paul is a conscientious person, so his experience may not be yours.

However, combining exercise program, eating habits and other changes could be able to contain type 2 diabetes.

Gloria Reibin is a Fitness Counsel who practices and teaches the 7 Minute Workout, whereby it is simple to get in the best shape of your life by working out only 7 minutes a day 3 times per week. VIsit her 7 Minute Fitness Blog for continuing support. See how The 7 Minute System can be applied to other areas of your life.

categories: exercise,blood sugar levels,glucose,insulin,type 2 diabetes,health and fitness,lose weight

Carbohydrates and Their Effecting in Treating Diabetes

A simple blood test will confirm a diagnosis of diabetes. Normally a high blood glucose will indicate that a person has diabetes. A sedentary lifestyle and poor food choices will contribute to the rise in blood sugar levels in the body. The hormone insulin controls the blood sugar level. A person getting diabetes might not be producing enough insulin or the insulin that person produces is not utilized properly by the body.

You are what you eat. It seems there is more to what this age old adage has to say. The food that you consume is for the nourishment required by the body; it is where we get our daily requirement of energy, vitamins, minerals and whatever nutrient the body needs. From starches and sugar we get our carbohydrates and from meat, poultry products, vegetables we get our protein requirements, fiber, and all the other nutrients we need. We also need water to be hydrated constantly. The glucose in the body is a form of the carbohydrate and any starch or sugar we consume is converted to simplest form of carbohydrate. The more carbohydrate we consume, the higher the glucose sugar in the body. The more it needs to be regulated.

There are many misconceptions about diabetic meal planning. Diabetic or not, you may have the idea that insulin dependence will be the end to the high blood sugar levels in the body, without any need to worry anymore about having high blood sugar level. Another one is that diabetics can eat anything so long as the eat bitter herbs and vegetables at the end of each meal. Another popular one is that it is okay for diabetics to eat anything they want as long as it is not sweet. All of these are wrong.

The battle against diabetes begins once you are diagnosed with the disease. If not avoided, you may need long term care from a physician to avoid getting the complications from the disease. Also, you need to regularly monitor your blood sugar level. You may also be required to take insulin shots to keep your blood sugar level under control.

Once diagnosed, you will be forced to make lifestyle modifications to avoid further complications from the disease. There are many diabetics who live considerably normal lives as long as they keep their blood sugar levels in check and they remain physically active.

The diabetics diet should be guarded against consumption of carbohydrate-rich food. Why so much concern on carbohydrates? Carbohydrates directly relates to the blood sugar levels. There are certain food that contain large amounts of sugar. These high glycemic index foods are normally ones that people crave for, sweets, cakes, candies, ice cream. These are packed with sugar and carbohydrates that can be detrimental to the health of the diabetic.

Staying healthy has a lot to do with good eating habits and a little discipline. They are essential not only for the diabetic but for anyone wanting to stay healthy and avoid not only diabetes but other diseases as well. The idea of eating in moderation and exercise will go along way into maintaining a healthy body. It is okay to eat sweet foods so long as you dont overeat, reducing portions or replacing some foods with healthier alternatives will help you feel not being deprived of the tempting foods that you like.

Now That I Have Diabetes, How Can I Properly Manage the Disease?

Scientists and doctors have studied for years looking for a cure for both type1 and type 2 diabetes with no success. Although there is no cure for the disease, there are still ways to manage the disease and live a long healthy life.

Proper management can give you many years of healthy living.

First, visit your doctor to find out if you have diabetes. Second, if your doctor confirms that you do have diabetes, find out what type you have. Third, arm yourself with as much knowledge about your disease as you can.

Controlling your diabetes starts with your glucose levels. This means how much sugar enters into your bloodstream, and the blood levels of glucose which control how much goes out.

Your glucose levels are sensitive to diet and exercise. For this reason any changes must first be talked about with your health care provider. Proper management of diabetes is intrusive to the patient. The proper management needs to be a complete lifestyle change as well as frequent checks of the glucose in blood, possibly multiple times a day.

Diabetes can also change the way people grow and develop. So, no two cases of diabetes are really the same. Now it is much easier to measure blood sugar level.

Glucose readers are easy to obtain and easy to use. They do however require a little practice, and a little patience. All you do is prick your finger, and with a little drop of blood on the testing strip which is attached to the meter, you have a precise and accurate glucose level reading. The glucose reading will let you know whether or not you need a shot of insulin.