Truth or False: Misconceptions about Diabetes
There are many misconceptions about Diabetes. Starting with telling the difference in Type 1 and Type 2 to what you can and cannot eat, what facts are true and false? Here are some of the most common diabetes myths.
Belief Sugar is the root of the cause
Most Myanmar households believe that sugar is the true enemy of Diabetics. It is not that diabetics should avoid sugar; it is that they should avoid having too much sugar. The key word here is balance. A balanced diet will provide a diabetic with the nutrients needed to manage their blood sugar levels. The sugars in natural fruits, called unprocessed, are complex and simple carbohydrates which get broken down into glucose and used by cells in the body. The sugars you need to watch out for are the hidden ones found in highly processed foods like candy, snacks, salad dressing, and even in seemingly plain cereals. Sugar alone is not the cause of Diabetes. Other factors like inappropriate eating times, poor portion control, and fat-laden or overly sweet foods, and sedentary lifestyle increase your risk factors for diabetes.1
Food is no longer enjoyable for Diabetics
Most Myanmar people believe that if they get diabetes, they are going to starve and food is no longer enjoyable so some go into extreme dieting. While you have to be more selective of what you eat to control your diabetes, depriving your body of what you used to enjoy can be worse for it. You can run the risk of overeating it once you get the chance. To avoid this, you can actually appropriately incorporate your favorite foods into your diabetes meal plan. To do this, it may take practice or you can easily consult a health care professional for specifics. Skipping meals or extreme calorie restrictions also can cause unhealthy lows in blood sugar levels, leading to elevated craving. A proper meal plan with a variety of healthy foods regularly throughout the day with exercise can help you stay full longer.1
What to watch out for
Hypoglycemia – Symptoms of low blood sugar can affect your vision and contribute to the belief that those with diabetes should not drive. If diabetes is well under control with diet, exercise, and medication and also keeping snacks on hand, can help prevent hypoglycemia attacks.1
Immune System – Because high blood sugars weaken your body’s immune defense, recovering from illnesses take longer, thus circling back to making diabetes management harder. Stay updated on all medications and immunizations and eat good clean food to stay healthy and manage diabetes.1, 3
If you find controlling your diabetes with food is not as effective as you have determined, look for supplements with low GI (Glycemic Index, a scale of 0 to 100 that ranks foods by how much they raise your blood sugar. The higher the number the quicker it raises your blood sugar). A wide range of Glucerna products have been scientifically designed to support the dietary needs of diabetics and help keep their blood glucose level normal. Formulated with low-digesting carbohydrates, it prevents blood glucose from spiking, keeping one full longer.1, 2
How Exercise Can Help Diabetics
From feeling younger, more mobile, building muscle health, and especially to controlling your diabetes, exercising is better for your overall health. Exercise is known to lower blood sugar, blood pressure, and delay the effects of Type 2 Diabetes itself.1
Exercise helps you maintain your insulin health
Not only has exercise been shown to lower your blood sugar levels, it helps your body better deal with insulin sensitivity (hormone that helps your body control glucose). Moderate to regular exercise can help reduce visceral fat (fat in the belly area), which if you have excess, makes your body work even harder to use insulin properly. If you already have pre-existing insulin resistance conditions, exercise can help make it go down, thus helping you use glucose more effectively.2, 3
Improves Diabetes affected joint health
Excess glucose in the blood leads to inflammation, thus making some joints painful or stiff, leading to joint deterioration. Though you do not have to be overweight to develop Type 2 Diabetes, many who are diabetic are overweight, and that excess weight causes strain on joints too.
Any routine regime of physical activity increases blood flow, getting oxygen and nutrients where they are needed, reducing pain and improving function in the extremities. With less pain everywhere else, you can do more activities, enjoy life, improve mood, better sleep, and manage stress.2, 3
How to get started and tips to take note
- Consult a medical professional first to see you do not have any underlying conditions that could be made worse. It is also to make sure what level of blood sugar is healthy for you.
- There is such a thing as a blood sugar crash by working out too much. Carry nutrient dense snacks for emergencies and find ways to keep a record of blood glucose levels before and after workout.
- Make a list of fun things to do. Here you can explore routines and things you can try with company to make your workouts more fun.
- Do not jump into a workout program because you feel like you have to, or you will most likely quit. Slow and steady pace and working up to a full program helps you stick with it and reduce injuries or aches or pains that would otherwise stop you from continuing.
- Like getting the proper nutrition to maintain your blood glucose, variety is also key when exercising. Include a mix of aerobics, classic jogging, swimming, yoga, and even lifting weights, which are known to be the most effective types of activities for diabetics.
- Don’t let physical activities finish at working out and stop doing any resemblance of physical activity after. The calories you burn here and thereafter by choosing to keep active throughout your regular day will help further maintain a healthy blood glucose.
If you need extra help in controlling your diabetes with food, look for nutritional supplements with low GI (Glycemic Index, a scale of 0 to 100, the higher the number the quicker it raises your blood sugar). A wide range of Glucerna products have been specifically designed to support the dietary needs of diabetics and help manage to control their blood glucose level. Formulated with low-digested carbohydrates with 35 essential nutrients, it helps to control blood glucose from spiking, keeping one full longer.4
How Stress Can Affect Diabetes
Stress is experienced by everyone in many different forms. Although stress is unavoidable, it can be managed. Since stress hormones can affect blood sugar levels, here a few helpful tips diabetics can follow to manage both stress and blood sugar.1
Quality Sleep is the key
A prolonged lack of quality sleep can affect their functionality in daily life. Not only does a good night’s sleep feel good in the morning when you wake up, it will help regulate hormones that control hunger, weight, and blood glucose. Sleep deprivation, even for a few days, can increase insulin resistance where if you did not have diabetes before, you are more likely to develop it. An easy fix is to limit caffeinated drinks in the afternoon, especially during a traditional Asian tea time. A comfortable bed, a cool room that is well ventilated, and a consistent sleep schedule will both get your mind and body used to a predictable routine.1
De-stress with Exercise
For many health problems, exercise is seen as one of the best solutions. It can help you manage your weight, keep blood sugar down, and release the feel good chemicals like endorphins, dopamine, adrenaline and endocannabinoid. Make sure to record blood sugar levels before a workout and after workout to keep track of how it affects it. This is because if you are more active than usual, your blood sugar may drop too low (hypoglycemia). If your blood sugar is very low for an extended period, it can cause extreme fatigue, fainting, and hospitalization. To find the most suitable workout program for your own diabetic condition, it is best to consult a medical professional for advice. Overall, you really do not need the gym and you can workout with what you have at home. Simple as walking up and down the stairs, walking instead of driving to get groceries, and even better when natural surroundings help your mood. Once you expend all that energy during the day, it can help you sleep better at night.1, 2
Mental Health Matters too
When you feel a bout of stress oncoming, take a moment to relax to put things into a perspective. Meditating or systematic breathing practices can help you calm down. It is not that you should practice these methods when stressed, but do them other times you are not to help regulate. Like managing your emotions, when managing your diabetes, do not focus on what you could not do. Focus on what you have already accomplished and find out how you can improve. Never be afraid to reach out and consult Mental Health or other Medical Professionals for advice.2
Nutrition and How can Glucerna’s products help diabetics
Since overeating is a symptom of stress, controlling your diabetes with nutrition can help you feel fresh in general. For example, food low in GI (Glycemic Index, a scale of 0 to 100 that ranks foods by how much they raise your blood sugar. The higher the number the quicker it raises your blood sugar) are ideal for diabetics. Having it as a replacement for a light meal, on the go, for weight management, or for illness recovery days, Glucerna’s low-digesting carbohydrates will help maintain stressing blood sugar spikes by keeping you fuller longer.3
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