WALKING IS BENEFICIAL

    Hello to my readers. I have been away now for quite some time. My computer/laptop bit the dust and for several months I was off line because I just could not afford another. At around the same time I lost my work and then my vehicle. I was forced to walk everywhere for everything.

    Now don’t get me wrong. There is a bus system in the small city I live in. However, each time I tried to use it, it did not seem to run on any fixed schedule. I would arrive with at least five minutes to the next supposed pick up, only to wait anywhere from 20 minutes to 35 minutes. It is supposed to run every 30 minutes. Once I waited over 45 minutes.

    I can be a little impatient with standing out in the cold. I decided that the town was not THAT big and I started to walk instead of wait. Most times I get where I need to faster than waiting for the blasted bus. And I walk slow due to the arthritis in my back and hips.

    In a few weeks I started to see some unexpected benefits. At first it was finding my clothing becoming a little loose. I didn’t think a whole lot of that because I had gone through it before without losing an ounce according to the scale. But my next doctor’s visit confirmed that I had lost 10 pounds. Oh, happy day!

    For a number of years now all I had seen was the numbers going up. I am insulin dependent and was caught in the spiral. The more weight you have, the more insulin you need... the more insulin you take, the more weight you gain. I had cried many times after taking my weight at the doc’s to find it had gone up yet again.

    Now here I was with a whole 10 pound reduction! I was ecstatic! Maybe it was only ten pounds, but to me it was a great achievement. And I hadn’t even been trying, having given up trying to lose. The next checkup I had lost another 10. Then another 5.

    During this period I started having lows in the morning, so I reduced my night time injection of Lantus. After meals I started having lows as well, enabling me to reduce my injections of Novo-rapid. My appetite went down, thereby reducing my caloric intake and further helping me lose the weight. Over the next several months I lost a total of 45 pounds without making any changes except that I had to walk.

    Some other benefits have been that my breathing has become easier. I am able to walk further, faster, and easier than I have for years now. There is less pain in my hips most days because I am not carrying so much around. I feel so much better about myself, too.

    Until I became diabetic I had been around 100 pounds. I had been tiny all my life. Then came diabetes and insulin. I spiralled up to almost double that. In fact, for me one of the first indications of diabetes was a very rapid weight gain, unlike many who experience a rapid loss. Insulin dependence just exacerbated the problem.

    Now I started feeling like I was getting my life back. For years I wouldn’t even look in the mirror. Now I was starting to feel like I could get the old me back. Oh, not the youth and ability to do many of the things I could no longer do. Diabetes isn’t my only drawback. But I can stand to see me now.

   

    I am still walking. I am benefiting. My little dogs are benefiting too, for now they get a walk after dinner every day, no matter what other walking I have had to do. I will lose the last 25-30 pounds. I can’t wait until I am in a size 5 - 6 again.... but I will be satisfied with a 7-8 if I must. After all, I am getting older.

    Until next time, my friends.

The Importance of Exercise and Diet

So much today is written of the importance of diet and exercise for all and when one has diabetes it is truly essential that one participate in being active and eat wisely. This is true whether you are a type 1 or a type 2 diabetic.

Diet is very important in the life of a diabetic. Most food is turned to glucose in the body. The cells then take the glucose from the blood stream and convert it to energy. Insulin is produced by the pancreas and allows all the cells to take the glucose from your blood and convert it.

For a diabetic, either the pancreas doesn’t produce insulin (type 1), or doesn’t produce enough insulin or the cells ignore the insulin produced (type2). When the cells ignore the insulin produced it is called insulin resistance.  It is my understanding that with most type 2 diabetics it is a combination of not enough insulin produced and insulin resistance.

A diabetic, (whether type 1 or type 2), needs to balance calorie intake with the medications so that your bodies glucose levels don’t rise or drop dramatically. This is especially important for insulin dependent diabetics. If you are overweight, losing the excess can go a long way to maintaining optimal health. It will help lower the amount of insulin you need to take, (and for some enable them to get off insulin) and is far better for your heart health and will also help you avoid or reduce other complications. You need to be rigorous in following a strict diabetic diet.

Keep close watch on your intake of fats and carbohydrates. These will raise your blood sugars and fats are high in calories to boot.

Proteins are a good choice for diabetics as they do not raise blood sugars like carbs and fats, and should make up 12% to 20% of caloric intake for the day. A gram of protein equals about 4 calories. It is great for a bedtime snack to help maintain glucose levels. My doctor told me that making sure I had enough protein with each meal or snack also helped keep blood sugar levels steadier as it inhibits the quick uptake of the glucose created by carbohydrates.

A very rich source of protein is fish. Soy and lentils are also high protein foods, along with many kinds of beans such as kidney beans, baked beans etc.

Carbohydrates are the highest source of blood sugar, but don’t eliminate them! It is recommended that 40-60% of your daily calories come from carbohydrates.

Generally carbohydrates are one of two types. Complex carbohydrates are found in fruit, vegetables, whole grains and starches. Simple carbohydrates are found in table sugar and processed foods.

Complex carbohydrates, those we get from vegetables and whole grains are the best because they take longer for the body to break down. They also contain fiber which is essential in preventing heart disease. They also promote weight loss and aid in preventing type 2 diabetes. However starchy food like potatoes and pasta should be very limited and simple carbs should be avoided all together if possible.

Fats can be good or bad depending on the source. Saturated fats (such as red meats) and trans fatty acids, (made from plant fats artificially and are found in fried foods, processed foods and margarine), should be avoided. Those with diabetes should try and stick with monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats found in plant products. These should make up about 30-35% of your calory intake.

Plants, fruits, whole grains and nuts are all  high in  fibers. Fibers  help cleanse the body by passing waste and water through the intestine to be removed as solid waste. They also aid in proper food digestion, help keep a healthy weight, decrease cholesterol levels, and are good for the heart.
As with all you do, consult your doctor or diabetic nurse/clinic for good dietary controls and suggestions.
I found the diabetic nurses at the clinic very helpful in helping me find out what my caloric intake should be for the day and for advice on what foods I should avoid.

Exercise not only helps burn off the calories, it helps your body utilize the sugars, and helps reduce the weight. One side effect of insulin is weight gain. And it is a “catch 22". The more insulin you use, the more weight you gain; the more weight you gain, the more insulin you need. It can almost defeat one.
Exercise can help lose those extra pounds, but you must use caution! If you exercise too much, or too little, it can have a negative affect on your blood sugars. They could go suddenly down (hypoglycemia) or increase very quickly (hyperglycemia). Keep food and medications on hand when you are exercising so that you can deal with extreme variations in blood sugar quickly.

For those who are, for one reason or another restricted in the physical activity they can participate in take a look at my friend Kim's site at http://startfitnessnow.com She was a trainer for the show "The Biggest Loser" and has some wonderful exercise programs for everyone from beginner to advanced. There is even one that can be done from a sitting position. She also offers some expert advice on her site from Dr. Singh to do with nutrition. Some of her information focuses on diabetes.