If you have Type 2 diabetes, then you will find it difficult to keep your blood sugar at the right level when you are under stress. If you do not manage your stress, you will find your condition worsening.
This combination of stress and diabetes can even lead to other health problems like kidney disease, blindness, limb amputation, and cardiovascular problems. Your diabetes treatment can only be effective if you learn how to control your stress levels at the same time.
You need to practise some form of relaxation therapy in order to do this. These include breathing techniques, prayer, meditation, and exercise.
Another form of relaxation therapy that is widely used is biofeedback. This technique measures your stress level by monitoring your body temperature and muscle tenseness, and then helps you to learn how to deal with stress once you recognize the symptoms of stress. Studies have been conducted that have confirmed the value of using biofeedback with relaxation techniques as diabetes treatment.
Most patients who are under a great deal of stress do have a problem of controlling their blood glucose levels. The reason is that the stress makes them unable to control their eating and it makes it difficult to be consistent with their exercise plan. The cycle then continues with high and uncontrolled blood sugar levels, which can cause sickness and more life-threatening complications.
A relaxation therapy can help you adjust your response to stress. Changing your response to stress can help control your blood glucose levels, because when you become stressed, your body releases a chemical called cortisol. This chemical keeps the body from absorbing insulin properly. Patients who used biofeedback and relaxation techniques together control their glucose levels much better than patients who are educated about stress in their lives alone. This combination helps to lower levels of muscle tension, depression, and anxiety as well.
Exercise is another excellent way to decrease your stress level. The good news is that it has other benefits, too, including weight control, lower blood sugar levels, and reducing those stressful feelings. If you start to feel stressed at work, you may want to get up and walk around to relieve that stress. The key is to listen to your body and realize that exercise can benefit you both mentally and physically. Your diabetes treatment can be of greater help if you exercise at the same time.
You should definitely consider using relaxation therapy while undergoing diabetes treatment. Do you feel the signals that your body releases when you are stressed? Do you feel your muscles tightening up in your neck and shoulders? Do you clench your teeth or have hot flashes? Do you find it hard to breathe? Any of these signs can be telling you that it is time that you relax to accelerate the success of your diabetes treatment.
My boyfriend (Sam) is 22 and has had Type 1 Diabetes since he was 3. About 1 year into our relationship, he never really took care of his diabetes properly (i.e. no exercise, bad sleeping patterns, eating the wrong food). It look an 11 day stay in the hospital in December for him to realise what he was doing wrong. He had severe diabetic acidosis at the time (dangerous high blood sugar level) When he came out of hospital, he started taking his insulin properly (4 times a day as reccomended by his doctor) and eating and exercising.
Now there’s a problem. He’s going back to bad habits as currently he is jobless. He keeps saying he’s trying to find a job but it’s getting no where. Now he’s at home all the time, eating wrong and sleeping all day and not sleeping all night. And because he started eating alot out of boredom, he decided without consulting his doctor, to increase his insulin unit from 14 to 24.
Because of this, 2 nights ago he had a dangerous low sugar attack. He had an seizure and was being violent and I almost lost him that night. We had to call the paramedics and they said had I left it any longer or not been there, he would’ve for sure been dead. He doesn’t seem to understand how I feel about this. I’ve hardly slept since then because I’m scared it will happen again.
I don’t mean to be pushy with him, but he constantly talks about wanting a future with me, yet, how can that happen if he doesn’t start looking after himself. In 3 months (I am living with my parents) my parents will be retiring and leaving the country and I want to stay behind because of my job. Sam had plans that we would move in together and start a life together. But cause of his current situation, that’s not possible and now I have to share an apartment with another friend. I don’t know if he’s really trying to get himself together or not. I know we are in times of recession, but it doesn’t stop you from really trying to find a job. He’s been jobless 6 months now. At the same time, he doesn’t look after his health. Even with all this, he keeps talking about our future together (i.e. wedding, apartment.. )
What should I do? Do you think he is even responsible? I feel I can only help him to an extent without doing things for him as I have my own life to plan aswell. Am I being a bad girlfriend? Is it even wrong that I’m constantly worried about his health?? I just don’t want to wake up to find him dead. I’ve lost 2 nights of sleep.
Don’t get me wrong, Sam treats me like a princess. It’s just he’s so stubborn and won’t even have regular check ups for his diabetes and 6 months without a job is a long time.
What can I do??? I feel sooo lost….
so right now i’m 17 years old, 5′2” and 145 pounds. i’m at risk for diabetes, heart problems, a couple different types of cancer, i’m slightly anemic and its bad. my doctor said that if i get to my ideal weight of about 115-120 pounds, these problems will virtually disappear. i was wondering how this diet/exercise plan sounded and how long it will take for me to lose this weight.
breakfast: 8oz V8 Light Acai juice, 1 apple, 1 Tbsp all-natural reduced fat peanut butter
snack: small handful pecans
lunch: 1/4 Cup each: cucumber, red bell pepper. 1/2 Cup chickpeas. with balsamic vinegar and italian spices
snack: 2 stalks celery, 14 baby carrots, 1 Tbsp classic hummus
dinner option #1: 1 Cup romaine lettuce, 1 Cup raw spinach, 1/2 Cup broccoli with 1 Tbsp olive oil and 1 Tbsp red wine vinegar. 1 boca meatless spicy “chicken” patty, baked, not fried.
or dinner option #2: 2 Cups romaine lettuce with 1 Tbsp olive oil and 1 Tbsp vinegar. 2 Cups vegetable broth with 2 stalks celery, 10 baby carrots and 1/4 cup textured vegetable protein.
so that all adds up to:
1034 calories
43g fat
0mg cholesterol
913mg sodium
141g carbs
42g sugars
48g fiber
50g protein
for exercising: i’ll be doing about 30-45 minutes of cardio each day (either walking at an incline on treadmill, elliptical or stair climber machine), 20 minutes of strength training (bowflex and free weights) and i’ll be following the 100 push ups workout and the 200 sit ups workout.
how long will it take me to lose the weight i need to? can i lose it before september when school starts again? and will it help get rid of my health problems??
One of the most undemanding and the most workable ways to knock over blood sugar amount, eliminate the dangers of “cardiovascular disease,” and perk up health and welfare in general is exercise.
In spite of that, in today’s inactive world where almost every indispensable job can be carried out online, from the ergonomic chair in front of a computer, or with a streaming line of messages from a fax machine, exercising can be a hard argument to win over.
The Weight of Exercise
Everyone should exercise, yet the health experts tells us that only 30% of the United States population gets the recommended thirty minutes of daily physical activity, and 25% are not active at all. In fact, inactivity is thought to be one of the key reasons for the surge of type 2 diabetes in the U.S., because inactivity and obesity promote insulin resistance.
The good news is that it is never too late to get moving, and exercise is one of the easiest ways to start controlling your diabetes. For people with type 2 diabetes in particular, exercise can improve insulin sensitivity, lower the risk of heart disease, and promote weight loss.
Type 2 Diabetes
Diabetes is on the rise. The number of people diagnosed with diabetes every year increased by 48% between 1980 and 1994. Nearly all the new cases are Type 2 Diabetes, or adult-onset, the kind that moves in around middle age. Symptoms of Type 2 Diabetes include increased thirst, appetite, and need to urinate; feeling tired, edgy, or sick to the stomach; blurred vision; tingling or loss of feeling in the hands.
The causes of type 2 diabetes are complex and not completely understood, although research is uncovering new clues at a rapid pace.
However, it has already been proven that one of the reasons for the boom in type 2 diabetes is the widening of waistbands and the trend toward a more deskbound and inactive lifestyle in the United States and other developed countries. In America, the shift has been striking; in the 1990s alone, obesity increased by 61% and diagnosed diabetes by 49%.
For this reason, health experts encourage those who already have type 2 diabetes to start employing the wonders that exercise can do for them. Without exercise, people have the tendency to become obese. Once they are obese, they have bigger chances of accumulating type 2 diabetes.
Today, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services reports that over 80% of people with type 2 diabetes are clinically overweight. Therefore, it is high time that people, whether inflicted with type 2 diabetes or not, should start doing those jumping and stretching activities.
Getting Started
The first order of business with any exercise plan, especially if you are a “dyed-in-the-wool” sluggish, is to consult with your health care provider. If you have cardiac risk factors, the health care provider may want to perform a stress test to establish a safe level of exercise for you.
Certain diabetic complications will also dictate what type of exercise program you can take on. Activities like weightlifting, jogging, or high-impact aerobics can possibly pose a risk for people with diabetic retinopathy due to the risk for further blood vessel damage and possible retinal detachment.
If you are already active in sports or work out regularly, it will still benefit you to discuss your regular routine with your doctor. If you are taking insulin, you may need to take special precautions to prevent hypoglycemia during your workout.
Start Slow
For those who have type 2 diabetes, your exercise routine can be as simple as a brisk nightly neighborhood walk. If you have not been very active before now, start slowly and work your way up. Walk the dog or get out in the yard and rake. Take the stairs instead of the elevator. Park in the back of the lot and walk. Every little bit does work, in fact, it really helps a lot.
As little as 15 to 30 minutes of daily, heart-pumping exercise can make a big difference in your blood glucose control and your risk of developing diabetic complications. One of the easiest and least expensive ways of getting moving is to start a walking program. All you need is a good pair of well-fitting, supportive shoes and a direction to head in.
Indeed, you do not have to waste too many expenses on costly “health club memberships,” or the most up-to-date health device to start pumping those fats out. What you need is the willingness and the determination to start exercising to a healthier, type 2 diabetes-free life.
The results would be the sweetest rewards from the effort that you have exerted.
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How to diagnose Diabetes in this free healthy living video.
Expert: Brenda Thompson
Bio: Brenda Thompson is a registered dietician and professional chef with the Westlake Market H.E.B. in Austin, Texas.
Filmmaker: Drew Noah
How to diagnose Diabetes in this free healthy living video.