Fight Diabetes With A Few Simple Steps

Fight the onset of diabetes with these few simple steps:
1. eat a healthy breakfast daily (no donuts or bagels). within 2 to 3 hours of waking. This controls appetite and daily caloric intake.
2. Get enough sleep. This will keep your cortisol levels regulated. Cortisol spikes raise insulin levels which lead to blood sugar imbalances. Good sleep helps to regulate hormonal levels.
3. Don't eat luncheon meats. They are high in fat, calories, preservatives and salt. Regular intake of luncheon meats leads to more weight gain. Eat more fruits, vegetables and have fresh cooked sliced meat for a sandwich instead of the garbage they label luncheon meat....unless of course, you prefer ground bones, intestines and waste products on your rye bread.
4. Stop smoking...now! Smoking constricts blood circulation. The American Diabetes Foundation has found that non smokers have lower risks of developing diabetes than smokers.
5. Shake your booty. Exercise helps take off those added pounds, helps to control cholesterol, blood pressure and regulates insulin production.

Here's Your Healthy Tip of the Day:  If you've been diagnosed with borderline sugar/diabetes, you need to get proactive about it...unless you savor the idea of injecting yourself with insulin everyday for the rest of your life.  I've just given you 5 easy steps to take to help you avoid this daily conviction of self injections and the pain and dis-ease that comes with diabetes.  You have no excuses, no cause to whine....just do it!

Fish Oil Can Reduce Diabetes Type 2 Risks

Vanderbilt University Medical Center recently released results of a study done on middle aged and older Chinese females.  The study showed that consumption of fish and shellfish reduced their risk of Type 2 Diabetes.  These foods contain Omega 3 fatty acids which contain high levels of Vitamin D.  Vitamin D has shown to reduce the risk of diabetes.  The downside to the study is this:  the Chinese have the lowest rate of heart disease in the world (this could be due to an overall higher intake of vegetables and lower intake of fatty proteins), so the study may not apply directly to Americans.

Here's Your Healthy Tip of the Day:  Omega 3 fatty acids are good for your hormones, your joints and your overall cholesterol levels.  If you are a borderline diabetic and not sure what you should be eating on a daily basis, sign up for my Wellness Program.  Together, we will develop an individual lifestyle program consisting of a nutritional plan, exercise routine and overall lifestyle changes to get you back to a healthy space in life.  No one wants to inject themselves with insulin on a daily basis, so enroll yourself today and get healthy!

What To Eat Immediately After a Heavy Workout and WHY!!

Sometimes after a really long and busy day, I go to the gym and workout just to get my ole bag o' bones moving.  I'm not really there to give 'my all', but I'm there to get some cardio, stretch and afterward I always feel better.  This is not a heavy workout, so I keep my next meals of the day light.  But, when I do workout and give it 'my all', I try to be very good to myself and eat a small piece of fruit after all that exercise.  Why fruit?  Well, have you ever noticed that in many gyms, there are green or red apples for members as they exit the facility?  Here's why...
When you workout, your body uses carbohydrates that are stored in your liver and muscle for fuel.  These are called 'glycogen stores'.  This is why marathon runners and triathletes eat a pasta dinner 2 nights prior or one night prior to an event...to store rocket fuel for their endurance sport.  Strenuous activity uses up these glycogen stores and to ensure proper insulin and electrolyte balance, it is prudent to replenish these stores just after a workout.  Now, if it is 12 noon when you finish your strenuous exercise, pasta could be a good idea because you'll naturally work it off during the remainder of your busy day.  But if you're trying to knock off a few pounds or your workout is in the evening, heavy carb loading will actually cause you to GAIN weight, not lose it!  A simple piece of fruit (apples are absorbed quicker than any other fruit and it's a natural carb/sugar source) or Gatorade will be sufficient to keep your sugar and insulin levels balanced.

Here's Your Healthy Tip of the Day:  throw a small apple into the gym bag if your sports facility doesn't have a bowl to offer its members.  If you don't like apples, then a small orange or clementine or pear is nice.  Bananas are always a great post workout fruit and provide an added source of potassium.  Drink water after your intense workout, have your fruit and guess what?  Most likely, you'll be less hungry after you shower and are ready for your next meal.  It's a win-win situation and an easy and inexpensive solution to energy drinks!

Sleep More, Lose More, Think More!

The average American only sleeps 7 hours per evening.  Did you know that the average number of sleeping hours you should get is 9??  Sleep (or lack of) affects so many areas of our daily lives.

Sleep is directly connected to losing weight because of cortisol metabolism.  Loss of sleep is tied to reduced levels of growth hormone.  Loss of sleep also can increase your blood sugar levels...this can increase insulin resistance!  That can lead to Type 2 Diabetes...yikes!  Sleep affects memory and coordination.

There are many different reasons why some people cannot sleep:  vivid dreaming,  lifestyle habits, stress, perimenopause, pregnancy, over training for an event, obesity....did you know that Traditional Chinese Medicine (acupuncture and herbal pills) can not only pinpoint the cause of your insomnia or poor sleep, but can treat the dysfunction and eliminate it over time?

Here's your healthy tip of the day:  get more sleep.  You'll lose more weight, you'll have fewer accidents, you'll be smarter, quicker, look and feel better.  And if you are having trouble with your sleep, email me and we'll talk about a consult or visit to get you from 'sheepville' to 'sleepville'!!