Diabetes Health & Wellness by Jackie Jung CDE, RN
Preventing Type 2 Diabetes
In the first two articles I talked about Risks for developing Type 2 diabetes and explained the physiology of Pre-Diabetes.
See:
To review: All people destined to develop type 2 diabetes pass through a phase of prediabetes. The goal is to identify these individuals and prevent or delay the development of type 2 diabetes. Some simple ideas to help lead a healthier lifestyle (2):
- Calorie reduction: decrease nutritional intake by 500 kcal/day
- Ensure meals are regularly spaced
- Eat breakfast daily
- Reduce portion size
- Decrease intake of sweets and high-fat foods
- Choose “good fats” and fibre-rich foods
- Increase fruit and vegetable intake
- Regularly self-monitor weight
- Use food and activity records to help achieve and maintain weight loss
- Increase physical activity (goal = 150 minutes/week)
- Develop a support system
We’ll continue on with the importance of being active and managing blood pressure and cholesterol levels. patients
Ensure Regular Physical Activity
Increasing physical activity is a key element in controlling weight and reducing the likelihood of developing type 2 diabetes. Physical activity also helps a person maintain better posture and balance, stronger muscles and bones, more energy, reduced stress and continued independent living in later life.
Exercise is thought to be a major determinant of insulin sensitivity in muscle tissue. By increasing exercise, the body uses insulin more efficiently – for up to 70 hours after the exercise period has occurred. Thus exercising 3-4 times per week would be beneficial in most people.
The Canadian Diabetes Association’s Clinical Practice Guidelines the Prevention and Management of Diabetes in Canada recommend People with diabetes should strive to achieve 150 minutes of moderate to vigorous aerobic activity each week, with no more than 2 consecutive days without activity. This translates to 30 minutes per day (which can be split up throughout the day), 5 days per week. While this amount of activity may seem moderate and achievable for most people, for those who are overweight and sedentary it may be overwhelming.
Exercise should be introduced gradually and increased as tolerated. Walking is one of the most popular forms of exercise for people who have successfully lost weight. The use tools such as pedometers and to join walking programs – which also offer social support – will certainly help in maintaining motivation and sustaining this positive behaviour change. (1)
In the large international study called the Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP) mentioned above found that people who are at high risk for Type 2 diabetes having prediabetes can dramatically lower their chances of getting the disease by maintaining physical activity for 30 minutes a day, usually through walking or other moderate-intensity exercise, and lost five to seven per cent of their body weight were found to reduce their risk of developing type 2 diabetes by an impressive 58%.
A Sedentary Lifestyle
Getting more exercise will lower your blood glucose levels and improve your circulatory health, and it will help you lose weight by burning more calories. It keeps you more flexible, more mentally alert, and increases energy.
Try to exercise more on a regular basis. Park farther away from stores – park at the Post Office and walk to the Bank or Bargain Shop. Walk around downtown and window shop. Don’t use the TV remote control. Dance to music while you’re housecleaning. Go to Walk About at the Recreation Centre – a safe, friendly, supportive way to walk at your own pace. Get back to things you used to love! I have started back Cross-Country Skiing after 20 years – so there is always hope!!
Will keeping fit really make a difference? Bet your life on it!
If you are wondering just how beneficial being physically active is consider these big time benefits:
- Feel FANTASTIC. Exercising can energize your day, help you to sleep better and uplift your mood.
- Better blood glucose control. That can delay or prevent damage to your arteries, eyes, kidneys and nerves.
- No medication. For some people, exercise and a healthy diet is all it takes to manage diabetes. This can also be true for those with high blood pressure!
- Live healthier longer. Studies have shown that people with type 2 diabetes live longer when they are regularly physically active.
Managing High Blood Pressure, Cholesterol and Glucose
Diabetes and high blood pressure are often found together. Up to three-quarters of people with undiagnosed diabetes have high blood pressure. Studies show that good control of blood pressure, cholesterol and glucose can substantially reduce the risk of someone developing complications and slow their progression. (4)
The Big Risk of Diabetes & PreDiabetes: Heart Disease – What’s the Link?
Although we don’t know exactly why people with type 2 diabetes and Prediabetes are more likely to develop heart disease, research has found that when high blood glucose levels are not managed well, this can cause damage to the coronary arteries. People with diabetes can also have high levels of insulin that can contribute to the development of fatty deposits or plaque in the arteries.
Coronary artery disease, or hardening of the arteries, is the most common form of heart disease in people with diabetes.
People living with diabetes are also more likely to have conditions related to heart disease such as:
- high blood pressure.
- high levels of bad cholesterol (LDL) and other fats in their blood – which often has no symptoms.
- low levels of good cholesterol (HDL) – the cholesterol that helps reduce the risk of heart disease.
- a thicker left heart ventricle, which can affect how well the heart pumps. (4)
Effective ways for reducing high blood pressure
Once detected, high blood pressure can be controlled with lifestyle changes or medication. For individuals with systolic blood pressure under 140 mmHg or diastolic blood pressure under 90 mmHg a physician will often advise lifestyle changes. Individuals with hypertension may need one or more medications, in addition to lifestyle changes, to help reduce their blood pressure. The following are effective ways for reducing high blood pressure without the use of medication:
- Be physically active for 30 to 60 minutes most days of the week.
- Choose the following foods more often: Vegetables and fruit / Low-fat dairy products / Foods low in saturated and trans fat / Foods low in sodium or salt / Whole grains / Lean meat, fish and poultry
- Eat less salt by avoiding or limiting the amount of fast food, canned foods, and prepared/processed foods, and avoiding or reducing the amount of salt added to food when cooking or at the table.
- If overweight, losing weight and reducing weight to within a healthy range, will lower blood pressure.
- Limit the amount of alcohol to 1 to 2 “standard” drinks a day or less. One standard drink equals a regular-sized bottle or can of beer, a 1.5 ounce shot of hard liquor, or a regular-sized glass of wine.
- Stop smoking.
- Reduce stress by making changes to lifestyle or by practicing relaxation techniques. (4)
SOURCES
- Canadian Diabetes Association Clinical Practice Guidelines ExpertCommittee. Canadian Diabetes Association 2008 Guidelines for the prevention and management of diabetes in Canada. Can J Diabetes. 2008;32(Suppl 1):S1-S201
- http://www.diabetes.ca/documents/for-professionals/CD–M._Karlsson–Fall_2009_.pdf
- http://www.medicinenet.com/diabetes_prevention/page5.htm
- http://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/cd-mc/diabetes-diabete/pa-ap-eng.php
